Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Core Curriculum?
A: The Core is a community of learning, in which students complete coursework satisfying their General Education requirements while exploring great books and ideas through a curriculum of foundational texts and authors.
Q: If I enroll in the Core, do I have to finish the whole program?
A: No, you can select just a few Core courses to satisfy certain requirements. Students who do not complete the entire Core Curriculum will receive credit in the pertinent division of the General Education requirements — Humanities, Natural Sciences, or Social Sciences — for each Core course successfully completed.
Q: Should I take the Core if I’ve already read some of the books?
A: Many of the Core books will still be new to you, and even familiar books will come alive in a different way when they are read in the Core setting.
Q: Are Core courses more difficult than other CAS courses?
A: The Core is not meant to be any more difficult than a 100- or 200-level course in another department, but our courses will challenge you to read carefully and think deeply about the texts.
Q: If I major in a natural science, should I take the Core?
A: Many natural science majors take just Core Humanities and Core Social Sciences for a strong, broad foundation in the liberal arts. By taking CC101 and CC102, you will receive credit for 2 Humanities Gen Ed courses and for WR100. By taking CC203 and CC204, you will receive credit for 2 Social Sciences Gen Ed courses and for WR150.
Q: How does Core relate to my major?
A: Core courses not only count as General Education requirements, but they also give you a head start in many majors, ranging all the way from Anthropology and English to Sociology and Political Science.
Q: Do Core courses satisfy the CAS Writing requirement?
A: Yes. Students who complete the first-year Core Humanities sequence (CC101 and CC102) satisfy WR100. Students who complete either the second-year Core Humanities sequence (CC201 and CC202) or the Core Social Sciences sequence (CC203 and CC204) satisfy WR 150.
Q: I’m only taking part of the Core. Do I have to take math?
A: If you do not take all 8 Core courses, you will need to take divisional courses to satisfy the General Education Math/Computer Sciences requirement (even if you have demonstrated competence in mathematics by a score of 580 or higher on the SAT-I; by an AP score of 3 or higher; or by a score of 23 on the ACT). If you scored below those levels, you must fulfill the proficiency requirement by satisfactory completion of a CAS mathematics course numbered 109 or higher (even if you complete the entire Core Curriculum).