elective courses
Non-required academic subjects
Elective courses are classes students choose freely rather than being required to take.
They contrast with core requirements or prerequisites that everyone in a program must complete.
The term appears mainly in American education: She used her electives for art history and photography.
Often shortened to electives.
- general educationMandatory broad academic requirements
- freedom of choiceLiberty to select options
- pass/failBinary grading system
- discoveryAct of finding something
- explorationTraveling through unknown regions
transferable skills · history · independent study · curriculum · self-directed learning · psychology · skill-building · credit hours · specialization · distribution · networking opportunities · transcript · engagement · enrichment · debate · enrollment · open enrollment · academic advisor
elective coursesrequired courses
Classes students must complete
prerequisites · degree requirements · graduation requirements · core requirements
elective coursescore courses
Compulsory foundational classes
core curriculum · core classes · degree requirements · fundamentals · survey courses