2020-2021 Undergraduate Core Curriculum

• Quantitative literacy and scientific reasoning (applying mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills; supporting arguments with quantitative evidence; understanding and applying statistical information; understanding the scientific method, laboratory techniques, and experimental design)
• Communication (creating written, oral, and visual presentations of ideas to inform or persuade using text, data, and/or images as appropriate to audience and purpose)
• Critical thinking (recognizing ambiguity, exploring assumptions, and understanding context to create a reasoned, logical analysis)
• Independent and collaborative problem-solving (demonstrating personal effectiveness skills including managing time and resources, focusing through distractions, and contributing positively to team efforts where applicable)
• Civic and ethical awareness (considering multiple perspectives and beliefs; evaluating various consequences of actions; and understanding the individual’s role as a member of local, national, and global societies)

ULM Common Core Curriculum

Foundation Courses

It is imperative that undergraduate students entering ULM are provided with a strong academic foundation upon which to build their future college careers. Ultimately, this structure, which follows many national trends, brings a much needed breadth and commonality to the ULM academic experience and makes it easier for students to transfer between majors.

Core Curriculum Guidelines

1. The student’s work in a major or minor may count toward meeting the University Core.
2. Transfer students can apply equivalent hours earned at other universities to meet ULM core requirements (equivalency to be determined by the appropriate department head and the Board of Regents’ Statewide Student Transfer Guide and General Education Articulation Matrix).
3. All freshman students are required to take the University Seminar for one credit hour (the course will not count toward any degree program and will be nontransferable).
4. In the absence of a compelling reason, degree programs should refrain from defining or limiting student choices within the menu of prescribed general education courses.

Core Curriculum Abbreviations Used in Degree Plans or Programs of Study

Some degree plans specified that certain courses must be taken from within a menu of the sets of courses in the core curriculum. For those that did so, first the specific course will be listed in the degree plan, followed by the appropriate abbreviation which indicates which requirement is being fulfilled by the specified required core curriculum course. For example, if MATH 1013  and MATH 1031  must be taken by Computer Science majors, then the requirement will be listed as “MATH 1013 cm, MATH 1031 cm”. The core curriculum abbreviations which have been used are as follows: