Core Curriculum

All students will acquire fundamental knowledge, skills, and dispositions during their careers at the University of Great Falls. The following overriding goals shape curricular decisions to ensure breadth and depth of content and experience and to encourage independent learning. They help create the context of a value-based liberal education and reinforce the university's Mission Statement including the Catholic University Identity Statement and the Providence Leadership Covenant.

University of Great Falls graduates ENGAGE THE QUESTIONS

What does it mean to be human? The university encourages students to:

• appreciate the inherent value and interrelatedness of all God's creation

• appreciate the inherent dignity of every person

• appreciate and value cultural differences and similarities

• appreciate that community is essential to being and becoming human

• appreciate the responsibility to maintain and strengthen society by helping others and advancing justice

• appreciate the value of aesthetic and creative expression.

What does it mean to participate in intellectual inquiry? The university encourages students to:

• dedicate themselves to the pursuit of truth and knowledge

• cherish the cumulative wisdom of human inquiry, past and present as a means to enrich the future

• civilly question and challenge, and remain open to being questioned and challenged, in pursuit of the common good

• think critically and creatively, analyze situations and proposals accurately; identify issues, evaluate and appreciate alternative positions.

What does it mean to "make a living" and to live as a productive human being? The university encourages students to:

• communicate clearly and effectively in multiple modes of discourse

• identify problems and articulate appropriate solutions

• accept the consequences of their decisions and actions

• dedicate themselves to their field of endeavor

• possess expertise in a specific area and appreciation of other areas

• value the importance of personal health.

What does it mean to participate in the spiritual and religious dimensions of life? The university encourages students to:

• explore religious world views and value systems and their implications for living

• contemplate spirituality, the meaning of God, religion, and the gospel of Jesus Christ and their importance for living

• further God's work of reaching out to humanity

• make sound moral judgments

• appreciate the Christian and Catholic traditions.

 

To earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Great Falls, a student must:

Complete a minimum of 128 credits.

Maintain a cumulative University of Great Falls grade point average of 2.00 or higher.

Complete the University Core curriculum.

Complete a major and one of the follow­ing: a second major, an associate’s degree, a minor, or a concentration in a field of study distinct from the major. All courses used to complete the require­ments of a major, minor, or concentration must have a grade of C or better.

Complete thirty of the last forty semester hours of coursework at the University of Great Falls. Students enrolled in an approved Service Members Opportunity Colleges Army Degree (SOCAD) program may satisfy the academic residency requirements with coursework taken at any time during their enrollment at the University.

Complete at least fifteen semester hours at the University of Great Falls in the major or concentration, except for the university studies major.

Complete at least thirty-two credits in upper division coursework (courses numbered 300 or higher), at least six­teen of which must be from the University of Great Falls. (It is recommended that at least twelve of these credits be completed in coursework outside the student’s major and minor or concentration.)

Apply for graduation in accordance with the prescribed deadlines. Comply with all University policies, rules, and regulations. Pay all indebtedness to the University.

The purpose of the Core Curriculum is to ensure that graduates of the University of Great Falls have acquired fundamental knowledge, skills, and dispositions and to ensure breadth and depth of content and experience as a foundation for independent life-long learning. The Core Curriculum organizes the bachelor degree four questions by using What does it mean to be human? As the guiding principle in assisting students to develop their full potential as human beings. The Core Curriculum requires students to take courses that will investigate and explore how participating in intellectual inquiry, making a living and living a productive life, and participating in the religious dimension of life lead to the larger question of What does it mean to be human?

Intellectual Inquiry (19-24 credits)

(How does participating in Intellectual Inquiry define being human?)

After completing core courses in Intellectual Inquiry, student will: Think critically and creatively, analyze situations and proposals accurately, identify issues, and evaluate and appreciate alternative positions.

Therefore, the University requires that students complete:

1. Either PHL 105 Humanities or SOC 101 Introductory Sociology 3 credits.

2. either HST 101 and 102 History of Civilization I and II or HST 203 and 204 United States History I and II 6 credits.

3. ENG 200 Literary Appreciation 3 credits.

4. either MTH 110 Precalculus I (College Algebra) or Foreign Language 101 and 102 or PHL 201 Thinking Logically 3-8 credits.

5. either BIO 102 Fundamentals of Life Science (with lab) or BIO 103 Structure and Function of the Human Body or CHM 101 Essentials of Inorganic Chemistry (with lab) or GSC 121 Earth and Space Science (with lab) or GSC 158 History of Science 4 credits.

Living and Making a Living (27 credits)

(How do Living and Making a Living define being human?)

After completing core courses in Living and Making a Living, students will: Investigate and communicate creatively and effectively in multiple modes of discourse while recognizing the advantages of a health lifestyle.

Therefore, the University requires that students complete:

1. ENG 111 Writing Sentences and Paragraphs and ENG 117 Writing Essays and an upper level writing course (ENG 300-319) 9 credits.
Note: ENG 111 is waived for students with at least a 22 on the English section of the ACT, at least 520 on the verbal section of the SAT, a score of 81 or above on the Compass test, or a score of 46 or above on the ASSET test. Transfer students with equivalent ENG 117 credit may waive the ENG 117 requirement with a score of 85 or above on the Compass test.

