University Core Curriculum
The Fairmont State core curriculum ensures that students possess a wide range of skills and knowledge to enhance their lives after graduation. The knowledge, skills, and abilities obtained through the core curriculum transcend specific disciplines and are valued by employers at all levels and by society in general. Fairmont State supports a core curriculum so that our students appreciate the diversity of disciplines as they discover possibilities in their interdependence.
The skills and knowledge obtained by completing core curriculum courses provide students with the necessary tools to be productive employees, leaders, and citizens. The categories were designed to incorporate the foundational knowledge and skills that have enduring societal value and to prepare students to survive and thrive in a complex, diverse, and dramatically changing world. A large portion of the skills and knowledge Fairmont State expects its students to have when they graduate comes from core curriculum courses.
Learning Outcomes
Basic Skills
- Apply academic tools, utilize campus resources, and actively participate in order to successfully transition into and through the first year of college.
- Read critically and reflectively, and be able to use writing to communicate effectively with an audience.
- Demonstrate communication skills in argument and reasoning, the analysis and use of evidence, persuasion, and oral presentations.
- Use appropriate symbolic manipulation skills and problem-solving methods to model problems and reach logical conclusions, and correctly use the language of mathematics to communicate conclusions and solutions.
Critical Reasoning in the Disciplines
- Understand the basic elements of the humanities and the role that language, literature, and/or history plays in their daily lives.
- Demonstrate the ability to analyze or interpret works of fine art using the language of criticism relevant to the form of study or to create works of fine art using the appropriate processes.
- Demonstrate proficiency with scientific content and data analysis to address real world problems, and recognize the limitations of the scientific process.
- Apply concepts and prevailing theories within the social and behavioral sciences.
Personal Development
- Explain the responsibilities of citizens, how to participate in the democratic process, and how to contribute to civil society.
- Develop the awareness and knowledge to understand the complexity of intercultural connections and to live and work in a global society.
- Identify the behaviors and skills that lead to physical and psychological health and well-being.
- Demonstrate technology skills that will help them in problem solving or decision making.
Core Curriculum Course Menu
Students should choose courses to fulfill categories by using DegreeWorks in concert with program requirements and course prerequisites. Students are encouraged to ALWAYS check with their assigned advisor before registering for courses.
Basic Skills (13-17 hours)
(Click on links to expand each section below)
Critical Reasoning in the Disciplines (12-14 hours)
(Click on links to expand each section below)
Personal Development (3 hours)
Personal Development (2-3 hours)
Choose one course from one of the following categories:
Core Policies
Core Curriculum Credit Hours
Students must earn a minimum of 30 hours in core curriculum coursework for bachelor’s degrees. Students are responsible for all course pre-requisites.
English Grade Requirements
Students must complete 6 hours of Written English (ENGL 1101 and ENG 1102 OR 1103) with a grade of “C” or higher as a graduation requirement for all degrees.
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