First Steps with the University - First-Year Classes

During the first year, you will complete courses that are required by the University College Core Curriculum, which provides the academic foundations you need to be successful in your major and your career beyond the university. The minimum course load for a semester is twelve credit hours, though you will probably be enrolled in 14 - 16 hours in your first semester.

General Requirements

The Core Curriculum includes requirements in a number of areas:

First-year students will typically have a first-semester schedule similar to the following:

Requirement	Credit Hours
Transitional Studies - University Studies	2
Transitional Studies - Life Skills	2
Communication Skills - Written	3
Communication Skills - Oral	3
Reasoning Skills - Critical Thinking	3
Reasoning Skills - Quantitative Reasoning	3-4
Information Literacy	3
Scientific Literacy - Natural Sciences	7-8
Scientific Literacy - Social Sciences	3
Humanities and Creative Arts	3
Global Literacy	3
Ethics and Civic Engagement	3
Total	38-40

NOTE: The requirements listed above are for the revised core curriculum, which will be implemented for Fall 2013. For a complete list of new core requirements and the courses that fulfill them, visit the University College Core Curriculum page of the University College website.

Typical Class Schedule	Credit Hours
UNIV 101, Freshman Seminar I	1
ENGL 110, English Composition I	3
MATH 123, College Algebra	4
PHIL 110, Critical Thinking	3
HUMN 211, Humanities	3
PEDU 107, Weight Training	1
MUSI 110, Choir	1
Total	16

Your actual course schedule may be different, depending on your intended major, course availability, placement scores, and your preferences as indicated on the Freshman Questionnaire.

Major and Program Restrictions

Although several requirements offer multiple courses, many majors require specific choices from the list of Core courses. Depending on profile examination scores and program requirements, students in some programs may be required to complete more than 40 credit hours. Ask an advisor for one of the following guides:

Major

Business: Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Management Information Systems

Education: Elementary Education; Birth-Kindergarten Education; Health Education; Physical Education; Middle Grades Education; Secondary Education

Social Science: Criminal Justice, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology

Humanities: Communication, English Language & Literature, Music, Spanish, Theater, Visual Arts

STEM: Biology, Biology with Concentration in Medical Technology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Forensic Science, Mathematics, Pre-Dental, Pre-Engineering Medical, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Veterinary

Undecided: If you are not sure what you would like to take, this guide can help.

Freshman Center