Core Programs
Core Requirements
Designed to perfect written/oral communication skills and career readiness
Year 1
GE 100 First Year Experience: College in the 21st Century: An introduction to the liberal arts designed to provide students with tools to make sense of their college experience and to be successful students. It does this by cultivating an understanding of the evolving role of higher education in society and providing an opportunity to think about the nature of learning and practice the tools of learning (such as reading, writing, studying, and reflecting). Required 1 credit hour course
GE 101 Inquiry and Expression (Integrated Skills Course): An integrated collegiate skills course that introduces students to academic discourse, including writing, reading, research, oral communication, and critical thinking. Library and electronic research skills are directly applied as students conclude the course with a research paper. Students must successfully complete this course with a minimum of a C- or better. Required 3 credit hour course
CD 100 Career and Self Awareness: Theoretical and practical study that assists students with identifying their skills, interests, abilities, goals, and values as they relate to careers. With this information, students explore disciplines that may be a good fit. Students write a resume, discuss employment trends, learn interviewing techniques, and plan for internships and/or study abroad opportunities. Required 1 credit hour course
Year 2
GE 203 Question Everything: Research as Inquiry: A required one credit course for second-year students which focuses on intermediate research skills. The purpose of this class is to develop students’ abilities to critically think about and effectively use information in their college coursework and beyond. Students must successfully complete this course with a minimum of a C– . Required 1 credit hour course
Years 2 or 3
Writing Intensive: Choose from options in accounting, art, biology, business, communication, chemistry, education, English, history, kinesiology, mathematics, music, psychology, or world language. Note: some course selections may have prerequisites. Also note: some majors have specific writing intensive requirements. Check with your advisor for verification. A minimum of one course with the (WI) designation is required.
Year 4
Senior Capstone: Choose from options in accounting, art, biology, business, communication, chemistry, economics, education, English, geography, history, kinesiology, mathematics, music, psychology, or world language. Note: some course selections may have prerequisites. Also note: some majors have specific senior capstone requirements. Check with your advisor for verification. A minimum of one course with the (SC) designation is required.
Theological Foundation Requirement
Theology (3 credit hour minimum)
Catholic theology at Aquinas College attends to human existence and life and contemporary concerns in light of Sacred Scripture, Church tradition, and the natural law. Note that this requirement is for a Catholic theology course and that world religion courses are not included in the general education TF designation.
Distribution Requirements
Cross Cultural Awareness (3-11 credit hour minimum)
Designed to help students navigate a global environment
Global Perspective (3 credit hour minimum)
Global Perspective (GP) courses integrate knowledge of diverse perspectives and cultural traditions through the contextual study of past and contemporary interactions of people across the globe. Course options are available in art, business, economics, English, geography, history, political science, sociology, theatre.
Course options are available in art, business, economics, English, geography, history, political science, sociology, theatre and women’s studies. A minimum of three (3) credit hours with the (GP) designation are required.
World Language:
World language courses promote an understanding of and exchange with other cultures both within and outside the United States, and incorporate all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Such courses bring understanding of the richness of the human experience over the centuries and across cultures.
Choose from French, German, Japanese, Latin, or Spanish. Students may test out of some or all of the language requirement based on proficiency or equivalency level. Up to 8 credit hours with the (WL) designation may be required depending on placement.
Humanities (9 credit hours)
The humanities disciplines study the human experience and how people document and express culture. Exploring the humanities invites students to grow in wisdom by viewing the world from varying perspectives. Students are empowered to think and communicate freely, abstractly, and creatively.
Choose one three (3) hour class from each of the following groups:
Artistic Theory: This category includes the study of the history, theory, and criticism of art and artistic practice including dance, literature, music, theater, and the visual arts. Choose from dance, English writing, musical performance, studio art, or theater. Three (3) credits hours with the (AP) designation are required.
Artistic Practice: This category includes the making of art focusing on the creative process and active embodiment of knowledge in dance, literature, music, theater, and the visual arts. Choose from English literature, music history, art appreciation and history, theatre appreciation, or humanities. Three (3) credits hours with the (AT) designation are required.
History/Philosophy: Courses fulfilling the HP designation fulfill learning outcomes appropriate to the proper content and systematic methods and principles of the disciplines of history and philosophy.
Choose from history or philosophy. Three (3) credits hours with the (HP) designation are required.
Mathematics (3 credit hour minimum)
Clear notation and creative problem-solving are signs of sophisticated thinking. Math courses provide the formulas, methods and concepts to demonstrate this intellectual progress.
Course selection will be based on placement examination. Courses meeting the requirement carry the (MS) designation. A minimum of three (3) credit hours is required.
Natural World (6 credit hour minimum)
The study of the physical and natural world, including structural and behavioral elements, using the established methods of observation and experiment.
Choose two (2) courses representing two different science disciplines. At least one course must be a lab course. (NL: lab) (NN: non-lab)
Select from:
- Biological: biology
- Physical: chemistry or physics
- Earth Science: environmental science or geography
Social Science (6 credit hour minimum)
The study of human nature, society and social relationships. The category includes coursework in the social, behavioral, cognitive, and economic sciences.
Chose one (1) course from each of the following groups. Limit one (1) from each discipline.
Group 1 (SS1):
Choose from accounting, business, communication, community leadership/, economics, cultural geography, political science, psychology, sociology, sustainable business, or women's studies. Minimum of three (3) credit hours required.
Group 2 (SS2):
Choose from communication, cultural geography, political science, psychology, sociology, or women's studies. Minimum of three (3) credit hours required.
Minimum General Education credit hours: 42-60
(Note: some general education courses may also overlap with major/minor requirements)
Total credit hours required for graduation: 120