Core Requirements

For all of its students, Saint Joseph's College requires the Core Curriculum for the 21st Century. In conjunction with the major, the Core Curriculum is the basis for lifelong learning and an enduring liberal education. This curriculum:

  • enhances the foundation skills of writing and quantitative reasoning;
  • explores different ways of asking questions and approaching knowledge;
  • develops social, civic and environmental understanding for the world of the 21st century;
  • grounds self-knowledge and builds values;
  • commits faculty and students to the search for truth and justice.

Inner core of knowledge, understanding and insight for the 21st century (28 credits)

The courses of the Inner Core:

  • study the principal civilizations of the world and their basic contributions to the development of Western Civilization;
  • explore the interrelationships among persuasive writing, thinking and speaking;
  • probe the challenging and significant themes of 20th century literature;
  • explore the metaphysical and epistemological foundations of human life;
  • apply ethical theories to contemporary ethical problems;
  • investigate the phenomenon of religious faith as an enduring concern of the human community;
  • consider contemporary issues in science.

Inner Core (28 credits, based on 4-credit courses)
HY 101-102 Western Civilization (8 credits)
EH 101 College Writing (4 credits)
PH 200 Philosophy and Ethics (4 credits)
TH 100 Intro to the Judeo-Christian Tradition (4 credits)
ES 300 Ecology and the Environmental Challenge (4 credits)
EH One course in literature at or above the 200 level (4 credits)

Concentration and integration of learning
(elective courses, 20 credits, based on 4-credit courses)

These courses allow students to develop and deepen the knowledge, understanding, and insight they explored in the Inner Core.

Elective courses (12 credits)
Philosophy one course (4 credits)
Theology one course (4 credits)
Mathematics one course (4 credits)

3rd-Tier Core Electives (8 credits)
One each from two different areas (total of eight credits):
Fine Arts (4 credits)
English (4 credits)
Science (4 credits)
Social Science (4 credits)
History (4 credits)
Communications (4 credits)