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University of Colorado Denver College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

CLAS Advising
 

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

UCD Core Curriculum and CLAS Graduation Requirements

Philosophy of the Core:

The Core Curriculum of the Downtown Denver Campus provides all UCD undergraduate students a high quality general education based on a liberal arts foundation while allowing students flexibility based on their individual backgrounds and specific career goals. The Core Curriculum develops multiple literacies, stimulates creative thinking, and utilizes technology. A goal of the UCD Core Curriculum is to engage students in developing sensitivity to diversity and developing their place in an urban environment as well as in the rapidly changing global environment.

UCD Core Curriculum: 34 – 38 sem hrs

INTELLECTUAL COMPETENCIES – 9-10 sem hrs

Three lower division courses to develop reading, writing and quantitative proficiency. Specific core mathematics courses may be identified by a program to satisfy requirements in the major. Competency is satisfied by a letter grade of C- or higher in each course. Pass/fail grading is not an option for the intellectual competencies.

  1. ENGL 1020-3 Core Composition I
  2. ENGL 2030-3 Core Composition II
  3. One Mathematics course, chosen from:
  • MATH 1010-3 Mathematics for Liberal Arts
  • MATH 1070-3 Alg for Social Science & Business
  • MATH 1080-3 Polynomial Calculus
  • MATH 1110-3 College Algebra
  • MATH 1120-3 College Trigonometry
  • MATH 1130-4 Precalculus Math
  • MATH 1401-4 Calculus I
  • MATH 2411-4 Calculus II
  • MATH 2421-4 Calculus III
  • MATH 2830-3 Intro to Statistics

KNOWLEDGE AREAS — 19-22 sem hrs

Students may not use courses in the discipline defined by their major(s) to satisfy Knowledge Area requirements. (Exceptions *)

A. Arts & Humanities – 6 credit hours from the approved core list

Two lower division courses outside the student’s major.

  1. 3 credit hours from the approved Arts core list
  2. 3 credit hours from the approved Humanities core list

NOTE: Students planning on transferring to a Colorado college/university under the gtPathways guarantee transfer program must take one of the approved HIST courses. International Studies majors may not use a HIST course or RLST 2660 to satisfy this requirement.

B. Behavioral & Social Sciences – 6 credit hours from the approved core list

Two lower division courses outside the student’s major.

Students who are not majoring in either the Behavioral or Social Sciences must complete:

  1. 3 credit hours from the approved Behavioral Science core list
  2. 3 credit hours from the approved Social Science core list

NOTE:

  • PSY, CMMU & ANTH majors must take two courses from the approved Social Science core list
  • ECON, GEOG, INTS, PSCI & SOCI majors must take two courses from the approved Behavioral Science core list

C. Biological & Physical Sciences, Mathematics – 7-8 credit hours from the approved core list

  1. One lower division biological & physical science course with a lab from the approved core list
  2. One lower division Science or Math course with or without a lab from the approved core list (excluding the Math used to satisfy the Intellectual Competency requirement). Math majors must take two lab science courses from the approved list.

D. * Cultural Diversity – 3 credit hours

One upper division course from the approved list of courses concentrating on race and gender issues in the US. A course in the major department can be used.

E. * International Perspectives – 3 credit hours

One course from the approved list of courses concentrating on global and international issues. A course in the major department can be used. A semester abroad may satisfy this requirement if pre-approved.

CLAS Graduation Requirements: 15-26 sem hrs

The following must be completed in addition to the UC-Denver campus Core Curriculum.

A. Communicative Skills - 3 credit hours

One course from the following approved list, with a minimum grade of C-. Pass/fail grading is not an option for this requirement.

  • CMMU 2050-3 Bus & Prof Speaking
  • CMMU 2101-3 Presentational Speaking
  • CMMU 3120-3 Technical Communication
  • ENGL 2154-3 Intro to Creative Writing
  • ENGL 3001-3 Critical Writing
  • ENGL 3084-3 Advanced Composition
  • ENGL 3154-3 Technical Writing
  • ENGL 3170-3 Business Writing
  • ENGL 4190-3 Spec Topic Rhetoric/Writing
  • PHIL 2441-3 Logic and Language

B. Foreign Language

Students must demonstrate foreign language proficiency through a second-semester-level course equivalent to UC-Denver (1020) with a minimum grade of "C-" (1.7), satisfactory proficiency testing, or completion of a second year (Level II) high school course with a minimum grade of "C-" (1.7).

C. Humanities - 3 credit hours

One additional course in English Literature, History, Philosophy, Religious Studies or French, Spanish, German Culture/Literature (Language courses in French, Spanish, German, etc., will not apply).

