For students entering on or after July 1, 2025, UNC institutions will require, as a condition of awarding a baccalaureate degree, that students successfully complete a course covering the foundations of American democracy (FAD).
Listing of currently approved FAD Courses
Student Learning Outcomes
FAD courses that fulfill this requirement must include substantively the following student learning outcomes:
- Evaluate key concepts, principles, arguments, and contexts in founding documents of the American republic, including the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and a representative selection of the Federalist Papers; and,
- Evaluate key milestones in progress and challenges in the effort to form “a more perfect Union,” including the arguments and contexts surrounding the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Letter from Birmingham Jail, as well as other texts that reflect the breadth of American experiences.
Who is waived from the FAD requirement?
- Students who were admitted prior to Fall 2025 (This includes current students shifting to the new core.)
- Students who have earned an A.A. or A.S. degree from a NC Community College
- Students who transfer in with 60+ hours of transfer credit
- Students who are awarded transfer credit for a course that is equivalent to a course fulfilling the FAD requirement