Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum

One hallmark of the well-educated person is the ability to speak clearly, coherently and cogently. Speech skills are crucial in daily life in both personal and professional situations. In a world where we communicate through a wide and growing variety of media, CO 230 Communication Skills will help students plan before they present, think before they speak, and recognize what their audience’s body language and demeanor might be telling them. This course will help students understand the importance of media literacy while incorporating an ethical approach toward presentation skills. Students will learn how to persuade and present in person as well as online. The curriculum focuses on listening techniques, audience characteristics, research preparation skills, quality message composition, compelling content, and effective delivery.

Choose One (1) of the following courses: 

Music and/or Education majors: Students majoring in music or in
education are not required to take a communication & media studies core course.

*Education Majors: Students in their senior year, who did not pass the Elementary Education praxis, and must change their major, but did satisfy the requirements to student teach and earn a P-3 Certification, will not be required to complete the Communication & Media Studies core.

In the 21st century, being broadly educated mandates that all students be
acquainted with basic concepts of computer technology and that they be
aware of the social and ethical issues raised by this technology.

Students majoring in art and art therapy track, computer science, mathematics, music, nursing, and public health education are not required to take a computer science course since computer courses are required for their major.

Writing: Students are required to complete two writing intensive courses, EN 111 or EN 320, and a second writing intensive (WI) course in a discipline other than English. A writing intensive course is designed to foster excellence in writing and the development of critical thinking skills while improving comprehension of course material. Writing tasks will be significant and frequent, including opportunities for feedback and revision. Students should take the second, discipline-based writing intensive course in their sophomore year. Students can locate a writing intensive course by searching for the WI prefix, or by looking for courses with the section number of 025, 026, 027, or 028. The second writing intensive will not fulfill your English literature requirement.

Students who transfer to Caldwell University with a minimum of 30 credits will have the second writing intensive (WI) course in a discipline waived.

Literature: The second English requirement is a literature course. The study of literature develops insight and sensitivity to character and values, introduces students to portions of our literary and cultural heritage, and forms the foundation of a liberal education. Writing skills acquired in EN 111 are further refined in all of the literature courses.

Both the writing and literature core requirements in English address the global objectives of writing, critical thinking and information literacy.

EN 111 College Writing: A prerequisite to the course is a satisfactory score on the verbal and essay sections of the SAT. Students who do not meet the required standard on the English Placement Examination are placed in EN 101 The Process of Writing in the first semester. A minimum grade of C is required. Students who show extraordinary proficiency on the verbal and essay sections of the SAT may be enrolled in EN 320 Writing Power.

Literature course:
EN 111 or its equivalent is a prerequisite for all English classes. Students may choose any literature course in which they are interested. Although 200 level courses have been specifically designed to fulfill core requirements, students able to meet the demands of more specialized courses may choose any upper division literature course in which they are interested.
 

*The following upper level English Courses do NOT fulfill the English Literature Core: EN 320, EN 338, EN 406, EN 418.

An informed experience of art and music is an essential component of the liberally educated person. The study of art and music provides access to the language of cultural expression, enabling students to value and explore the diversities of human endeavor. The primary goal of each course is to develop students’ visual and musical literacy.

Elementary Education Majors: Elementary Education majors must enroll in both MU 245 Music Fundamentals for the Elementary Teacher and AH 245 Art Fundamentals for the Elementary Teacher. *Elementary Education majors whose content is Music, are waived from MU245.

Healthcare Administration Majors: Healthcare Administration majors must take AT 230 or MU 231 to satisfy their Fine Arts requirement.

Art Majors: Art majors are required to complete a music course. 

Music Majors: Music majors are required to complete an Art course.

First Year Student Seminar is a one-credit course required for all freshmen. This course is designed to assist students with their transition to college and to enable them to grow intellectually and personally. Through weekly goal-oriented sessions conducted by an academic advisor, students develop their critical thinking and writing skills using a common reader. They learn academic and personal life skills, including information literacy, academic integrity, learning styles and strategies, career exploration, time management, and health and wellness. Additionally, students will develop their understanding of the advising and registration process and develop an awareness of the Core Curriculum and its role in a liberal arts education.

Exemptions: Transfer students with 12 or more transferred credits are exempt from this requirement.

Historical consciousness, especially of the western tradition, is a key ingredient of a liberal education. The study of history helps to make the world comprehensible. It exposes students to the roots and development of human civilization, heightens political awareness, fosters an understanding of causation and social change, and imparts an appreciation for how the past has shaped the present.

Elementary Education Majors: Students majoring in elementary education in all contents, except Social Studies, must also complete SS101 Topics in Social Studies.

History and/or Social Studies Majors: Students majoring in history and/or Social Studies must complete HI101 and HI102.

Mathematics permeates every aspect of our daily life and is the foundation of work in such diverse fields as science, economics, and psychology. Course placement depends upon: a) results of the online placement test; b) secondary school preparation; and c) potential major. Based on these criteria, students are then assigned to a non-degree credit bearing developmental course, or a 100-level course or a 200-level course.

Students whose scores on the online placement test indicate weakness in computation skills and/or elementary algebra must successfully complete MA 090 Basic Algebraic Skills, for non-degree credit.

