The Core Curriculum (effective Summer 2010) is designed to foster critical thinking skills and introduce students to basic domains of thinking that transcend the disciplines. The faculty’s goal in creating this Core is to provide a direct linkage between the first classes a student takes and the senior Capstone experience. This general education curriculum applies to all majors (exceptions noted below). *
Core I: 9 hours
- 3 hours: First Year Seminar (100-level)
- 6 hours of discipline-specific courses with an emphasis on critical thinking and active learning (100- or 200-level). Specific courses that fulfill the requirement are designated in Banner as “CT”, and are listed in the “Critical Thinking (Core I) Courses” link on the sidebar.
Core II: 25 hours (100- or 200-level). Specific courses that fulfill Core II may be found under the “Core II Course List” link on the sidebar.
- 6 hours: Composition
- 3 hours: Communication
- 3 hours: Math
- 4 hours: Physical or Natural Science
- 3 hours: Social Science
- 3 hours: Humanities
- 3 hours: Fine Arts
Additional University Requirements
- 6 hours of Writing Intensive credit in any discipline at any level
- 3 hours of Multicultural or International coursework in any discipline at any level
- Capstone project in the major
The “Schedule of Courses” found on the Marshall University Registrar’s webpage for each semester includes a course screening tool entitled “View Core I && Core II Courses only”. This tool can be used by students and advisors to find sections of courses holding certain Core I and Core II attributes.
*All first-time freshmen, regardless of prior college credit, must complete the Core Curriculum.
Transfer students with 30 or more college credits are exempt from FYS and one CT course, but must complete one CT course, all of Core II and the additional University requirements. Effective Fall 2018, transfer students with 60 or more college credits are exempt from all of Core I (FYS and both CT courses), but must complete all of Core II and the additional University requirements. Core II may be fulfilled through a combination of transfer and Marshall credit hours.
Students enrolled at Marshall University prior to Summer 2010 who change majors and/or colleges may choose to remain under their original general education requirements or they may opt into the Core Curriculum under the same terms as transfer students