Is there such a thing as a "general semester"? I’m an MSc student and write my thesis about academy retention.

So far the only model I know is that a student enrolls to a certain faculty and begins his studies there.
I’m trying to find models in which the students start their studies in a global semester or year and only after finishing it, choose their desired faculty.
Are there universities or colleges with such a model?

Also, is there a formal name to such a “global semester/year”? I haven’t been able to find anything on the net.
In the U.S., it is common to start at a university as an "undeclared major". This gives students an opportunity to take courses in a variety of areas to figure out what interests them. Typically, after a year they must choose a major.