The Fairmont State core curriculum ensures that students possess a wide range of skills and knowledge to enhance their lives after graduation. The knowledge, skills, and abilities obtained through the core curriculum transcend specific disciplines and are valued by employers at all levels and by society in general. Fairmont State supports a core curriculum so that our students appreciate the diversity of disciplines as they discover possibilities in their interdependence. The skills and knowledge obtained by completing core curriculum courses provide students with the necessary tools to be productive employees, leaders, and citizens. The categories were designed to incorporate the foundational knowledge and skills that have enduring societal value and to prepare students to survive and thrive in a complex, diverse, and dramatically changing world. A large portion of the skills and knowledge Fairmont State expects its students to have when they graduate comes from core curriculum courses.
The core curriculum is designed to ensure all students acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to become life-long learners, productive employees, and contributing citizen leaders in their diverse local and global community.
The Fairmont State Core Curriculum is a minimum of 30 credits and satisfies the Higher Learning Commission minimum credit requirements for a general education core. Some departments and/or programs may have additional requirements to meet their respective accreditation standards.
| Core Curriculum Area | Core Outcome | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First-Year Seminar | Basic Skills | 1-3 |
| Written Communication | Basic Skills | 6 |
| Oral Communication | Basic Skills | 3 |
| Mathematics | Basic Skills | 3 |
| Humanities | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| Fine Arts | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| Natural Science | Critical Thinking | 3-5 |
| Social Science | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| Citizenship | Personal Development | 3 |
| Global Awareness, Fitness & Wellbeing, or Technology | Personal Development | 2-3 |
Students should choose courses to fulfill categories by using DegreeWorks in concert with program requirements and course prerequisites. Students are encouraged to ALWAYS check with their assigned advisor before registering for courses.
Complete 6 hours of Written English with a grade of “C” or higher.
Students must complete a minimum of 30 hours in the core curriculum program for bachelor’s degrees. Students are responsible for all course pre-requisites.
Students must complete 6 hours of Written English (ENGL 1101 and ENG 1102 OR 1103) with a grade of “C” or higher as a graduation requirement for all degrees.