Core requirements are the basic, required courses or standards that students must meet for a given major, degree, minor, emphasis or concentration. General education courses are the foundation upon which all Mizzou degrees are built. Before earning a degree from the University of Missouri, students must complete the general education requirements, which include college algebra, English exposition and argumentation, writing-intensive courses, American history or government and a math reasoning proficiency course as well as courses in biological and/or physical science, behavioral and/or social science and the humanities and/or fine arts.