Students are required to begin taking this course in order to take the appropriate math core courses for their major. A minimum of a grade of C is required. Students whose scores on the online placement test indicate placement into a college-level math course should register to take MA 112, MA 113, MA 116, MA 117, MA 118, MA 130, or MA 140 depending on their major. Any student who places into an upper college-level math course (anything higher than MA 130) may register for the appropriate math course. Placement into a college-level math course does not mean immediate placement into an upper college-level math class.

The following are course recommendations based on major and placement that can be used to satisfy the core requirement in mathematics:

Biology: MA 130 or higher based on placement

Business Majors: MA 130 or higher based on placement

Chemistry: MA 220 or higher based on placement

Management Information Systems: MA 130 or higher based on placement

Computer Science: MA 140 or higher based on placement

Criminal Justice: MA 105*, MA 106*, MA 112, MA 113, MA 117, MA 120, or MA 130 or higher based on placement

Elementary Education: (non-biology or math content majors): MA 116 and MA 117 (not in the same semester and in any order). Students who place in MA 130 or higher based on placement only have to take one semester. Students must earn grades of a C or higher.

Secondary Education: Secondary (non-biology or math content majors): MA 112, MA 116, MA 117, or MA 130 or higher based on placement

Health Sciences: MA 130 or higher based on placement 10

Healthcare Administration: MA 130 or higher based on placement

Math: MA 130 or higher based on placement

Medical Technology: MA 130 or higher based on placement

Nursing: MA 118 Students have a separate statistics requirement, MA 207 or PS 208.

Psychology: MA 105*, MA 112, MA 113, MA 116, MA 117, MA 118, MA 120, or MA 130 or higher based on placement

Sociology: MA 105*, MA 106*, MA 112, MA 113, MA 117, MA 120, or MA 130 or higher based on placement

All other majors (Art, Art Therapy concentration, Communications, English, History, Music, Political Science, Social Studies, Spanish, and Theology): MA 105, MA 106, MA 112, MA 113, MA 116, MA 117, MA 120, MA 130, MA207, MA214, MA309, or MA324 based on placement.

The objectives of the modern language requirement are twofold: linguistic and cultural. Linguistically, the goal of the requirement is to insure familiarity with a second language. Students will study a communication system other than their own with emphasis placed on aural and oral competency.

Further, students will become familiar with a culture other than their own. This awareness will help them to understand the differences in perspectives that exist between various cultures and to avoid parochialism and stereotyping. It will develop their understanding of cultural diversity, guard against insularity, and foster tolerance. This development of cultural breadth is a moral as well as a practical obligation in a global world and economy. Finally, this cultural awareness will enable students to better understand their own culture and value system, and to develop new perspectives and insights.

Options for language courses: Any 3 credits at the appropriate level (see below) in American Sign Language, French, Italian, or Spanish.

Options for culture courses taught in English:
IT 113 Italian Culture I
FR 113 French Culture I

SUGGESTED PLACEMENT GUIDE:
No prior experience, 101.
1 year or less, 102 (or SP 105: Spanish for Health Care Professionals).
2 years of experience, 201.
3 to 4 years of experience, 300 level (but not 400).
Native speakers, 300 or 400 level.
Advanced Placement (AP) score of 3, 300 level; score of 4 or 5, 300 or 400 level.

NOTATIONS:
A student’s Enriched Core, Global Awareness and Cultural Understanding cluster, may be fulfilled by taking the next sequence course in the language used to satisfy the traditional core requirement. For example, Traditional Core: SP 102 Elementary Spanish II, Enriched Core: SP 201 Intermediate Spanish I.

The above guide is merely a suggestion; any placement issues or questions concerning an individual student should be referred to the department chair.

A basic knowledge of scientific method and terminology is an indispensable part of a broad liberal education in a highly technological society. Students fulfill their science core requirement with three credits in the sciences from either natural or physical sciences. All of the science core courses listed are designed for non-science majors. Each provides students with an informed acquaintance of the essential principles of the discipline and each relates the science to humans within their environment.

Students are required to complete 3 credits of any science course to fulfill their core. Recommendations include:

Healthcare Administration Majors: must take BI 110.

Elementary Education Majors: Must take PY101 and BI103 and BI103L

Biology, Chemistry, Health Science, Medical Technology, Nursing, and Public Health Education Majors: Students in these majors are NOT required to take the science core courses listed, but will instead complete science courses for their program of study. See major requirements for more information.

Computer Science: must take one of the following lecture and
corresponding labs, BI101/BI101L, CH111/CH111L or PY201/201L.

Philosophy encourages critical examination of what we think we know. Thus, it holds a central place in the Core Curriculum. Philosophy has been called “mother of disciplines,” for we can trace how most other disciplines were born of philosophy and how, when, and why they matured and developed.

Through their studies in PH 102 Introduction to Philosophy, students gain basic familiarity with the philosophers and philosophies that are important in debating questions of perennial human concern. A historical overview of philosophy includes primary selections from the ancient, medieval and modern periods. The student is introduced to the whole spectrum of philosophical concerns about knowledge (epistemology), reality (metaphysics), ethics, human nature, reasoning (logic) and God.

