Compass Core Curriculum provides students with flexibility and choice. It offers students the framework that will empower them to transform their own lives and impact their communities in ways that are lasting and meaningful.
NOTE: Compass applies to students who are under the 2024 catalog or newer. Students under older catalogs should refer to those catalogs for their general education requirements.
Compass is organized around five categories:
Strengthening Foundations
Further developing the skills introduced to students long before they arrive at college, the Compass Core Curriculum strengthens those foundational skills in ways that will enhance and inspire a lifetime of learning. Courses throughout the curriculum will help students to communicate more effectively, both orally and in writing, and think more critically, which includes the development of quantitative reasoning skills.
The courses within Strengthening Foundations play a special role in developing these core skills. Within this category, students take two courses in written composition, and choose one course from each of three further subcategories. For a list of approved courses, see the Undergraduate Catalog.
Strengthening Foundations (15-16 credit hours)
- Written composition (6)
- Quantitative reasoning (3-4)
- Oral communication (3)
- Critical thinking (3)
Understanding Natural and Social Worlds
Understanding social and natural worlds requires careful observation, experimentation, reasoning, and analysis. It is achieved by identifying reliable sources of information and integrating evidence from a variety of perspectives, but also by cultivating a sense of curiosity, asking questions, and learning how to find useful and credible answers.
Students take three courses within this category, at least one of which must be from the list of Natural Sciences courses and at least one from the list of Social and Behavioral Sciences courses. For a list of approved courses, see the Undergraduate Catalog.
Understanding natural and social worlds (10-11 credit hours)
- Natural Sciences (at least 4)
- Social/Behavioral Sciences (at least 3)
Exploring Connections
The study of history develops skills that enable us to make sense of the modern world and the events, peoples, and ideas that shape it, while also learning how to empathize with those who live and think in ways that appear very different from our own. Branches of the humanities beyond history, which include literature, philosophy, art history, and religious studies, deepen our understanding of the human experience, expose us to diverse cultures, ideas, and perspectives, and in the process create better critical thinkers and more effective communicators.
Students take three courses within this category, at least one of which must be a History course and at least one of which must be from a Humanities discipline other than history. For a list of approved courses, see the Undergraduate Catalog.
Exploring connections (9)
- History (at least 3)
- Humanities outside of History (at least 3)
Cultivating Artistic Awareness
Studying the fine and performing arts cultivates artistic awareness, which is essential to the human experience, providing us with valuable forms of expression and important lenses through which we can better understand ourselves, our circumstances, and the worlds we inhabit. Artistic expression is developed through creation and performance, as well as the analysis of artistic works. Students take one course in this category. For a list of approved courses, see the Undergraduate Catalog.
- Cultivating Artistic Awareness ( 3 credits)
Growing as an Individual and Global Citizen
In a world of increasing specialization, solving complex problems requires significant collaboration, interdisciplinary innovation, and cultural awareness. Productive citizens are resilient and self-aware. They strive to maximize their physical, financial, emotional, and social wellness. They look outward as well as inward, interact respectfully with people from diverse communities, and work toward creating a more equitable world. Students take one course in this category. For a list of approved courses, see the Undergraduate Catalog.
- Growing as an Individual & Global Citizen ( 3-4 credits)
Compass Core Curriculum Requirements:
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Strengthening Foundations (15-16 credit hours) |
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Understanding Natural and Social Worlds (10-11 credit hours) |
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Exploring connections (9) |
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Cultivating Artistic Awareness ( 3 credits) |
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Growing as an Individual & Global Citizen ( 3-4 credits) |
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Learn more about the learning outcomes associated with the Compass categories and subcategories.