Requirement
Courses satisfying this requirement focus on mathematical and statistical reasoning, or on formal and symbolic argument. The requirement is meant to help you learn to use numeric or symbolic methods to assess the relationships among ideas. This should allow you to judge information more critically.
All schools and colleges of the university require a Q/SR course. Some colleges allow any course from the Q/SR list; others require a particular course. Check General Education and Basic Skills Requirements of UW Schools and Colleges for the requirements of majors you are considering.
Grade Required
Any passing grade (0.7 or higher) is acceptable. The course may not be taken on the satisfactory/not satisfactory (S/NS) grading option.
Placement
A passing score on a placement test (or college credit for the prerequisite math course) is required for registration in MATH 111, 120, and 124. For the prerequisites and registration restrictions of other Q/SR courses, consult the Course Descriptions and the Time Schedule.
Overlaps with Other Requirements
You may also count your Q/SR course toward the Areas of Knowledge requirement, in whichever Area it is listed. (A few Q/SR courses do not count toward Areas of Knowledge.) If your Q/SR course happens to be a W-course and/or is part of your major or minor, it can count toward those requirements as well.
AP and IB
If you achieved a score of 3, 4, or 5 on the Advanced Placement Calculus AB examination (or a 2 with subgrade 3, 4, or 5, on the Calculus BC), you will receive at least 5 college credits of calculus. This satisfies the Q/SR requirement, and the credit also counts toward Areas of Knowledge.
The award for several other AP scores is a credit course that can be used to satisfy the Q/SR requirement and can also be counted toward Areas of Knowledge. See AP Credit Policies for more information.
For International Baccalaureate Higher Level exams, the award for a score of 7 on the Mathematics exam is MATH 124, which satisfies the Q/SR requirement can can also count toward Natural World. The award for a score of 6 or 5 is MATH 120, which counts toward Natural World but not toward Q/SR. The Q/SR requirement can also be satisfied with the credit awards for scores of 5 or higher in Computer Science and Engineering, Economics, and Physics. See the IB Credit Tables for details.
Transfer Students
Any course that transfers as one of the courses listed below, or any course evaluated as a "Q" course (for example, PSYCH Q-1XX), or any MATH X or STAT X course, will satisfy the Q/SR requirement if the course transfers as at least 4.5 credits. Other courses must be petitioned at the Gateway Center. Bring a copy of the course syllabus or the description from the catalog of the college offering the course.
You can check the course equivalency tables to determine which courses from Washington community colleges count toward the UW's Q/SR requirement; they are marked in the lists with a Q.
Postbaccalaureate Students
Postbaccalaureate students are not required to complete the Q/SR requirement.
Registering for Q/SR courses
You can generate a complete list of Q/SR courses with space still available with the General Education Requirement Course Search.
Recommendations
The Q/SR requirement ensures that you take at least one college course that improves your reasoning skills. Although many students meet the requirement with a mathematics course, either because their intended majors require math or because they enjoy it, other students prefer to take a course that emphasizes reasoning or mathematical applications rather than traditional math.
Many students, for example, take economics to gain some insight into the world of business and finance. Many economic principles are expressed in mathematical terms, and in an introductory economics course you will apply simple mathematical principles to real-life situations.
Students interested in the study of language — students who may major or minor in a foreign language, English, communications, a behavioral science, or speech, for example — may wish to take linguistics, which sharpens awareness of verbal reasoning through the study of the history, nature, and structure of language.
We also offer courses entirely devoted to the study of reasoning and logical argument: PHIL 115: Practical Reasoning, and PHIL 120: Introduction to Logic.
