Program Overview | University Core Curriculum | SIU

The Foundations skills course promotes success for first year students by helping them transition to University life and the academic culture, introducing them to University resources that help them to succeed, and reflecting on their personal histories and how those histories inform their educational goals. Other Foundation Skills courses help students develop and improve competencies in the areas of mathematics, reading and writing, and speaking. Critical reading and listening, problem solving and effective expression provide the basis for a successful career in academics and beyond.

FOUNDATIONS OF INQUIRY

Select either: The three course sequence of UNIV 100A,UNIV 100B, and UNIV 100C (for Dual Admission Program students only) or one UNIV 101 course. Juniors or seniors may substitute UNIV 301 if they missed UNIV 101 as a first-year student. The "Foundations of Inquiry" Core curriculum requirement applies to undergraduate students first entering SIU in Summer 2012 or later, with fewer than 12 transferable credit hours earned after high school graduation excluding AP, CLEP, IB and proficiency credits. For students entering SIU from Summer 2012 through Spring 2015, this is a 3-credit hour requirement. For students entering SIU beginning in Summer 2015, this is a 1-credit hour requirement. Some programs require all students (regardless of Transferable hours) to take a specific Foundations of Inquiry course. These courses range from 1 to 3 credit hours. Students should check with their academic advisor to determine whether the program they wish to enter requires a specific UNIV 101 course. UNIV 101U is the standard section of UNIV 101.

COMMUNICATION STUDIES

MATHEMATICS

Select one course from the following: CI 220, MATH 101, MATH 102, MATH 110. Any mathematics course designated by a number greater than 105 except for MATH 120, and MATH 300I (including courses cross-listed with AUCC Math courses).

ENGLISH COMPOSITION

Both ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 are to be completed with a grade of C or better. ENGL 120H, if completed with a grade of C or better, will complete the composition requirement. LING 101 and LING 102, also to be completed with a grade of C or better, will satisfy the composition requirement for ESL students.

Disciplinary Studies courses introduce students to the traditional world of academic knowledge, exposing them to the heritages and perspectives that are unique to each area.

Human Health is a multidisciplinary field of study that relies on knowledge and application of the physical, biological, medical, and behavioral sciences to individual, family, and community living.
Select one course from the following:

Humanities courses develop our imaginative and analytical capacities through the use of texts from diverse times, cultures, philosophies and religions, and through the development of ideas by means of oral and written expression. To understand what it means to be human, one must understand oneself in relation to others, reflect on ideas and presuppositions from one's own and other cultures, and respond creatively. In addition to the courses listed below, the UCC Humanities requirement can be satisfied by taking a third semester of a foreign language or a course in Latin or Classical Greek. Select two courses from the following:

Science courses provide information about fundamental scientific laws and principles and the relevance they play in a technological society. These courses enhance perceptions of their physical and biological environment, highlight the interdependence and nature of humans in that environment, and lead to an understanding of scientific processes and methods as reliable means of inquiry. Core courses in science must have a laboratory component that illustrates scientific
principles in a practical, non-abstract, hands-on manner; that explores the concrete phenomena that comprise the science discipline's data base; that illustrates the way day-to-day science is practiced; and that encourages students to recreate the progression of investigative steps through a scientific method. All University Core Curriculum courses must include a 2 hour per week laboratory session. Lecture courses in Geology must be taken with the appropriate lab course. Select one course from the following:

Science courses provide information about fundamental scientific laws and principles and the relevance they play in a technological society. These courses enhance perceptions of their physical and biological environment, highlight the interdependence and nature of humans in that environment, and lead to an understanding of scientific processes and methods as reliable means of inquiry. Core courses in science must have a laboratory component that illustrates scientific principles in a practical, non-abstract, hands-on manner; that explores the concrete phenomena that comprise the science discipline's data base; that illustrates the way day-to-day science is practiced; and that encourages students to recreate the progression of investigative steps through a scientific method.

Social and Behavioral Sciences courses include disciplines whose aim is to understand the actions of human beings as individuals and in groups. While large areas of common interest exist among the separate disciplines, each has its own perspective. Select two courses in different disciplines from the following:

Multicultural refers to awareness of race, ethnicity, class, and gender, as well as other diversity issues involved in improving human relations. Courses in this area explore the dynamics of multiculturalism in our global society by studying periods (contemporary or historical), groups, cultural artifacts such as art, music, literature, or key themes. Studying these topics help us pursue the goal of inclusive excellence by presenting a balanced range of critical perspectives so that students and faculty find a way to converse honestly, rationally, and in an informed way about the issues of our multicultural society. Select one course from the following: