Individualized Cognate Courses


If you have questions regarding cognates or courses eligible to be used in individualized cognates, please log in to Navigate to schedule time to speak with your academic advisor.

Beginning in Fall 2021, UM students can fulfill the Areas of Knowledge general education requirement by creating an individualized cognate. Only courses (UM as well as transfer courses) with an Area of Knowledge course attribute in CaneLink can be used in an individualized cognate. All three courses in an individualized cognate must have the appropriate Area of Knowledge course attribute. Courses used in an individualized cognate cannot be double counted toward any other degree requirement. An individualized cognate must be a minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours). Individualized cognates use the following academic plan codes: AT_0080 (Arts & Humanities), PS_0070 (People & Society), and ST_0026 (STEM). For information on thematic cognates, use the cognate search engine.

Below is a searchable list of current courses that can be used in an individualized cognate.

NOTE: The course a student takes to fulfill the quantitative skills proficiency requirement cannot be double counted by including it in an individualized cognate. Also courses with a grade of CR (except for test credits that are accepted with a UM equivalency from AP, IB, GCE, Cambridge Pre-U, CAPE, and CLEP programs) cannot be used to fulfill general education or other degree requirements like individualized cognates.

The courses below are currently effective for the: Spring 2026 Term

Subject Course No. Course Title Area of Knowledge Designation Typically Offered Credits (Min/Max)
APY 205 Medicine and Health Care in Society People and Society Spring, Summer 3/3
APY 301 World Prehistory: From Caves to Quinoa People and Society Spring Even Years 3/3
APY 306 Human Evolution STEM By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 306 Human Evolution People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 307 Human Adaptation STEM By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 307 Human Adaptation People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 309 Evolution of Human Behavior STEM Spring Odd Years 3/3
APY 309 Evolution of Human Behavior People and Society Spring Odd Years 3/3
APY 310 Primate Behavior and Adaptation STEM Fall Odd Years 3/3
APY 310 Primate Behavior and Adaptation People and Society Fall Odd Years 3/3
APY 312 Primate Cognition STEM Fall Even Years 3/3
APY 312 Primate Cognition People and Society Fall Even Years 3/3
APY 313 Data science of culture and language STEM Spring 3/3
APY 313 Data science of culture and language People and Society Spring 3/3
APY 315 Folk and Alternative Medicine: Psychedelic Plants in Cultural Context People and Society Spring 3/3
APY 320 The Evolution of Language People and Society Spring 3/3
APY 340 Marine Archaeology People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 345 Blood and Chocolate: Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica People and Society Fall Even Years 3/3
APY 356 Florida Archaeology People and Society Fall Odd Years 3/3
APY 359 The Archaeology of Plastics People and Society Fall Odd Years 3/3
APY 360 Anthropology of Food STEM Fall 3/3
APY 360 Anthropology of Food People and Society Fall 3/3
APY 361 Gender and Language People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 362 The Languages of the World People and Society Spring 3/3
APY 376 Economic Anthropology People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 384 Caribbean Archaeology People and Society Spring Even Years 3/3
APY 385 Caribbean Cultures People and Society Spring 3/3
APY 390 Dead Bodies & Bioethics People and Society Fall Odd Years 3/3
APY 390 Dead Bodies & Bioethics Arts and Humanities Fall Odd Years 3/3
APY 391 Gender in Ancient Cultures People and Society Spring Odd Years 3/3
APY 392 Sex and Culture People and Society Fall, Spring 3/3
APY 393 Drugs and Culture People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 394 Comparative Religion Arts and Humanities By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 394 Comparative Religion People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 395 Gender, Race, and Class People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 396 Youth Culture, Identity, and Globalization People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 397 Violence and Ritual People and Society Fall Even Years 3/3
APY 398 Coastal Cultures People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 399 The Anthropology of Kinship and Family in America People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 413 Medical Anthropology People and Society Fall 3/3
APY 414 Human Osteology People and Society Fall 3/3
APY 414 Human Osteology STEM Fall 3/3
APY 416 Bioarchaeology-Peopling the past STEM Spring Even Years 3/3
APY 416 Bioarchaeology-Peopling the past People and Society Spring Even Years 3/3
APY 419 Politics of the Past People and Society Spring Odd Years 3/3
APY 421 Interpreting Bodies People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
APY 423 Paleopathology: Health and disease in ancient peoples People and Society Fall Even Years 3/3
APY 423 Paleopathology: Health and disease in ancient peoples STEM Fall Even Years 3/3
APY 435 Anthropology of Nature and Environment People and Society By Announcement Only 3/3
ARB 202 Intermediate Arabic II Arts and Humanities Spring 3/3