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning Courses
| Q/SR course | title | credits | AoK |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANTH 320 | Game Theory, Evolution, and Behavior | 4 | I&S |
| ASTR 101 | Astronomy | 5 | NW |
| ASTR 102 | Introduction to Astronomy | 5 | NW |
| ASTR 150 | The Planets | 5 | NW |
| ASTR 201 | The Universe and the Origin of Life | 5 | NW |
| ASTR 210 | Distance and Time: Size and Age in the Universe | 5 | NW |
| ASTR 211 | The Universe and Change | 5 | NW |
| ASTR 212 | Life in the Universe | 5 | NW |
| BIO A 482 | Human Population Genetics | 5 | NW |
| BIOL 320 | Game Theory, Evolution, and Behavior | 4 | I&S |
| CS&SS 320 | Evaluating Social Science Evidence | 5 | I&S |
| CS&SS 321 | Case-Based Social Statistics I | 5 | I&S |
| CS&SS 322 | Case-Based Social Statistics II | 5 | I&S |
| CHEM 120 | Introduction to General Chemistry | 5 | NW |
| CHEM 142 | General Chemistry | 5 | NW |
| CHEM 145 | Honors General Chemistry | 5 | NW |
| CSE/INFO 100 | Fluency in Information Technology | 5 | none |
| CSE 142 | Computer Programming for Engineers and Scientists | 4 | NW |
| CSE 143 | Computer Programming II | 5 | NW |
| D HYG 492, 493 | [Dental Hygiene degree completion program] | 3, 3 | none |
| ECON 100 | Principles of Economics | 5 | I&S |
| ECON 150 | Quantitative Preparation for Economics and Business | 5 | NW |
| ECON 200 | Introduction to Microeconomics | 5 | I&S |
| ECON 201 | Introduction to Macroeconomics | 5 | I&S |
| ECON 311 | Elements of Statistical Methods | 5 | NW |
| ECON 486 | Economics of Information | 5 | I&S |
| ENVIR 210 | Introduction to Environmental Modeling | 5 | NW |
| ESRM 250 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems in Forest Resources | 5 | NW |
| ESRM 304 | Environmental and Resource Assessment | 5 | I&S, NW |
| GEOG 326 | Introduction to Geographic Research | 5 | I&S |
| GEOG 360 | Principles of Cartography | 5 | I&S |
| GEOG 426 | Quantitative Methods in Geography | 5 | I&S |
| LING 200 | Introduction to Linguistic Thought | 5 | VLPA or I&S |
| LING 201 | Intro to Linguistic Theory and Analysis | 5 | VLPA or I&S |
| LING 400 | Survey of Linguistic Method and Theory | 4 | VLPA |
| MATH 107 | Mathematics: A Practical Art | 5 | NW |
| MATH 111 | Algebra with Applications | 5 | NW |
| MATH 112 | Applications of Calculus to Business and Economics | 5 | NW |
| MATH 124 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry | 5 | NW |
| MATH 134 | Accelerated (Honors) Calculus | 5 | NW |
| MATH 144 | Calculus for the Biological Sciences | 5 | NW |
| MATH 145 | Calculus for the Biological Sciences (II) | 5 | NW |
| OCEAN 360 | Marine Field Research | 10 | NW |
| PHIL 115 | Practical Reasoning | 5 | I&S |
| PHIL 120 | Introduction to Logic | 5 | I&S or NW |
| PHIL 470 | Intermediate Logic | 5 | I&S or NW |
| PHYS 101-102 | Introductory Physics | 5-5 | NW |
| PHYS 110-112 | Liberal Arts Physics | 5 | NW |
| PHYS 114 | General Physics | 4 | NW |
| PHYS 121 | Mechanics | 5 | NW |
| PHYS 214 | Light and Color | 5 | NW |
| PHYS 215 | A Way of Knowing | 5 | NW |
| PHYS 216 | Time and Change | 5 | NW |
| PSYCH 315 | Understanding Statistics in Psychology | 5 | none |
| PSYCH 317 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Psychology | 5 | none |
| PSYCH 318 | Statistical Inference in Psychological Research | 5 | none |
| QMETH 201 | Introduction to Statistical Methods | 4 | NW |
| Q SCI 210 | Introduction to Environmental Modeling | 5 | NW |
| Q SCI 291 | Analysis for Biologists I | 5 | NW |
| Q SCI 292 | Analysis for Biologists II | 5 | NW |
| Q SCI 293 | Analysis for Biologists III | 5 | NW |
| Q SCI 381 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics | 5 | NW |
| SOC 220 | Introduction to Sociological Methods | 5 | I&S |
| SOC 320 | Evaluating Social Science Evidence | 5 | I&S |
| SOC 321 | Case-Based Social Statistics I | 5 | I&S |
| SOC 322 | Case-Based Social Statistics II | 5 | I&S |
| SOC 328- | Methodology of Sociological Research | 5 | I&S |
| SOC -329 | Methodology of Sociological Research | 5 | I&S |
| STAT 220 | Basic Statistics | 5 | NW |
| STAT 311 | Elements of Statistical Methods | 5 | NW |
| STAT 320 | Evaluating Social Science Evidence | 5 | I&S |
| STAT 321 | Case-Based Social Statistics I | 5 | I&S |
| STAT 322 | Case-Based Social Statistics II | 5 | I&S |
