Core for Faculty and Staff

Courses

Since 1599, Jesuit education has promoted a distinctive plan of studies (Ratio Studiorum in Latin) that adjusts to each generation, always maintaining a strong commitment to the Liberal Arts Catholic Jesuit tradition. At Xavier University this plan of studies begins with the Undergraduate Core Curriculum. In Fall 2015 Xavier launched a new Core that revolves around the Jesuit values of magis, reflection, discernment, cura personalis, solidarity and kinship, and service rooted in justice and love. The new Core significantly reduces the total credit hours required for most students, and thus allows for numerous possibilities for double majors, additional minors, immersion experiences, study abroad, and a wide range of electives that students can use to satisfy the overall number of 120 credit hours required for graduation.*

THE CORE

Requirements for all first-year students entering Fall 2015 or later

(Each line represents a 3 credit hour course, unless otherwise noted, for up to a total of 48 credit hours)

First-Year Experience

Perspectives Courses

Skills

ENGL 101 Composition or ENGL 115 Rhetoric
Language (For Students entering in Fall 2017 or after: 201 proficiency; For Students entering prior to Fall 2017: any two three-credit hour courses, or 202 proficiency)[iii]

Electives

Students also must satisfy five flags in addition to the 48 credit hours listed in the chart above. A flag constitutes a significant portion of a course in any discipline that is devoted to one of the five topics. Flagged courses are approved by the committee or subcommittee devoted to each flag topic. No single course can be used to fulfill more than two flags. Flagged courses often double count for other courses in the core, for major requirements, and/or for minor requirements, and thus do not add to the total number of credit hours required in the Core Curriculum.

Five Flags

See Curriculum Map to check how individual courses meet Core Student Learning Objectives.

See Block Schedule for how Majors generally should expect students to complete the Core.

[i] The Ethics/Religion and Society Focus also includes an E/RS flagged course, one of the five flags in the second chart.

[ii] Can be fulfilled with CLAS 205, ENGL 205, FREN 205, GERM 205, or SPAN 205.

[iii] In Spring 2014 Faculty voted that the Core requirement for language would include "201 competency or 102 plus experience abroad." This option will come into effect beginning in Fall 2017. Prior to that time the new Core will continue the requirement for the old Core (and not the Transition Core) as listed above. In the new core students can take any two language courses (101 and 102, or 103 and 201, for example) or demonstrate proficiency at the 202 level (through testing prior to entrance to Xavier, or through successful completion of 202 at Xavier, for example).

[iv] Humanities Elective can be satisfied by one course from any of the following categories: ENGL 121+ except 205, FREN 300+, GERM 300+, HIST 200+, PHIL 300+, SPAN 300+, THEO 300+, or many CLAS (see course attributes in the schedule of classes). The Humanities Elective may not double count as an E/RS flag (though may be an E/RS flagged course). While all Theology courses 200 and above count as Theological Perspectives, and all Theology courses 300 and above also count for Humanities Electives, no Theology course can double-count for both Theological Perspectives and Humanities Elective.

*Students who graduate before Fall 2015 must satisfy requirements for the Old Core. (See https://www.xavier.edu/undergraduate-admission/documents/CoreCurriculumFactSheet9-7-2012.pdf.) Students who enrolled before Fall 2015 and graduate after Spring 2015 count as Transition Students who must satisfy the Transition Core (see Transition Core Document).