Core Curriculum Impact

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 breadth of disciplines as they discover possibilities in their interdependence. The skills and knowledge obtained through core curriculum courses provide students with the necessary tools to be productive employees, leaders, and citizens. The categories were designed to incorporate foundational knowledge and skills that have enduring societal value and to prepare students to succeed in a complex and rapidly changing world. A significant portion of the skills and knowledge Fairmont State expects its students to have upon graduation comes from core curriculum courses.

Mission

The core curriculum is designed to ensure all students acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to become lifelong learners, productive employees, and engaged citizen leaders in their local and global communities.

Learning Outcomes

Basic Skills

  • First Year Seminar: Apply academic tools, utilize campus resources, and actively participate in order to successfully transition into and through the first year of college.
  • Written Communication: Read critically and reflectively, and be able to use writing to communicate effectively with an audience.
  • Oral Communication: Demonstrate communication skills in argument and reasoning, the analysis and use of evidence, persuasion, and oral presentations.
  • Mathematics: 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

  • Humanities: Understand the basic elements of the humanities and the role that language, literature, and/or history plays in their daily lives.
  • Fine Arts: 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.
  • Natural Science: Demonstrate proficiency with scientific content and data analysis to address real-world problems, and recognize the limitations of the scientific process.
  • Social Science: Apply concepts and prevailing theories within the social and behavioral sciences.

Personal Development

  • Citizenship: Explain the responsibilities of citizens, how to participate in the democratic process, and how to contribute to civil society.
  • Global Awareness: Develop the awareness and knowledge to understand the complexity of intercultural connections and to live and work in a global society.
  • Fitness and Wellbeing: Identify the behaviors and skills that lead to physical and psychological health and well-being.
  • Technology: Demonstrate technology skills that will help them in problem-solving or decision-making.

Fairmont State Core Requirements

The Fairmont State Core Curriculum is a minimum of 30 credits and satisfies the Higher Learning Commission minimum credit requirements for a general education core. Some departments and/or programs may have additional requirements to meet their respective accreditation standards.

Core Curriculum Area Core Outcome Credits
First-Year Seminar Basic Skills 1-3
Written Communication Basic Skills 6
Oral Communication Basic Skills 3
Mathematics Basic Skills 3
Humanities Critical Thinking 3
Fine Arts Critical Thinking 3
Natural Science Critical Thinking 3-5
Social Science Critical Thinking 3
Citizenship Personal Development 3
Global Awareness, Fitness & Wellbeing, or Technology Personal Development 2-3
 

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. 

Core Policies

Core Curriculum Credit Hours

Students must complete a minimum of 30 hours in the core curriculum program 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.