Core/Liberal Studies Curriculum

CATHLEEN MULLER, Ph.D., Core/LS Director

MISSION:

One enduring element of the mission of Marist College has been to provide students with an experience that blends career preparation with an education in the tradition of the liberal arts. The commitment of the faculty to providing students with a well-rounded education is evident in the Core/Liberal Studies Program which emphasizes the following goals:

To assist and challenge students to become more aware of their own values and the ethical implications of the choices they face in their public and private worlds.
To develop in students the capacity to synthesize and integrate methods and insights from a variety of intellectual disciplines.
To introduce students to the essential ideas and skills that comprise the disciplines of the liberal arts and the sciences.
To develop in students crucial 21st-century skills including critical thinking, written exposition, public presentation, information literacy, and technological competency.

To achieve these goals, students are exposed to a curriculum that is both integrative and distributive, blending courses that all students take as part of a shared educational experience with elective courses in the liberal arts and sciences.

ACADEMIC FOUNDATION COURSES

The Foundation courses in the Core/Liberal Studies Program introduce students to the College as an intellectual community and instruct them in skills they will use throughout their undergraduate experience and beyond. The First Year Seminar introduces students to critical thinking, writing, public presentation, information literacy, and interdisciplinary study through exploration of a focused topic. The other required Foundation course, Writing for College, enables students to develop their ability to critically analyze and learn through writing. Students also learn methods of scholarly documentation and the organization and presentation of ideas. These skills are essential for success in academic and professional life.

DISTRIBUTION COURSES

The Core/LS Program’s distribution requirements introduce students to a broad range of disciplines and develop their ability to approach problems in an integrative manner. Breadth courses are content-based and emphasize an understanding of the skills, methodology, and ethical issues of each discipline. Philosophical Perspectives, a Breadth course taken by all students, enables students to examine basic philosophical questions concerning knowledge (epistemology), reality (metaphysics), and human values (ethics, political philosophy, aesthetics) essential to the College’s curriculum as a whole. The 12-credit Pathway component of the distribution requirements offers students the opportunity to explore disparate approaches to a focused interdisciplinary topic.

SKILL REQUIREMENTS

In order to build on the skill instruction provided in the Foundation courses, the Core/LS Program requires that each student complete an “intensive” course in: public presentation, and technological competency. These skills courses may overlap with courses taken for the Core/LS Program or in the major field of study.

CAPPING

The Capping course serves as a discipline-based culminating experience for a student’s academic work. Often it also engages with professional issues related to academic majors. In keeping with the skill areas covered within the First Year Seminar, Capping courses require students to demonstrate their mastery of critical thinking, writing, public presentation, and information literacy.

CORE/LS PROGRAM POLICIES

The Core/Liberal Studies Program outlined below is in effect for all incoming freshmen in fall 2013 and thereafter except students in the Professional Studies Major. Students transferring to Marist may receive Core/Liberal Studies credit for courses previously taken. Core/Liberal Studies courses may not be taken Pass/No Credit.

Once a student has matriculated at Marist, the Core/Liberal Studies Capping Course requirements must be fulfilled at Marist College.

Requirements in Core/Liberal Studies: Category 3.0

3.1 Foundation: 7 cr

On the basis of test scores and other evaluations, it may be recommended to some students that they first take ENG 119L - Intermediate Writing for College , as preparation for ENG 120L - Writing for College . Transfer students who have completed College Writing I and II or comparable composition courses with a C or better are exempt from ENG 120L - Writing for College .

FYS 101L - First Year Seminar 4 Credit(s)
ENG 120L - Writing for College 3 Credit(s)

3.2 Distribution: 36 cr

NOTE: Not every course with an “LA” (Liberal Arts) designation is a Core/LS course. Only courses identified as “Core/LS” in the Course Schedule (published each semester) qualify. Courses may fulfill Core/LS requirements as well as requirements in a student’s major or minor areas. Students majoring in Breadth areas may apply a maximum of 6 credits from their major to their distribution total.

Breadth

Philosophy 3 Credit(s) (PHIL 101L - Philosophical Perspectives )
Ethics, Applied Ethics, or Religious Studies 3 Credit(s)
Fine Arts 3 Credit(s)
History 3 Credit(s)
Literature 3 Credit(s)
Mathematics 3 Credit(s) (see Mathematics placement recommendation)
Natural Science 3 Credit(s)
Social Science 3 Credit(s)

Pathway: 12 cr

Breadth and Pathway courses may overlap, but all students must take a total of 36 distribution credits (including related field requirements). If applicable to a Pathway, 3 credits may come from disciplines outside of Core Breadth areas, but these credits do not count toward the 36-credit total for distribution. Although foreign language and culture courses are not required within the Core, courses in these fields may be used to fulfill distribution requirements. See the Core/LS Program website for a detailed list of all courses that satisfy distribution requirements.

Courses addressing an interdisciplinary topic.
Students select one of the following Pathway topics:

Africana Studies
American Studies
Cognitive Science Studies
Contemporary European Studies
Environmental Studies
French
Gender Studies
Global Studies
Hudson River Valley Regional Studies
Valley Regional Studies
Italian
Jewish Studies
Latin
Latin American & Caribbean Studies
Medieval & Renaissance Studies
Public Health Studies
Quantitative Studies
Religion & Society
Social Justice, Law & Ethics
Spanish
Studies in Political Economy
Technology & Society

3.3 Skill Requirements (in Core or major courses): 0 stand-alone credits

Public Presentation
Technological Competency

3.4 Capping (taken in the major field of study during the senior year): 3 cr

Total credits for Core/LS requirements: 46 cr

International Programs

Marist College encourages qualified students to spend a semester or academic year in another country through Marist International Programs (MIP). Students of virtually every major may study/intern abroad for at least one semester.

Interested students should begin planning their semester/year abroad with their academic advisor as early as possible. Candidates for MIP may variously pursue major, minor, core, internship, or elective coursework abroad. Again, early planning is essential in terms of course planning and finding the best fit between particular study abroad program and student. Students generally earn 15 credits per semester while abroad.

Please refer to Academic Services of this catalog for more information on MIP.

Foundation/orientation course 3 Credit(s)
Major required course 3-6 Credit(s)
Core/Liberal Studies course (Foreign Language, Social Science, History, Literature, Fine Arts, Philosophy/Religious Studies) 3-6 Credit(s)
Elective course 3 Credit(s)
Internship 0-6 Credit(s)

Total 12-16 Credits

* An individual study plan is arranged by each student with their academic advisor, according to the program selected, individual learning goals, and degree requirements.

** Credits earned for an internship depend on the internship program selected and internship length (number of hours worked).