All students in baccalaureate programs at the University are required to take at least four All-University Curriculum (AUC) courses during their four years -- one course from four of the five breadth categories for a minimum of 12 AUC credits. Each school and college of the University determines which of the four categories are required for its majors. The five breadth categories are:
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Living in a Cultural
Context -- Western Heritage
Americans live in a cultural context with a unique history of mostly European
origins. Students need to know about our culture, its past, its values,
and its contemporary development.
Courses in this category introduce students to the history, philosophy, literature, and art of Western culture and examine the development of social institutions, government and politics.
Examples of courses in this breadth category include:
Living in a Cultural Context
-- Other Cultures
By studying other cultures, students expand their knowledge of cultural
similarities and differences. In this way, students gain important perspectives
on themselves and their position in a constantly changing world.
Courses in this category develop cultural empathy: the ability to understand different cultures and to appreciate that people of these cultures live rich and important lives. Students develop a sense of cultural relativity and realize that other ways of life can be just as valid as their own.
Courses include:
Living Responsively to
the Arts
The arts challenge and extend human experience, providing means of expressing
that include and go beyond speaking and writing. As a unique record of human
cultures and their development, the arts provide distinctive ways of understanding
human beings and nature. They are also an important course of enjoyment.
Courses in this category engage the imagination, foster alternative ways of thinking, enlarge and refine artistic perception, and encourage participation in the arts.
Examples of courses include:
Living in a Social Context
To live in a productive and humane way, people must understand
themselves and how they relate to others in groups, institutions, and political
and economic entities.
Courses in this category help students comprehend individual needs and behaviors, group relationships and processes, and the evolution and nature of institutions.
Courses in this breadth category include:
Living in a Scientific
& Technological World
To appreciate the impact of science on modern life, it is essential to understand
fundamental scientific concepts and modes of inquiry. Technology, which
begins with the application of science, has changed and will continue to
change the world. Scientific and technological developments such as nuclear
power and genetic engineering have generated complex social issues.
Courses in this category seek to develop a greater awareness of science and technology and their impact on society.
Examples of courses include:
Study Abroad
The University encourages students to participate in study abroad programs
and offers, as part of the All-University Curriculum, the following courses:
