Freshman Academic Planning Guide
Step 2) Understand the term "liberal arts" and the umw degree requirements
The University of Mary Washington endeavors to ensure that its graduates are well-rounded individuals with a breadth of knowledge and skills that they can apply to both their professional and personal lives. It is not simply the content that is valuable in exploring different disciplines (though that is certainly very important), but the way in which students learn to approach new and different kinds of information, analyze and interpret it, and proceed to apply that process to other circumstances. The purpose of a liberal arts education is to engage students and to make them independent thinkers.
The academic program at the University of Mary Washington is divided into the following:
- General Education and Across-the-Curriculum (ATC) Requirements
- Major Program Requirements
- Elective Courses
Each of these components is integral to a UMW education. We believe the Electives to be just as important as the General Education or Major requirements. Some courses will overlap requirements for General Education, ATCs and Electives.

