The Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) offers students a high-quality general education with ten goal areas focusing on core liberal arts and sciences competencies. The MnTC is designed to transfer as a complete package of credits meeting the general education requirements to any public college or university in Minnesota. A student who completes the MnTC at another institution is not required to complete UMD's Liberal Education Program.
Other institutions' MnTC courses being transferred to UMD will be evaluated by UMD for transfer credit at UMD. The basic framework of the MnTC goal areas aligned to the UMD Liberal Education categories is shown below. UMD strives to assign the Liberal Education category (or categories) corresponding to the course's MnTC goal area (or areas) as approved by the other institution. However, taking a MnTC course at another institution does not guarantee the course will transfer to UMD or count toward a UMD Liberal Education category (Transfer of Undergraduate Credit Policy).
Note: The information provided on this webpage is general guidance for courses from institutions using the MnTC that students are transferring to UMD. Transferring UMD's Lib Ed courses to another institution is based on that institution's policies and procedures (One Stop resource guide for UMD students).
MnTC Goal Areas Aligned to UMD Liberal Education Program Requirements
MnTC Goal Area 1: Communication
Writing courses are evaluated to determine potential equivalency as UMD’s WRIT 1120, which is the only UMD course in the Writing & Information Literacy category. If a MnTC Goal 1 writing course is not equivalent to WRIT 1120, the transfer course may not meet UMD’s Writing & Information Literacy requirement. WRIT 1120 is a pre-req for UMD’s WRIT 31xx required for nearly all UMD degree programs.
Oral communication courses → UMD Oral Communication and Languages category.
MnTC Goal Area 2: Critical Thinking
UMD does not have a corresponding category so this goal area does not apply to UMD. However, courses completed at another institution are reviewed for the possibility of meeting a different UMD Liberal Education requirement during the transfer course evaluation process.
MnTC Goal Area 3: Natural Sciences
Natural Sciences courses → UMD Natural Sciences category.
Through 2022-23: UMD requires two Natural Sciences courses from different subjects/designators. One course must have a lab component.
Beginning 2023-24: UMD requires one Natural Sciences course with a lab. If taking two courses in the category, then the courses must have different subjects/designators.
MnTC Goal Area 4: Mathematical/Logical Reasoning
Mathematical/Logical Reasoning courses → UMD Logic and Quantitative Reasoning category.
MnTC Goal Area 5: History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences
History and Social and Behavioral Sciences courses → UMD Social Sciences category.
If taking two courses in the category, then the courses must have different subjects/designators.
MnTC Goal Area 6: Humanities and the Fine Arts
Humanities courses → UMD Humanities category.
Fine Arts courses → UMD Fine Arts category.
If taking two courses in Humanities and/or two courses in Fine Arts, then the two courses in each category must have different subjects/designators.
MnTC Goal Area 7: Human Diversity, Race, Power, and Justice in the United States
Through 2022-23: Human Diversity → UMD Cultural Diversity in the U.S. category.
Beginning 2023-24: Human Diversity → UMD Cultural Diversity in the U.S. category or UMD Theorizing Race, Power, and Justice category.
MnTC Goal Area 8: Global Perspective
Global Perspective courses → UMD Global Perspectives category.
MnTC Goal Area 9: Ethical and Civic Responsibility
UMD does not have a corresponding category so this goal area does not apply to UMD. However, courses completed at another institution are reviewed for the possibility of meeting a different UMD Liberal Education requirement during the transfer course evaluation process.
MnTC Goal Area 10: People and the Environment
People and the Environment courses → UMD Sustainability category.