General education requirements in the humanities at American colleges and universities were studied by the Higher Education Panel in spring 1984, based on usable surveys returned by 374 of the 454 institutions to which the survey had been sent. Data from the colleges were statistically weighted to reflect the national population of 2,566 institutions offering two- and four-year degrees. Findings include: on average, 45 semester hours of general education were required in four-year programs and 26 hours in two-year degree programs; English composition was a core subject, required for all degree candidates by about 9 in 10 institutions; baccalaureate colleges showed a stronger pattern of humanities requirements than other institutions; in addition to English composition, about half of baccalaureate colleges required all students to take courses in English or American literature, world civilization, and philosophy. Information is also provided on humanities subjects that were not required, the use of secondary versus primary reading sources, foreign language requirements, and differences at public and private colleges. Appendices include a facsimile of the survey, a description of the stratification design, a comparison of characteristics of responding and nonresponding institutions, and an explanation of the reliability of the survey estimates. (SW)