Pictured | Veronica Newland | Sociology | Mishawaka, Indiana (hometown)

Fundamental Literacies (13-19 cr.)

The development of certain fundamental skills is necessary for success in academic pursuits and also for success and fulfillment in life beyond the university. Fundamental literacies courses provide introductory training in essential academic skills that students are expected to develop more fully through repeated practice in a wide variety of courses throughout their academic careers.

Students must complete one course from each of the following seven areas, as designated in the Schedule of Classes.

Writing

The campuswide general-education curriculum requires students to demonstrate competence in written composition skills, including development of the ability to analyze written texts from a variety of disciplines and to construct clear and convincing written arguments. A grade of C or higher is required to fulfill the writing requirement.

• ENG-W 131 Reading, Writing, and Inquiry I
• ENG-W 140 Elementary Composition-Honors

Critical Thinking

The campuswide general-education curriculum requires students to demonstrate competence in reasoning skills, including the ability to analyze, construct, and develop cogent arguments, and to articulate reasoned judgments.

• CSCI-C 250 Discrete Structures
• ENG-W 270 Argumentative Writing (education students only)
• HPSC-X 200 Scientific Reasoning
• PHIL-P 101 Philosophy in the Public Sphere
• PHIL-P 102 Critical Thinking and Applied Ethics
• PHIL-P 105 Critical Thinking
• PHIL-P 110 Introduction to Philosophy
• PHIL-P 150 Elementary Logic
• PHIL-P 250 Introductory Symbolic Logic
• POLS-Y 201 Controversies in United States Politics
• PSY-P 211 Methods of Experimental Psychology
• SPCH-S 228 Argumentation and Debate

Oral Communication

The campuswide general-education curriculum requires students to develop skill both in formal oral presentations and in the ability to recognize conventions of oral communication and the ways in which oral communication is enhanced and expanded by nonverbal means.

• SPCH-S 121 Public Speaking

Visual Literacy

The campuswide general-education curriculum requires students to demonstrate familiarity with the techniques, history, and interpretation of the conventions of visual culture in general and as they apply to a particular discipline or tradition; and it requires students to practice, in an introductory way, the application of visual communication methods and techniques.

• BIOL-L 403 Biology Seminar
• CHEM-C 301 Chemistry Seminar
• CJUS-P 424 Crime Mapping and Geographic Information Systems
• CMLT-C 190 An Introduction to Film
• CMLT-C 293 History of the Motion Picture I
• EDUC-W 310 Integrating Computers in K-12 Classrooms
• ENG-W 315 Writing for the Web
• ENG-W 367 Writing for Multiple Media
• FINA-A 109 Ways of Seeing: Visual Literacy
• FINA-S 291 Fundamentals of Photography
• INFO-I 310 Multimedia Arts and Technology
• JOUR-J 210 Visual Communication
• NURS-S 485 Professional Growth and Empowerment
• THTR-T 228 Design for the Theatre
• THTR-T 434 Historic Costumes for the Stage

Quantitative Reasoning

The campuswide general-education curriculum requires students to demonstrate competence in mathematical reasoning,either by scoring a 76 or higher on the ALEKS math placement exam, or by successful completion of an approved course..

• CJUS-K 300 Techniques of Data Analysis
• HSC-H 322 Epidemiology and Biostatistics
• MATH-K 300 Statistical Techniques for Health Professions
• MATH-K 310 Statistical Techniques
• MATH-M 108 Quantitative Reasoning
• MATH-M 111 Mathematics in the World
• MATH-M 115 Precalculus and Trigonometry (5 cr.)
• MATH-M 118 Finite Mathematics
• MATH-M 119 Brief Survey of Calculus 1
• MATH-M 208 Technical Calculus I
• MATH-M 209 Technical Calculus II
• MATH-M 215 Calculus I (5 cr.)
• MATH-M 216 Calculus II (5 cr.)
• NURS-H 355  Data Analysis and Research
• SOC-S 351 Social Statistics
• SWK-S 372 Statistical Reasoning in Social Work

The following two-course sequence:

• MATH-M 125 Precalculus Mathematics; and
• MATH-M 126 Trigonometric Functions (2 cr.)

Information Literacy

The campuswide general-education curriculum requires students to demonstrate competence in modern information gathering and evaluation.

• COAS-Q 110 Introduction to Information Literacy (1 cr.)

Computer Literacy

The campuswide general-education curriculum requires students to demonstrate competence in the use of computers for a variety of purposes, either through satisfactory performance on a proficiency examination or by the successful completion of a course that provides instruction in these skills.

• BUS-K 201 The Computer in Business
• CSCI-A 106 Introduction to Computing
• CSCI-A 107 Advanced Microcomputing (4 cr.)
• CSCI-A 201 Introduction to Programming (4 cr.)
• CSCI-C 101 Computer Programming I (4 cr.)
• CSCI-C 201 Computer Programming II (4 cr.)
• EDUC-W 200 Using Computers in Education
• FINA-P 273 Computer Art and Design I
• INFO-I 101 Introduction to Informatics (4 cr.)
• INFO-I 210 Information Infrastructure I (4 cr.)
• INFO-I 211 Information Infrastructure II (4 cr.)
• MUS-T 120 Computer Skills for Musicians

Photo credit | Teresa Sheppard