Muir is popular because of its general education program which combines a variety of year-long sequences in four major academic areas and two expository writing courses. A sequence is three courses, normally in a single subject or discipline (e.g., three courses of American History). An area is a broad area of study such as the humanities or the social sciences.

Muir's requirements accommodate a wide range of interests and aptitudes and prepare you for a broad array of majors. The openness and flexibility of the curriculum make Muir College particularly attractive to exceptionally able and well-prepared students as well as to students with well-defined academic interests or students still exploring various educational options, alternatives, and opportunities.

Thus students have the responsibility to tailor their general-education to their personal goals, interests, and academic talents in four personally meaningful general–education sequences and two analytical composition courses.

By the time of graduation, Muir students will be required to complete:

• one social science sequence
• one mathematical (calculus) or natural science sequence
• two sequences selected from two of the following areas: fine arts, humanities, or foreign languages
• two expository writing courses

Overlaps: A maximum of three courses may be used to satisfy both a general education requirement and major requirements. A student majoring in Chemistry/Environmental Chemistry, Chemistry/Pharmacological, Chinese Studies, Cognitive Science, Economics, Human Development, Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts, International Studies, Japanese Studies, Literature/English, Literature/Writing, and Management Science or the Joint Major in Mathematics and Economics--each of which requires lower-division courses that could also be used to fulfill two or more of Muir's general education areas--may have to take an additional sequence in order to meet the three-course overlap limit.