The Core Curriculum

The core curriculum is the cornerstone of a Mount education and its most distinctive feature. All students complete a four-year integrated sequence of courses designed both to convey a common intellectual experience and to provide the intensive training in critical skills needed for success in college and in the workplace. The ordinary sequence for study in the core appears in the following chart. (Students in some majors will fulfill these requirements on a different schedule. Students will be informed of these variations by their academic advisors.)      

Either Semester:
MATH 105 Probability and Statistics (depending on results of placement exam)
Foreign Language: Proficiency through the 102 level (depending on results of placement exam)
Foundations of Social Science: ECON 101, EDUC 100, PSCI 100, PSYCH 100 or SOC 100

Either Semester: 
CV 201 The West in the Modern World

FOURTH YEAR

Either Semester: 
PHIL 301 Moral Philosophy or THEOL 300 Moral Theology
Non-Western Studies**

 * For list of courses, see Theology Course Descriptions.
** For list of courses, see Non-Western Studies.

Freshman Seminar
Freshman Seminar, the foundation of the Mount’s core curriculum, is a yearlong course taken by all first-year students. It is taught to small groups of students by faculty from all disciplines in the university. The goal of this course is to initiate students into membership in a Catholic liberal arts community dedicated to lifelong inquiry in the pursuit of truth. This initiation entails students’ engagement in a process of reflection that brings them to examine critically the beliefs, opinions and value judgments that inform their actions in both the Mount St. Mary’s community and society at large. Freshman Seminar facilitates the development of writing, reading, critical thinking and speaking skills central to such inquiry and prerequisite for academic success and responsible citizenship. Students develop these skills and self-awareness as they explore issues relevant to work, education and values. Faculty assist such exploration as seminar instructors and as advisors who are attentive to the personal well-being of students.

Western Civilization Sequence
This sequence of four courses in the core curriculum, to be taken in the freshman and sophomore years, provides students with a grounding in the Western tradition from its origins in the ancient and medieval eras through the present day. Familiarity with the Western tradition gained in these four courses lays the foundation for later study in philosophy, theology, American Experience and non-Western cultures.

The four courses are distributed as follows:

•  CVOR 101 Origins of the West, taken in the fall of the freshman year
•  CVHI 102 History of the West, Renaissance to Revolutions and
•  CVEN 102 Literature of the West, Renaissance to Revolutions or CVFA 102 Arts of the West, Renaissance to Revolutions (which may focus on visual arts, music or theatre), taken in the spring of the first year
•  CV 201 The West in the Modern World, taken in the fall or spring of the sophomore year

Course descriptions for currently offered versions of CV 201 The West in the Modern World may be found in the corresponding disciplinary listings in this catalog.

Foreign Languages
The foreign language core requirement provides students with an educated appreciation of social pluralism and cultural diversity as well as functional communicative abilities in a foreign language because both are essential tolls required by a society that is be becoming ever more global. Normally, these skills are demonstrated through the core sequence of 101-102. Students may also demonstrate that they possess these abilities at the time of the freshman language placement examination. Ordinarily, students should meet this requirement by the end of their sophomore year. All students are encouraged to elect language study beyond the core requirement. Incentives for doing so are described under Foreign Languages and Literatures in the Academic Departments section of this catalog.

Foundations of Social Science
In the freshman or sophomore year students elect one of the courses in the foundations of social science: ECON 101 Foundations of Economics I, EDUC 100 Foundations of American Education, PSCI 100 Foundations of Political Science: American National Government, PSYCH 100 Foundations of Psychology or SOC 100 Foundations of Sociology. Each course introduces students to the particular social science as a distinctive feature of Western thought and to the methods social scientists use in approaching questions about the nature of human beings and human interaction.

Mathematics
Usually in the freshman year students fulfill the core requirement in mathematics by studying fundamental concepts of probability and statistics in MATH 105 Statistics. Some students fulfill this requirement by studying MATH 114 Pre-calculus Mathematics or MATH 247 Calculus I. Majors in elementary education fulfill the mathematics requirement by passing MATH 108 and 109 Concepts of Mathematics for Teachers I and II. Aimed at helping students acquire the ability to analyze problems of a quantitative nature and apply appropriate methods of solution, the study of mathematics is worthwhile in itself and as preparation for the kinds of questions faced in the social and natural sciences.