Students will be encouraged to explore the various positions that have been held on important philosophical issues and to begin to make intelligent and reasonable choices about values.

PH 102 is a prerequisite for all upper division philosophy courses. All upper division courses are electives and will not fulfill the core requirement unless an exception is authorized by the chair of the Department of Theology/Philosophy

An understanding of social and cultural aspects of human behavior marks the liberally educated person. Through the social sciences — economics, political science, psychology, sociology and anthropology — we gain insights into diverse cultures and into the development and workings of the self, social groups, and social institutions. The perspective of each social science is unique but the broad focus is common. Each offers a systematic attempt to discover and explain behavior patterns of people and groups of people.

Choose any two of the following (6 credits):

Business, Computer Science, and CIS/BU concentration Majors: must take BU 205 Principles of Economics I. BU101 does NOT meet the requirements for this major.

Elementary Education Majors: must take PS209, PS211, and one of the following: SO231, SO323, SO343, SO474, or SO476.

Secondary Education Majors: must take PS211, PS216, and one of the following: SO231, SO323, SO343, SO474, or SO476.

Healthcare Administration Majors: must take PS 101 and SO 334.

Nursing and Public Health Education Majors: must take SO 101 Introduction to Sociology and PS 101 General Psychology.

Political Science Majors: must take PO 125 Understanding the Political World to fulfill a core requirement. PO 125 does NOT meet requirements for the major.

Social Studies Majors: must take PO125, PS101, or SO101. *BU 101 and AN 225 may not be used to fulfill the core requirements as they are required towards the major.

Sociology Majors: must take SO 101 Introduction to Sociology to fulfill a core requirement. SO 101 does NOT meet requirements for the major. Sociology majors may NOT take AN 225 Cultural Anthropology to meet the second social science core requirement. They may, however, take this course as an elective toward the requirements for the sociology major.
 
Psychology Majors: must take PS 101 General Psychology to fulfill a core requirement.

Theology is at the heart of the mission of the university and the wisdom of every discipline. Courses foster in students a deep appreciation of Christian ideals of living and a true sense of responsibility to self and others. Courses have been designed to enable students to study, reflect upon and clarify the meaning and purpose of religion, Christian values and moral decision-making, and the Catholic theological tradition.

TH 102 is a prerequisite for all upper division theology courses.

All upper division courses are electives and will not fulfill the core requirement unless an exception is authorized by the chair of the Department of Theology/Philosophy.

Students must complete a second writing intensive. Writing intensive
courses may be taken towards core, major, minor, or elective credit. Writing intensive courses are designated by WI in the course title prefix.

A writing intensive course is designed to foster excellence in writing and the development of critical thinking skills while improving comprehension of course material. Writing tasks will be significant and frequent, including opportunities for feedback and revision. Students should take the second, discipline-based writing intensive course in their sophomore year. 

Search for Writing Intensive Courses in the Course Offerings: In the Course Search, select "More Search Options." Under "title" type in (WI)

Waiver: Students who transfer to Caldwell University with a minimum of 30 credits will have the second writing intensive (WI) course in a discipline waived.

Students at Caldwell University will complete one course (3 credits) in each of the three clusters below.

• Catholic and Dominican Tradition – Courses in this cluster will create and deepen your connection to, and understanding of Roman Catholic and Dominican heritage.
• Global Awareness and Cultural Understanding – Courses in this cluster will enhance your understanding of the contemporary world through a focused examination of issues of current global concern and/or the development of characteristics of other societies and cultures. *See modern languages for more information.
• Ethical Inquiry and Applications – Courses in this cluster will critically examine the rational foundations of ethics and/or focus on the application of ethical parameters to specific issues, themes or areas of inquiry.  

Search for Enriched Core Courses in the Course Offerings: Select "More Search Options." Under "title" type in (E to view all enriched offerings per semester. To view specific clusters, type the following: For Catholic & Dominican Tradition, (EC) ; For Global Awareness, (EG) ; For Ethical Inquiry, (EE) .

Enriched core courses may only fulfill the enriched core. Courses taken to fulfill the foundational core may not fulfill the enriched core.

Courses taken to fulfill the Enriched Core may not be used to fulfill the major, unless through an approved substitution by the Chair. If approved, students may NOT double count between the Enriched Core and major. An alternative Enriched Core elective will need to be taken to complete the core requirements.

Courses taken for the Enriched Core may be applied to a minor. See the rules on minors for further information.

Although the Core Curriculum is intended as an educational experience common to all Caldwell University students, there are circumstances that allow for exemptions from the core courses or for the substitution of other acceptable courses, such as: Credit earned by standardized examination, the award of prior learning assessment, and transfer students.

See the University webpage for more information: https://www.caldwell.edu/academics/student-success/advisement/adult-ug-std-exam/

Transfer Students:
Students transferring into Caldwell University as of Summer 2011 with an Associate of Arts (AA) degree from a NJ Institution are waived from the Core Curriculum, except for philosophy, theology, and the Catholic and the Dominican Tradition cluster of the Enriched Core.