The Core Curriculum

The Huntington University Core Curriculum challenges students to integrate knowledge, values and skills into a coherent worldview that equips them for a life of faithfulness to God through service in the world. Particular emphasis is placed on critical thinking and communication skills that foster lifelong learning and the ability to apply newly acquired knowledge to practical problems from a Christian perspective. As an integrated program in the liberal arts, the core courses are the foundation of the Huntington educational experience upon which a student’s major builds to develop specific knowledge and skills for professional life.

Students are expected to achieve six learning outcomes, of which there are two types. The first three outcomes (faith integration, critical thinking, and communication) are set as objectives for every course. We refer to these as the foundational learning outcomes. Beyond being present in every core course, the foundational outcomes are also incorporated into every program's learning outcomes, linking the core to students' majors. The core also includes three specialized outcomes (multicultural thinking, empirical thinking, and creative expression), which are not set as objectives for every core course, nor are they necessarily a part of every program's learning outcomes. However, they are present in several courses within the core and are no less important than the foundational outcomes, playing a crucial role in the holistic development of Huntington students.

Core Curriculum Learning Outcomes

The foundational learning outcomes are:

• Faith Integration: Analyze subject matter from the perspective of Christianity;
• Critical Thinking: Analyze topics clearly and rationally, relating them to goal-directed outcomes;
• Communication: Communicate effectively and clearly through writing, speech, and other mediums.

The specialized learning outcomes are:

• Multicultural Thinking: Exhibit awareness and understanding of one's own and other cultures;
• Empirical Thinking: Gather, analyze, and draw conclusions with empirical information;
• Creative Expression: Take ideas, images, and other media and combine them in original and illuminating ways.

Core Curriculum Requirements

The core program consists of a minimum total of 61 hours for the bachelor of arts degree and 49 hours for the bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of music, bachelor of science, bachelor of science in nursing, bachelor of science in occupational therapy assistant, and bachelor of social work degrees (the difference being the 12 hours in the foreign language requirement for the bachelor of arts degree).

Foundational Courses

All courses in the core curriculum address the outcomes of faith integration, critical thinking, and communication, but certain courses are especially significant in students' development towards these outcomes.

Faith Integration

Bible (choose 3 hours)

(BT 231 or 251 must be selected by Bible and theology majors)

Christian Faith (3 hours)

Religious Perspectives (choose 3 hours)

Critical Thinking

Philosophy (choose 3 hours)

Communication

Communication Skills (6 hours)

(Students must enroll in EN121 every semester until they have earned credit for EN121)

Specialized Courses

Skills in faith integration, critical thinking, and communication are further developed in a variety of liberal arts disciplines as students complete the 31 credit hours below. The courses below also contribute to one of the specialized learning outcomes of the core curriculum.

Multicultural Thinking

Beyond addressing the foundational outcomes, the following develop multicultural thinking from historical and literary perspectives, respectively:

History (6 hours)

Literature (3 hours)

Empirical Thinking

Beyond addressing the foundational outcomes, the following courses develop empirical thinking from quantitative, scientific, social and embodied perspectives, respectively:

Mathematical Science (choose at least 3 hours)

(Other mathematic courses may be taken if required in major, such as MA 111-112 for elementary education majors; a minimum math competency must be demonstrated before enrolling in mathematic courses)

Natural Science (choose 8 hours)

(BI 161/l-222/L-241/L or CH 161/L-162/L or PH 211/L-212/L may be taken if required in major; CH 141/L may be taken in place of CH 111/L)

Social Science (choose 6 hours)

(SO 141 may not be taken by sociology majors to fulfill the social science core requirement)

Wellness (2 hours)

Creative Expression

Beyond addressing the foundational outcomes the following courses develop the capacity for creative expression:

Artistic Appreciation (choose 2 hours)

Creative Studio Arts (select one course)

Creative studio arts courses must be taken for a letter grade (unless the course permits only S/U). For some courses, students must audition, demonstrate competency or show prerequisite coursework. Some advanced courses that require one or more courses as prerequisites are not listed but may be counted toward the requirement by petition to the Academic Concerns Committee. 

Bachelor of Arts

Students pursuing a bachelor of arts complete an additional twelve credit hours in foreign language to further strengthen their multicultural thinking.

Foreign Language (12 hours for bachelor of arts)

Two years of foreign language are recommended for all students but required only for those completing the bachelor of arts degree. The language requirement may be satisfied by completion of 12 hours in the same language at the undergraduate level or by receiving credit for the equivalent level by CLEP examination. Students in most bachelor of arts majors may also satisfy the requirement by completing at least six semester hours in the same foreign language and up to six additional semester hours in either another foreign language or in designated cultural enrichment courses (listed below under Cultural Enrichment courses). Other language specifications include: 

• Students completing a major in Bible and theology complete six hours from GR 111 and 121.
• Students who have studied a foreign language in high school may wish to continue in the same language in college. Generally, two years of high school language study are equivalent to one year of the language at the undergraduate level. If the student has had less than two years in high school, the student is placed in the beginning semester of the language. Advanced placement in language courses requires that students take the CLEP test by early summer to allow time for scores to be processed.
• The student whose native tongue is a major language other than English may be exempted from the foreign language requirement upon the recommendation of the Department of English and Modern Languages to the Academic Concerns Committee. A “major language” for these purposes is one used by a major population group and one in which a substantial body of written literature exists.

Cultural Enrichment Courses

These courses fulfill the remaining credit hours of the language requirement (for up to six hours) for those not completing all 12 hours in a foreign language. They are intended to broaden one’s cultural understanding of another people’s concepts of life and human relationships. No courses may be counted that are part of the student’s major or the Core Curriculum.

International Cross-Cultural Experiences

Students traveling outside North America (not with a university-sponsored group), who anticipate experiences that will give the student significant exposure to the culture or history of a non-North American society, may propose a self-directed overseas course that has as its objective either cross-cultural historical study or missions service. Proposals will be reviewed by a faculty oversight committee and must include significant study and preparation for the cultures to be encountered, an outline of planned activities that are expected to cover several weeks and substantial documentation of the experience. Further details and a proposal form may be obtained in the Office of the Registrar.