Basic algebra skills are assessed during freshman summer orientation for students whose SAT math scores indicate they may find it difficult to pass a college-level mathematics course. Students found to lack those algebra skills must complete a preparatory course: either the Mount’s MATH 101 Elementary College Algebra, or MATH 102 Intermediate College Algebra for those who plan to take pre-calculus, or an approved equivalent course with a grade of C or better at another institution. Students who enroll in MATH 101 Elementary College Algebra or MATH 102 Intermediate College Algebra must earn a minimum of 123 credit hours.

Science
Students not majoring in one of the sciences take a two-course sequence. Some students will begin the sequence during the second semester of the first year; others will begin it during the sophomore year. GSCI 101 Concepts in Physical Science: From the Big Bang to Molecules and GSCI 102 Concepts in Biological Science: From Molecules to Populations emphasize the place of science in the Western tradition and introduce students to the processes of reasoning used by scientists and to the quantitative, laboratory and computer skills necessary for an understanding of modern science. Students majoring in one of the sciences fulfill the core requirement in the appropriate introductory courses in the major.

Philosophy
In the sophomore philosophy sequence students begin to formulate their answers to questions concerning the nature of human beings, the nature and limits of human knowing, human freedom, human happiness or well-being, and the relation of the individual to society. In PHIL 211 From Cosmos to Citizen they consider how ancient and medieval philosophers respond to such questions. In PHIL 212 From Self to Society they consider how modern and contemporary philosophers respond to them. Study of such issues and how some of the greatest thinkers of the West deal with them is worthwhile in itself and as important preparation for courses taken later in the core curriculum such as theology, American experience, Non-Western studies and ethics.

Theology
In the junior theology sequence students consider answers to questions about the nature and existence of God and the relationships between God and human beings from the perspective of revelation. Students are introduced to the nature, sources and methods of Christian theology in THEOL 200 Foundations of Christian Theology. Then they focus on a particular element of theology in either THEOL 202 The Gospels, THEOL 204 The Church, THEOL 205 Sacraments, THEOL 207 Catholic Social Teaching, THEOL 208 The Church in the Modern World or THEOL 210 Christology.

American Experience
In the two-semester interdisciplinary sequence in American Experience, juniors and some sophomores study the history, literature and culture of America from the pre-Columbian era through the present day. AMC 201 focuses on Native American culture, the founding of the United States, slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction. AMC 202 examines the many changes occurring in America in the twentieth century, including urbanization, war, immigration and civil rights. Both courses are writing-intensive, and AMC 202 includes a major research project.

Non-Western Studies
Juniors and seniors choose one of the capstone courses in non-Western studies. This exploration of some element of a non-Western culture allows students to see the world as it appears to those outside the experiences and assumptions of the West and to examine critically the assumptions of their own culture. The list of courses that fulfill this requirement can be found under Non-Western Studies in the Academic Departments section of this catalog.

Ethics
Seniors also complete another capstone course of the core curriculum—ethics—in which they reflect on some of the moral questions they have already faced and will continue to face in their civic, professional and personal lives. They do this either from a philosophical perspective in PHIL 301 Moral Philosophy or from a theological perspective in THEOL 300 Moral Theology.

Proficiency in Writing
Because the ability to communicate effectively in writing is such an important academic and professional competency, students have multiple opportunities in the core curriculum and in the major to develop and practice their skills in writing. Developing college-level skills in writing is one of the key components of Freshman Seminar. Students who have not met college writing proficiency standards by the end of Freshman Seminar must complete a writing program during their sophomore year under the supervision of faculty in the Writing Center. Those who fail to meet this requirement by the end of the sophomore year are subject to dismissal from the university.

Transfer Students and the Core
All transfer students complete a specially planned sequence of core courses in consultation with the offices of the registrar and the associate provost. Those entering with sophomore or junior status will be exempt from some freshman requirements. Other core requirements may in some cases be fulfilled by courses taken at the student’s previous institution(s). Transfer students who have completed college-level courses in statistics (or pre-calculus or calculus) and writing with a grade of C or better prior to enrolling at the university will receive credit in fulfillment of these core curriculum requirements and will be exempt from proficiency assessments in these areas.