Skip to Main Content

The Integrative Core Curriculum

John Carroll’s Integrative Core Curriculum is informed by the University’s mission as a liberal arts and Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher learning. The integrative curriculum emphasizes the development of whole persons educated in the humanizing arts and sciences, skilled in expression and scholarly investigation, and aware of the interrelationship of knowledge and the interdependence of people. It promotes the integration of faith, culture, and religious traditions as well as those of others. It highlights intellectual, moral and spiritual principles, and the responsible social actions that flow from them. The Core Curriculum and major programs are integrated into a coherent educational experience to prepare students for positions of leadership and service in professional, business, and service careers. This curriculum is designed with the understanding that a 21st-century liberal education must provide students with:

  • The capacity to deal with complexity, diversity, and change.

  • A broad knowledge of the wider world through the study of science, society, and culture.

  • Strong, transferable intellectual and practical skills, including communication, evidence-based reasoning, and problem solving (using multiple disciplinary perspectives).

  • The ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.

  • An understanding of social responsibility.

That foundation is informed by nine academic learning goals, which are rooted in the fundamental Jesuit heritage of the University and the particular history of John Carroll. These learning goals are value statements about what the University deems essential for each student’s educational experience. We expect that graduates of John Carroll University will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an integrative knowledge of the human and natural world.

  2. Develop habits of critical analysis and aesthetic appreciation.

  3. Apply creative and innovative thinking.

  4. Communicate skillfully in multiple forms of expression.

  5. Act competently in a global and diverse world.

  6. Understand and promote social justice.

  7. Apply a framework for examining ethical dilemmas.

  8. Employ leadership and collaborative skills.

  9. Understand the religious dimensions of human experience.

These academic learning goals are met in multiple places and times throughout the student’s education so that the skills, knowledge, competencies, and values they seek to acquire are reiterated, deepened, and actualized.

Core Curriculum Requirements

The Integrative Core Curriculum requires students to complete three foundational competencies (written expression, oral expression, and quantitative analysis); a foreign language; distribution courses in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences; Integrated Courses, Jesuit Heritage courses, and three core requirements within each major. Credit requirements are provided below.

Students may not use a Core course to fulfill more than one Core requirement. However, students may use Core courses to fulfill requirements in majors or minors, depending on the expectations of the academic departments and programs.

Further details about each category can be found by clicking on the specific category below.

Foundational Competencies (9-12 credits)

  • Written Expression: 1 or 2 courses, 3-6 cr., depending on placement

  • Oral Expression: 1 course, 3 cr.

  • Quantitative Analysis: 1 course, 3 cr.

Language (0-9 credits, depending on placement)

Students must complete the 201 level or equivalent in the language they continue from high school; those who place above this level (201) are exempt from the requirement. Students must complete a two-course sequence (101-102) if they begin a new language at John Carroll.

Distribution Courses (9 credits)

  • Humanities Experience (HUM): 1 course, 3 cr.

  • Social Science Experience (SOC): 1 course, 3 cr.

  • Natural Science Experience (SCI): 1 course, 3 cr.

Integrated Courses (9 credits)

  • Engaging the Global Community (EGC): 1 course, 3 cr.

  • Linked Courses (LINK): 2 co-requisite courses, 6 cr.

Note: Foundational writing (EN 125 or EN 120/ EN 121 or HP 101) is a prerequisite for all integrated courses.

Jesuit Heritage (16 credits)

  • Philosophy (PLVS & PLKR): 2 courses, 6 cr.

  • Theology & Religious Studies: 2 courses, 6 cr.

  • Issues in Social Justice (ISJ): 1 course, 3 cr.

  • Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA): 1 course, 1 or more cr.

Core Requirements in the Major

  • Additional writing course (AW)

  • Additional presentation component (OP)

  • Capstone experience (C)