2. MTH 100 Essential Math Skills and either MTH 106 Contemporary Mathematics or MTH 205 Elementary Probability and Statistics 6 credits.
Note: MTH 100 is waived for students with at least a score of 22 on the Mathematics section of the ACT, at least a 520 on the quantitative section of the SAT, a score of 62 or above on the Compass test, or a score of 46 or above on the ASSET test.

3. COM 101 Fundamentals of Speech Communication 3 credits.

4. either CPS 100 Introduction to the Microcomputer and CPS 101 Introduction to UGF Net and CPS 102 Introduction to Powerpoint or EDU 244 Instructional Technology 3 credits.
Note: Any or all of these courses may be waived based on demonstrated competence in the field.

5. either three HPE performance courses (HPE 100-180) or HPE 188 Personal Health 3 credits

6. either ART 110 Introduction to the Visual Arts or ART 150 Studio Art Fundamentals or three semesters of Drama performance or crew (DRM 121-123) or MUS 101 Music Appreciation or three semesters of Music Performance (MUS 111-160) 3 credits

Religious Dimension (6 credits)

(How does participating in the Religious Dimension of life define being human?)

After completing courses in Religious Dimension, students will: Investigate and articulate religious concepts and value systems and explore their implications for building a framework for religious meaning for one’s life.

Therefore, the University requires that students complete:

1. either TRL 200 Fundamentals of Christian Theology or TRL 210 Catholicism or TRL 240 Reading the Old Testament or TRL 250 Reading the New Testament or TRL 303 Jesus the Christ 3 credits.

2. either TRL 120 Basic Christian Ethics or TRL 220 The Christian Vocation to Justice or TRL 224 Formation of Christian Conscience 3 credits.

 

 

To earn the associate degree in science (A.S.) from the University of Great Falls, a student must:

• Complete a minimum of 64 credits.

• Maintain a cumulative University of Great Falls grade point average of 2.00 or higher.

• Complete the associate degree general knowledge and skills courses.

• Complete an area of specialization. All courses used to complete the specialization must have a grade of C or better.

• Complete at least twenty of the final thirty semester hours of coursework at the University of Great Falls. Students enrolled in an approved Service members Opportunity College Army Degree (SOCAD) program may satisfy the academic residency requirement by completing at least sixteen semester hours at the University at any time during their enrollment.

• Complete at least fifteen semester hours at the University of Great Falls in the area of specialization.

• Apply for graduation in accordance with the prescribed deadlines.

• Comply with all University policies, rules, and regulations.

• Pay all indebtedness to the University.

Associate Degree Core Curriculum 36-38 credits (required of all A.S. students)

1. Either PHL 105 Humanities or SOC 101 Introductory Sociology 3 credits.

2. Either ART 110 Introduction to the Visual Arts or ART 150 Studio Art Fundamentals or two semesters of Drama performance or crew (DRM 121-123) or MUS 101 Music Appreciation or two semesters of Music Performance (MUS 111-160) 2-3 credits.

3. Either HST 101 History of Civilization I or HST 102 History of Civilization II or HST 203 United States History I or HST 204 United States History II 3 credits.

4. One of the following: 4 credits BIO 102 Fundamentals of Life Science (with lab) CHM 101 Essentials of Inorganic Chemistry (with lab) GSC 121 Earth and Space Science (with lab) GSC 158 History of Science MTH 110 Precalculus I.

5. One of the following: 3-4 credits ENG 200 Literary Appreciation Foreign Language 101 Foreign Language 102 PHL 201 Thinking Logically.

6. ENG 111 Writing Sentences and Paragraphs ENG 117 Writing Essays 6 credits Note: ENG 111 is waived for students with at least a 22 on the English section of the ACT, a score of 520 on the verbal section of the SAT, or a score of 81 or above on the Compass test, or a score of 46 or above on the Asset Test. Transfer students with ENG 111 credit may waive the ENG 117 requirement with a score of 85 or above on the Compass test.

7. MTH 100 Essential Math Skills MTH 106 Contemporary Mathematics 6 credits.
Note: MTH 100 is waived for students with at least a score of 22 on the Mathematics section of the ACT, a score of 520 on the quantitative section of the SAT, a score of 62 or above on the Compass test, or a score of 46 or above on the Asset test.

8. COM 101 Fundamentals of Speech Communication 3 credits.

9. CPS 100 Introduction to the Microcomputer CPS 101 Introduction to UGF Net CPS 102 Introduction to Powerpoint 3 credits.
Note: Any or all of the three courses may be waived based on demonstrated competence in the field.

10. Either TRL 120 Basic Christian Ethics or TRL 200 Fundamentals of Theology 3 credits.

Core Planner for Bachelor Degrees

Core Planner for Associate Degrees