Loyola University Chicago

The Core Curriculum is a 2-part program. First, the Core is composed of 10 Learning Outcome Areas: Artistic Knowledge and Experience; Historical Knowledge; Literary Knowledge and Experience; Quantitative Analysis; Scientific Literacy; Societal and Cultural Knowledge; Philosophical Knowledge; Theological and Religious Studies Knowledge; Ethics; and the College Writing Seminar. Students are required to complete 15 courses (45 hours) spread across the 10 areas. Each course in the core will also reinforce one or more of the following college level skills: critical thinking; ethical awareness; oral, visual, and written communication; information literacy, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and technological literacy.

Fall Semester, 2005.

The University Core applies to all undergraduates who will be continuing their studies in Fall Semester, 2005, new first year students, and all transfer students.

A College or School may have requirements specific to their students. Check out the School Requirements site to find the requirements for your specific school.

As always, you will still have to complete all requirements for your major of study. But, keep in mind that some departments and majors may take advantage of the flexibility in the University Core to suggest that their students take courses that fulfill both the requirements for the Core and requirements for the major. This lets you take the best advantage of the Loyolas University Core Curriculum. This flexibility in the Core lets you think about how you might add a second major or a double minor and still be able to graduate within 4 years.

It is best for you to check with your department to find out what they recommend.

You may be wondering what is so special about these core courses. The University Core is designed around the learning outcomes that characterize each Knowledge Area. The learning outcomes in the Core are separated into the 10 different areas, but together they form what a graduate of Loyola University Chicago should know, appreciate, and be able to do regardless of his or her college or undergraduate major.

For a course to be approved for a specific knowledge area it must meet a minimum of 3 criteria: First, the course has to be designed to address the learning outcomes for the knowledge area. This means that course design, teaching strategy, and the design of class assignments are as important to a course being approved as course content. Each core course must be planned out so students will gain a mastery of the Knowledge Area Learning Outcome.

Second, core courses must reinforce one or more of the Core Skills. Each Core course is expected to reinforce learning on effective skills, including communications, critical thinking, ethical awareness, information literacy, quantitative and qualitative analysis and research methods, and technological literacy.

Third, many core courses will integrate understanding of important values of a Jesuit education. These values are outlined in the Values Across the Curriculum component.

For more information see Required Areas of Knowledge Courses; and Skills Development.

Values courses are specifically designed to address the learning outcomes for the Values Areas that characterize a Jesuit Education at Loyola: Understanding Diversity in the United States or the World; Understanding and Promoting Justice; Understanding Spirituality or Faith in Action in the World; and Promoting Civic Engagement or Leadership. Like Core Knowledge Area courses, each course must be designed to address the learning outcomes for the values area, incorporating teaching strategy, and the design of class assignments that are as important to a course being approved as course content.

For more information see Values Across the Curriculum.

For any course to be approved, the Department faculty must submit a detailed course proposal, including a detailed course syllabus, to the Core Committee. The proposal must outline how the course is designed to satisfy the learning outcomes specific to the Core Knowledge Area and/or Values Area.

The Core Committee consists of the Director of the University Core, and 5 faculty members from disciplines across the University. The Committee reviews each course to look at course content course design, learning activities, the design of class assignments, and how students are assessed. When the Committee is satisfied that the course meets the criteria of the Core Knowledge Area and/or Values Area, the course is approved and added to the Core Curriculum.

In general, no. The only exception is with the Ethics Knowledge Area. You can take the appropriate Philosophy courses and satisfy both Philosophical Knowledge and Ethics. You can do the same with the appropriate Theology courses, satisfying both Religious Studies Knowledge and Ethics.

Beyond the area of Ethics, each Knowledge Area has distinct learning outcomes that preclude crossover of the courses. Please check the Core Knowledge Area guides for details.

No. While a class may be listed in more than one Values Area, students can only use it in one area.

Yes! You can count the same course for a Knowledge Area and a Values Area. This overlapping is not only allowed, but welcome. Make sure you check the Values Mapping for courses that count for both areas. This is a handy guide to most efficiently complete your requirements. You will get a sense of how this works.

Yes. Check out the Core and Your Major guide to find out what Knowledge Area requirements you can satisfy simply by completing your major.

Students must maintain a 2.00 (C) cumulative grade point average for their Core courses. In addition, as the online undergraduate catalog indicates: "Students must earn a minimum of C- (1.67) in an approved University Core course to have that course count for Core credit." For details, see the following link: http://www.luc.edu/academics/catalog/undergrad/reg_universitycore.shtml

The Core opens up the entire Loyola curriculum for students. Because courses in the Core can count for majors and minors, students now have easier time putting together integrated fields of study that could be made up of 2 majors, a major and a minor, a major and two minors, or a dual-degree (such as the BSW/MSW). And, students have the opportunity to do this and still stay on track to graduate in 4 years. All of this is just part of the flexibility built into the Core Curriculum.

To find out more, talk with your college or departmental advisor. And remember, you can always contact the Office of the Core Curriculum at core@luc.edu and we will be happy to help you with any question you may have.