ENGL, HIST, PHIL, FR, and SPAN majors may use a course in their major to satisfy this requirement.

D. Behavioral Sciences - 3 credit hours

One additional course in PSY, COMM or ANTHExcept: ANTH 1303, ANTH 3301, ANTH 3512 and PSY 2220.

PSY, ANTH, COMM majors may use a course in their major to satisfy this requirement.

E. Social Sciences - 3 credit hours

One additional course in ECON, ETST, GEOG, HBSC, PSCI and SOCI or ENVS 1342, SJUS 2000. Except: ENVS 1042, ETST 2155, GEOG 1202, GEOG 3232, and GEOG 3240.

ECON, GEOG, PSCI and SOCI majors may use a course in their major to satisfy this requirement

F. Biological & Physical Science, Math- 3-4 credit hours

One additional course in BIOL, CHEM, GEOL, PHYS, MATH (excluding MATH 3040 and MATH Intellectual Competency course) or ANTH 3301, ANTH 3512, ENVS 1042, GEOG 1202, GEOG 3232, GEOG 3240, PSYC 220.

  • ANTH, GEOG & PSYC majors may not use a course in their major to satisfy this requirement.
  • BIOL, CHEM, PHYS and MATH majors may use a course in their major to satisfy this requirement.

If you have only taken one science course with a lab, this course MUST have a lab.

NOTE: Only courses offered in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences have links to course descriptions.  For information about classes outside CLAS consult that college's website.

ARTS

  • FINE 1001-3 Intro to Arts
  • PMUS 1001-3 Music Appreciation
  • THTR 1001-3 Intro to Theatre

HUMANITIES

  • CNST 1000-3 China and the Chinese
  • ENGL 1601-3 Telling Tales: Narrative Art in Literature & Film
  • ENGL 2600-3 Great Works in British & American Literature
  • ETST 2155-3 African American History
  • FR 1000-3 Intro to Cultures of the French-Speaking World
  • GER 1000-3 Germany and the Germans
  • HIST 1361-3 US History to 1876
  • HIST 1362-3 US History since 1876
  • HIST 1381-3 Paths to the Present I
  • HIST 1382-3 Paths to the Present II
  • PHIL 1012-3 Intro to Philosophy: Relationship of the Individual to the World
  • PHIL 1020-3 Intro to Ethics and Society: The Person and the Community
  • PHIL 2441-3 Logic and Language
  • RLST 1610-3 Intro to Religious Studies
  • RLST 2660-3 World Religions
  • SJUS 2100-3  Theories, Narrat and Tech
  • SPAN 1000-3 Intro to Cultures of the Spanish-Speaking World

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

SOCIAL SCIENCES

BIOLOGICAL & PHYSICAL SCIENCES, MATHEMATICS

CULTURAL DIVERSITY

  • ANTH 3142-3 Cultural Diversity in the Modern World
  • COMM 3271-3 Communication and Diversity
  • ECON 3100-3 Economics of Race and Gender
  • ENGL 3795-3 Race and Ethnicity in American Literature
  • ENGR 3400-3 Technology and Culture
  • ETST 3704-3 Culture, Racism, and Alienation
  • ETST 3794-3 Ethnic Diversity in American Literature
  • HIST 3345-3 Immigration & Ethnicity in American History
  • HIST 3349-3 Social Movements in 20th-Century America
  • MGMT 4100-3 Managing Cultural Diversity
  • PHIL 3500-3 Ideology & Culture: Racism & Sexism
  • PSCI 3034-3 Race, Gender, Law, and Public Policy
  • PSCI 3035-3 Political Movements: Race and Gender
  • PSYC 4485-3 Psychology of Cultural Diversity
  • RLST 4000-3 Religion and Cultural Diversity
  • SOCI 3020-3 Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.
  • THTR 3611-3 Drama of Diversity

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

  • ENGL 3798-3 International Perspectives in Literature and Film
  • ENGR 3600-3 International Dimensions of Technology & Culture
  • ETST 3110-3 Indigenous Studies
  • ETST 3272-3 Global Media
  • FREN 3200-3 The Francophone World in Post-Colonial Era
  • GRMN 3200-3 Current German Society and Culture
  • HIST 3121-3 The World at War, 1914-1945
  • HIST 4032-3 Globalization in World History Since 1945
  • INTB 3000-3 Global Perspectives
  • PSCI 3022-3 Intro to Comparative Politics
  • PSCI 3042-3 Intro to International Relations