Core Curriculum
The Catholic intellectual tradition is rooted in reasoned inquiry that crosses scholarly disciplines to engage and inform each of them. This tradition creates a framework in which great questions facing humankind can and should be addressed.
Through the core curriculum at the University of Portland students learn to use and value the lenses of different disciplines, see connections among them, and in doing so acquire the skills, knowledge, and values necessary for them to recognize the importance of broad learning and regular reflection throughout their lives. The goals of the core serve its mission and are achieved through the learning outcomes, which are continuously assessed.
Lenses for Seeing and Learning Essential Skills and Values
The faculty is committed to teaching students essential skills and values for learning and life. Writing, oral communication, critical thinking, information literacy, and the implications of diversity are core skills distributed throughout the core curriculum. Students will thus have opportunities in their core courses to learn and refine their understanding and application of each of these skills.
The University requires course work in:
| Hrs. |
Area |
|
| 3 |
Fine Arts |
— Fulfilled by FA 207 only. |
| 3 |
History |
— Fulfilled by any history course up to and including 300 level. |
| 3 |
Literature |
— Fulfilled by ENG 112 only. |
| 3 |
Mathematics |
— Fulfilled by any mathematics course above MTH 120. |
| 6 |
Philosophy |
— Fulfilled only by PHL 150 and PHL 220. |
| 6 |
Science |
— Fulfilled by any 100 level BIO, ENV, CHM, PHY, or SCI or courses in a science major. Consult programs for options. |
| 6 |
Social Sciences |
— 2 disciplines fulfilled from among SOC 101, PSY 101, ECN 120, ECN 121 (with written permission of instructor), POL 200, POL 203, POL 205, SW 205, CST 225. |
| 9 |
Theology |
— Lower-division requirements fulfilled only by THE 101 and 205. Upper-division THE course may be a Theological Perspectives class that can be used to satisfy the distribution requirements of both theology and a companion subject.
|
The core curriculum applies to transfer students. No substitutions may be made without special permission from the dean.