University of Colorado Denver College of Liberal Arts and SciencesUniversity of Colorado Denver

UCD Core Curriculum and CLAS Graduation Requirements,
effective Fall 2007

Philosophy of the Core:   The Core Curriculum of the Downtown Denver Campus provides all UCD undergraduate students a high quality general education based on a liberal arts foundation while allowing students flexibility based on their individual backgrounds and specific career goals. The Core Curriculum develops multiple literacies, stimulates creative thinking, and utilizes technology. A goal of the UCD Core Curriculum is to engage students in developing sensitivity to diversity and developing their place in an urban environment as well as in the rapidly changing global environment.

UCD Core Curriculum: 28 - 30 sem hrs

CLAS Graduation Requirements: 15-26 sem hrs

INTELLECTUAL COMPETENCIES - 9-10 sem hrs

Three lower division courses to develop reading, writing and quantitative proficiency. Specific core mathematics courses may be identified by a program to satisfy requirements in the major. Competency is satisfied by a letter grade of C- or higher in each course. Pass/fail grading is not an option for the intellectual competencies.

  1. ENGL 1020-3 Core Composition I
  2. ENGL 2030-3 Core Composition II
  3. One Mathematics course, chosen from:
  • MATH 1010-3 Mathematics for Liberal Arts
  • MATH 1070-3 Alg for Social Science & Business
  • MATH 1080-3 Polynomial Calculus
  • MATH 1110-3 College Algebra
  • MATH 1120-3 College Trigonometry
  • MATH 1130-4 Precalculus Math
  • MATH 1401-4 Calculus I
  • MATH 2411-4 Calculus II
  • MATH 2421-4 Calculus III
  • MATH 2830-3 Intro to Statistics

KNOWLEDGE AREAS -- 19-20 sem hrs

Students may not use courses in the discipline defined by their major(s) to satisfy Knowledge Area requirements. (Exceptions *)

A. Arts & Humanities - 6 credit hours from the approved core list

Two lower division courses outside the student’s major.

  1. 3 credit hours from the approved Arts core list
  2. 3 credit hours from the approved Humanities core list

NOTE: Students planning on transferring to a Colorado college/university under the gtPathways guarantee transfer program must take one of the approved HIST or ETST courses.

B. Behavioral & Social Sciences - 6 credit hours from the approved core list

Two lower division courses outside the student’s major.

Students who are not majoring in either the Behavioral or Social Sciences must complete:

  1. 3 credit hours from the approved Behavioral Science core list
  2. 3 credit hours from the approved Social Science core list

NOTE:

  • PSY, CMMU & ANTH majors must take two courses from the approved Social Science core list
  • ECON, GEOG, P SC & SOC majors must take two courses from the approved Behavioral Science core list

C. Biological & Physical Sciences, Mathematics - 7-8 credit hours from the approved core list

Two lower division courses outside the student’s major.

  1. One lower division biological & physical science course with a lab from the approved core list
  2. One lower division Science or Math course with or without a lab from the approved core list (excluding the Math used to satisfy the Intellectual Competency requirement). Math majors must take two lab science courses from the approved list.

D. * Cultural Diversity - 3 credit hours

One upper division course from the approved list of courses concentrating on race and gender issues in the US. A course in the major department can be used.

E. * International Perspectives - 3 credit hours

One course from the approved list of courses concentrating on global and international issues. A course in the major department can be used. A semester abroad may satisfy this requirement if pre-approved and in a country where the language is not the native language of the student.

The following must be completed in addition to the UCD core curriculum.

A. Communicative Skills - 3 credit hours

One course from the following approved list, with a minimum grade of C-.

  • CMMU 2050-3 Bus & Prof Speaking
  • CMMU 2101-3 Presentational Speaking
  • CMMU 3120-3 Technical Communication
  • ENGL 2154-3 Intro to Creative Writing
  • ENGL 3001-3 Critical Writing
  • ENGL 3084-3 Advanced Composition
  • ENGL 3154-3 Technical Writing
  • ENGL 3170-3 Business Writing
  • ENGL 4190-3 Spec Topic Rhetoric/Writing
  • PHIL 2441-3 Logic and Language

B. Foreign Language

Students must demonstrate foreign language proficiency through a second semester level course equivalent to UCD (1020) with a minimum grade of “C-“ (1.7), satisfactory proficiency testing, or completion of a second year (Level II) high school course with a minimum grade of “C-“ (1.7).

C. Humanities - 3 credit hours

One additional course in English Literature, History, Philosophy, Religious Studies or French, Spanish, German Culture/Literature.

NOTE: ENGL, HIST, PHIL, FR, and SPAN majors may use a course in their major to satisfy this requirement.

D. Behavioral Sciences - 3 credit hours

One additional course in PSY, CMMU or ANTH Except: ANTH 1303, ANTH 3301, ANTH 3512 and PSY 2220.

NOTE: PSY, ANTH, CMMU majors may use a course in their major to satisfy this requirement.

E. Social Sciences - 3 credit hours

One additional course in ECON, ETST, GEOG, HBSC, P SC and SOC or ENVS 1342 Except: ENVS 1042, ETST 2155, GEOG 1202, GEOG 3232, and GEOG 3240.

NOTE: ECON, GEOG, P SC and SOC majors may use a course in their major to satisfy this requirement

F. Biological & Physical Science, Math- 3-4 credit hours

One additional course in BIOL, CHEM, GEOL, PHYS, MATH (excluding MATH 3040 and MATH Intellectual Competency course) or ANTH 3301, ANTH 3512, ENVS 1042, GEOG 3232, GEOG 3240.

NOTE:

  • ANTH & GEOG majors may not use a course in their major to satisfy this requirement.
  • BIOL, CHEM, PHYS and MATH majors may use a course in their major to satisfy this requirement.

If you have only taken one science course with a lab, this course MUST have a lab.