49 credits
In addition to the curriculum requirements of the academic majors and minors, Marymount requires students to take courses that fulfill both University and core curriculum requirements.
University requirements can be satisfied by designated core, major, or elective courses and do not add credit hours to the degree.
The core curriculum, known as the Liberal Arts Core, supports the mission of Marymount University by providing a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences for all students. This foundation enhances learning in all fields of study, advances the practice of lifelong learning, and encourages students to live an examined life.
A core curriculum in the liberal arts tradition enables the mind to be “liberated” by rigorous, thoughtful study and by reflection on what it is to be human. The liberal arts tradition also seeks the integration of knowledge and believes in searching for truth even when the results are provisional and incomplete. The liberation of the mind grows when the student learns to reflect on human experience in different ways suited to different situations. The heart of liberal arts education remains its focus on ways of knowing or modes of inquiry and its attention to the lifelong goal of becoming more fully human, rather than a mere accumulation of technical knowledge.
Liberal arts education in the Catholic intellectual tradition also emphasizes philosophy and the academic study of religion through theology and religious studies. These disciplines directly address the meaning and purpose of human life and explore a variety of richly developed answers to questions about ultimate reality, human existence, knowledge, and morality. The tradition holds that every student should focus on such questions, examine the major theories and arguments about them, and develop or deepen one’s own critical understanding.
The Liberal Arts Core is structured by student learning outcomes that are reinforced in various core courses, University requirements, major courses, and electives. The fundamental competencies include information literacy; critical reasoning; written communication; a global perspective; ethics, moral discernment, and social responsibility; aesthetic appreciation; and the integration of knowledge and experience through experiential and lifelong learning.
The Liberal Arts Core requires courses at both introductory and advanced levels, to achieve both breadth and depth. Some courses have roots in the richness of the past; others introduce students to more recent methodologies.
In accordance with the mission of the University, the core and University requirements provide an atmosphere of inquiry, of respect for diverse approaches in the search for truth, and of respectful dialogue in which competing ideas can be expressed and examined.
Courses identified as fulfilling Liberal Arts Core or University requirements are noted in the Course Descriptions with designations as outlined in the following descriptions. (Example: GP = Global Perspective)
Global Perspective
GP — One designated course, study abroad, or foreign language course is required.
Writing Across the Curriculum
WI — Three designated writing-intensive courses are required, in addition to the Liberal Arts Core requirement of the written communication sequence.
Ethics Across the Curriculum
ETH — One designated course is required, in addition to the Liberal Arts Core requirement of a moral principles course.
Experiential Learning
EXP — An internship or research experience is required. Most students meet this requirement through the internship in their majors.
Written Communication
6 credits
WR — EN 101 Composition I and EN 102 Composition II are required. A minimum grade of C- is required in EN 101 and EN 102.
Humanities
12 credits
Introductory college-level courses are required in History and Literature.
HI-1 Introductory History
LT-1 Introductory Literature
Students also select two courses in two different fields, from designated Fine Arts, advanced History, or advanced Literature courses:
FNA Fine Arts
HI-2 Advanced History with a prerequisite
LT-2 Advanced Literature with a prerequisite
Mathematics and Sciences
19 credits
Mathematics
MT — One designated college-level Mathematics course is required. Credits for MA 019W, MA 094, and MA 095 may not be applied toward any degree.
Natural Science
NS — At least one designated college-level Natural Science course with laboratory is required. Students complete one designated course from Astronomy (ASTR), Biology (BIO), Chemistry (CHM), Geology (GEOL), Physics (PHYS), or Physical Science (PSC) offerings. Some students have the option of completing a second Natural Science course, as outlined under Social Science.
Social Science
Four fields — Economics, Politics, Psychology, and Sociology — constitute the social sciences, and requirements vary depending upon the degree being sought.
The following requirements apply to all students except those completing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree:
Two designated introductory Social Science courses are required in two different fields:
SS-1 Introductory Economics, Politics, Psychology, or Sociology
One designated Social Science course at the advanced level is required:
SS-2 Advanced Social Science with a prerequisite
Students also select between another introductory Social Science course and a second Natural Science course (lab optional):
SS-1 Introductory Social Science (in a third field)
NS Natural Science (lab optional)
The following requirements apply to those students who are completing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree:
Three designated introductory Social Science courses are required, two in Economics and one in another Social Science field:
SS-1 ECO 210 Principles of Microeconomics
SS-1 ECO 211 Principles of Macroeconomics
SS-1 Introductory Politics, Psychology, or Sociology
Students also select between an advanced Social Science course and a second Natural Science course (lab optional):
SS-2 Advanced Social Science with a prerequisite
NS Natural Science (lab optional)
Philosophy, Theology, and Religious Studies
12 credits
Introductory college-level courses in Philosophy and in Theology/Religious Studies are required. Students also take an advanced course in each area. One of the advanced courses must be a designated moral principles course:
PH-1 PH 200 Introduction to Philosophy
PH-2 Advanced Philosophy with a prerequisite*
TRS-1 TRS 100 Theological Inquiry
TRS-2 Advanced Theology or Religious Studies with a
prerequisite*
*One of these must be a designated moral principles course:
PH-E or TRS-E.
Freshman Seminar or DISCOVER Seminar
1 credit or 3 credits (in addition to the Liberal Arts Core credits)
Freshmen are encouraged to enroll in SEM 101 Freshman Seminar or DSC 101 DISCOVER First-Year Seminar, offered each year in the fall. Both seminars focus on learning and life skills required for academic success, and the DISCOVER Seminar emphasizes the process of inquiry.