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Liberal Studies Core Curriculum LIBERAL STUDIES CORE – THE HEART OF THE “ONE GANNON STUDENT” EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE The Liberal Studies Core is both the heart of the Gannon University educational experience and a reflection of Gannon University’s commitment to the development of “One Gannon Student,” a model for comprehensive and holistic education and preparation for a productive vocational and avocational life. The Liberal Studies core offers our undergraduates a defined, integrated, shared experience within their academic experience. Courses in essential history and communication modes and strategies, along with the university’s Catholic Identity in theology and philosophy, form the foundation of the Core. Integrated into the curriculum are explorative and experiential investigations into disciplines essential for appreciation and engagement of all persons, including literature and social sciences, and applied aesthetic, mathematical, and scientific reasoning. Binding the entire Liberal Studies Core curriculum are the formative core classes of seminars and senior capstone, inviting students to concretize their learning through integration of their major field(s) with their liberal arts studies. The Liberal Studies Core shares the Gannon University Undergraduate Student Learning Outcomes (the educational goals the university hopes to encourage every undergraduate student to achieve, regardless of major field of study): 1. Students apply themes of Catholic Social Teaching and the dimensions of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. 2. Students demonstrate proficiency in knowledge and skills in academic disciplines. 3. Students communicate effectively through various means. 4. Students demonstrate aesthetic, quantitative, and scientific reasoning. 5. Students synthesize their academic learning with learning outside the classroom. 6. Students demonstrate a holistic understanding of wellness. 7. Students apply value-centered leadership skills. 8. Students demonstrate intercultural competence and self-awareness. 9. Students demonstrate social responsibility. Overview of the Liberal Studies Core Curriculum The Liberal Studies Core Curriculum consists of three primary components: • Foundational Core – includes Theology, Philosophy, Ethics/Moral Responsibility, History, and Written/Oral communication, which form solid groundwork for advanced study in areas of majors and minors in all fields. • Developmental Core – includes First-Year Seminars, Leadership Seminars and Capstone Courses which integrate skills and knowledge from all academic disciplines and cocurricular experiences • Integrative Core – includes Fine Arts, Literature, Social Science, Mathematics, and Science where advanced reasoning, integration, and synthesis of knowledge and competencies concretize the undergraduate experience.
