The Liberal Arts Core is the undergraduate general education program. Its curriculum is an integral component of every bachelor's degree offered at Marymount; it aims to complement and enhance learning in all fields of study. The Liberal Arts Core strives for an integration of knowledge, for an educational experience that develops throughout the undergraduate experience, and for a development of learning that is manifested in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of students. The Liberal Arts Core components and objectives are defined in terms of critical reasoning, independent thinking, clear communication, moral discernment, technological and informational literacy, historical sense, contemporary and perennial awareness, global and cultural understanding, and the coherence and connectedness of knowledge.
Students complete EN 101 Composition I, EN 102 Composition II, and one additional writing course designated by the major. A minimum grade of C- is required in EN 101 and EN 102.
Selected courses from Art History, History, Humanities, English and American Literature, Philosophy, and Theology and Religious Studies constitute the humanities at MU. Students complete six courses that together meet the following criteria:
Students complete one MA course from among MA 121, 127, 132, 150, or higher. MA 100A, 100B, 140, 141, 142, or any course with a non-MA prefix do not fulfill this requirement.
Students complete one course from ASTR, BIO, CHM, GEOL, or PHYS offerings; this course must include a laboratory experience.
Four fields—Economics, Politics, Psychology, and Sociology—constitute the social sciences. Students complete four courses that together meet the following criteria:
Students complete one of the following: HPR 100 Concepts of Lifetime Fitness, HPR 225/PSY 225 Health Psychology, HPR 230 Community Health, HPR 340 Nutrition for Optimal Health, or NU 305 Alternative/Complementary Medicine. Nursing majors need not meet this requirement.
Students complete six credits of electives outside the student's major field of study.
Students fulfill a Liberal Arts Core competence in this area through EN 101 and EN 102. Some major fields of study will identify courses that fulfill additional Technological and Informational Literacy requirements. For example, School of Business Administration students are required to fulfill four technological literacy modules.
The University tests all entering freshman and new transfer students who present fewer than 15 credits earned elsewhere in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills. Entering students may be required to complete developmental courses before progressing to some required courses. Developmental courses do not fulfill any Liberal Arts Core requirements, but may be applied to the degree as electives.
Freshmen are encouraged to enroll in the Freshman Seminar offered each year in the fall semester. The seminar focuses on learning and life skills required for academic success. Emphasis is placed on time management, reading, note taking, test taking and preparation, study skills, use of campus resources, and general academic and career decision-making skills. One credit is awarded for the successful completion of the Freshman Seminar.