What Is The Core Curriculum?

According to SB 148:

“The curriculum in liberal arts, humanities, sciences and political, social, and cultural history that all undergraduate students of an institution of higher education are required to complete before receiving an academic undergraduate degree.”

Core Curriculum Committee

The Core Curriculum Committee was developed to review the LSCS Core Curriculum. The committee is charged with reviewing all courses proposed to be added or deleted from the institution's core curriculum. The committee also reviews any overall changes or proposals to the core curriculum. The core committee developed the initial plan and oversees the evaluation of the core curriculum. Recommendations are forwarded to the Vice Presidents Council for approval.

Statement of Purpose

Through the core curriculum, students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world, and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning.

• Critical Thinking Skills - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
• Communication Skills - to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication
• Empirical and Quantitative Skills - to include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions
• Teamwork - to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
• Personal Responsibility - to include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making
• Social Responsibility - to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities

Foundational Component Areas

• Communication – (6 SCH) Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively. Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.
• Mathematics – (3 SCH) Courses in this category focus on quantitative literacy in logic, patterns, and relationships. Courses involve the understanding of key mathematical concepts and the application of appropriate quantitative tools to everyday experience.
• Life and Physical Sciences – (6 SCH) Courses in this category focus on describing, explaining, and predicting natural phenomena using the scientific method. Courses involve the understanding of interactions among natural phenomena and the implications of scientific principles on the physical world and on human experiences.
• Language, Philosophy & Culture - (3 SCH) Courses in this category focus on how ideas, values, beliefs, and other aspects of culture express and affect human experience. Courses involve the exploration of ideas that foster aesthetic and intellectual creation in order to understand the human condition across cultures.
• Creative Arts – (3 SCH) Courses in this category focus on the appreciation and analysis of creative artifacts and works of the human imagination. Courses involve the synthesis and interpretation of artistic expression and enable critical, creative, and innovative communication about works of art.
• American History – (6 SCH) Courses in this category focus on the consideration of past events and ideas relative to the United States, with the option of including Texas History for a portion of this component area. Courses involve the interaction among individuals, communities, states, the nation, and the world, considering how these interactions have contributed to the development of the United States and its global role.
• Government/Political Science – (6 SCH) Courses in this category focus on consideration of the Constitution of the United States and the constitutions of the states, with special emphasis on that of Texas. Courses involve the analysis of governmental institutions, political behavior, civic engagement, and their political and philosophical foundations.
• Social and Behavioral Sciences – (3 SCH) Courses in this category focus on the application of empirical and scientific methods that contribute to the understanding of what makes us human. Courses involve the exploration of behavior and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, and events, examining their impact on the individual, society, and culture.
• Component Area Option – ( 6 SCH)
  • A minimum of 3 SCH must meet the definition and corresponding Core Objectives specified in one of the foundational component areas;
  • b. As an option for up to 3 semester credit hours of the Component Area Option, an institution may select course(s) that:
    • Meet(s) the definition specified for one or more of the foundational component areas;
    • Include(s) a minimum of three Core Objectives, including Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, and one of the remaining Core Objectives of the institution's choice.