Effective Fall 2026, the General Education Requirements (GER) are:

Area IX. Physical Education and Dance (PED)

Requirement: One one-hour course in either Physical Education or Dance. Unless otherwise noted, courses may be taken for a letter grade or as Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory to meet the GER’s.

Students cannot repeat for credit a course unless that course has an “R” by its number, e.g., PE 184R.  

• All students may take as many PED courses as they choose as long as first-year students have been accommodated.
• Once a student has met the requirements for Area IX of the GER’s, they may not register during their pre-registration period for PED’s for the next semester.  They may add PED classes during drop/add/swap.  This is so that first-year students who need classes to meet the requirements receive priority in pre-registering. There may be a limited amount of seats available in some courses during pre-registration.
• There are no exemptions from the physical education requirements.  Students with significant health or medical conditions may enroll in PE 399R Adaptive Physical Education with supporting documentation from ODS.

Success at Emory

All first-year students in Emory College are required to complete a set of three courses, jointly helping them achieve “Success at Emory” during their first year at Emory. This timed requirement supports the transition to Emory by helping students to develop skills for academic and personal success. It builds community among incoming students while familiarizing them with the liberal arts process and showcasing the importance of health and well-being.