Your university core requirements will not be affected at all. For example, if you were in the School of Business and you took 2 U.S. History courses to complete the Historical Knowledge area and you transfer to the College of Arts and Sciences, you have still completed the Historical Knowledge Area. Transferring from one school to another with Loyola will no longer affect whether you have completed your University Core Knowledge Areas. The University Core Knowledge Areas are university-wide.

Undergraduate schools may, however, have requirements that go beyond the university core.

In general, the University Core seeks to avoid course prerequisites for the satisfaction of a Knowledge Area or a Values Area. Still, some courses that will serve as (optional) Values courses may have course prerequisites.

Faculty will be submitting courses continually so that the list of approved courses will grow. You do want to check the website regularly to see what is added.

For current Loyola students, core courses typically must be taken at Loyola. Check with your advisor. If your situation seems to warrant permission to take core courses over the summer at another College, University, or Community College we will try to work with you. Remember you can always e-mail the Office of the Core Curriculum at core@luc.edu and we will respond quickly to your questions.

Click here for a form on this.

Thats easy! All courses that have been approved for Core Knowledge Areas and Core Values Across the Curriculum are listed on the Core Website. All you need to do is check.

But, make sure you check the Core Curriculum Mapping and Values Mapping for your College or School. And make sure you check with your College Advisor. Some Schools and Departments require student to complete certain courses from the core as part of their overall program. Students in some departments have automatic exceptions to specific Core Areas because of the nature of the program.

Remember you can always e-mail the Office of the Core Curriculum at core@luc.edu and we will respond quickly to your questions.

Your Math and Science courses will be counted as completing the Core Areas. The Core Committee has agreed that students taking courses in Math and Science above the level of those listed in the core will not be disadvantaged. When you complete each course, they will be counted in your degree audit.

The same hold for Business majors. Again, any student in a program that requires a Math or Science course above the level of the courses in the Core will be given core credit.

Yes. Please consult the "Core and your Major" link or e-mail the Office of the Core Curriculum at core@luc.edu.

If you have successfully completed the Math and Science courses you will be given credit for completing those Core Areas on you degree audit.

You will find that your course work has already been fitted into the Core Curriculum in your degree audit.

Starting Fall Semester, 2005, all Loyola undergraduates will be under the University Core requirements. To make this process as easy as we can, we are having all students who will be continuing at Loyola during Fall 2005 transition to the University Core now.

No. We have mapped courses from the current College and School cores and from other programs onto the Core requirements. This mapping is good only for courses completed before Fall Semester, 2005.

We have done this to make your transition to the University Core easier. In planning the transition for continuing undergraduates to the Core we followed a simple rule:

Ensure that no student will be disadvantaged by moving to the University Core.

No. At the beginning of Fall Semester, 2005, all students will automatically be moved to the Core.

It isn't required. We have provided Transition Guides for the Core Knowledge Areas, the Values Areas, and an Academic Advisement Report. By simply following the steps, you should have no problems figuring how your old courses meet the University Core requirements and what you have left to complete.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to meet with your College or School Advisor. First year students can meet with their New Student Advising advisor.

The Director of the Core and the Core Curriculum Committee have mapped out how course fit in the University Core. Check the University Core Curriculum Transition Guide. You will find a fairly complete mapping. Also check the Values Across the Curriculum Guide. This guide will show you how courses you have taken fit the Values Areas.

The guidelines we have used for this mapping ensures that no student will be disadvantaged by transitioning to the University Core.

This is an area you do not have to worry about. The Core Curriculum Committee has done this work for you. All you need to be concerned about is how courses you have taken fit under each core knowledge area.

Those courses will count for elective hours toward completing your degree.

All courses taken prior to Fall 2004 for core credit can count in the transition to the core if a student has received a D or higher. This agrees with the old requirement.

No. The courses listed in the guide are approved up until Fall Semester, 2005. Beginning Fall Semester, 2005 the Core Courses go into effect.

Run your Academic Advisement Report. If you are starting your final year and find that you still have courses to take to complete core and you are planning on graduating at the end of Fall Semester, 2005, meet with your advisor. Your advisor will work with the Office of the University Core Curriculum to ensure that your individual situation will be addressed.

We have planned the transition so that no student will be disadvantaged by transitioning to the Core.

In general you will find that many of the courses you are transferring in will satisfy core areas. We have worked hard to develop articulation guidelines to accommodate transfer students. To make sure about how the courses you are transferring satisfy core you should meet with your advisor.

Remember you can always e-mail the Office of the Core Curriculum at core@luc.edu and we will respond quickly with how your courses fit.

If your transfer courses are not showing up on Locus it does not mean we do not have them. It may simply mean that your transfer courses have not yet been loaded into the system.

Your college advisor will have a copy and can help you do an evaluation explaining how your transfer courses fit into the Core.

Remember you can always e-mail the Office of the Core Curriculum at core@luc.edu and we will respond quickly to your questions.

If you have completed Composition 1 and Composition 2 on a semester system, and transferred them to Loyola, you do not need to take the College Writing Seminar or English 209 for the University Core. If you transferred from a school on the quarter system, successfully completing Composition 3 will complete the writing requirement for the Core.