Our Core Curriculum
Notre Dame's core curriculum reflects the University’s shared vision for a modern Catholic liberal arts education. It takes a student-centered approach that transcends traditional department boundaries and offers undergraduates the flexibility to fulfill requirements in multiple ways over the course of their four years at Notre Dame. Learn more about each of the ways of knowing here.
Notre Dame faculty who are interested in submitting their course for review for the Core Curriculum can learn more about how to do so by reviewing the specific Way of Knowing guidance below.
In addition, these syllabus guidelines apply across all Ways of Knowing:
Syllabus
The submitted syllabus should include the following items:
- Overall Course Description. A paragraph or two describing the course goals, content, and activities.
- Core Learning Goals Statement. A concise statement as to how this course will meet the learning goals for the core curriculum Way(s) of Knowing the course will address and what skills or attributes the students will gain. Why should a student take this course? This statement should also appear on the syllabus that is eventually given to the students.
- Content Description. It should offer as close to a day-to-day schedule as possible including a list of topics and complete citations for readings, etc.
- Assessment. A description of the nature and frequency of assignments
The Notre Dame Core Curriculum
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Six Courses in the General Liberal Arts
- Liberal Arts 1: Quantitative Reasoning
- Liberal Arts 2: Science & Technology
- Liberal Arts 3: Quantitative Reasoning or Science & Technology
- Liberal Arts 4: Art & Literature, or Advanced Language & Culture
- Liberal Arts 5: History or Social Science
- Liberal Arts 6: Integration or Way of Knowing not yet chosen from 4 or 5
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Four Courses Exploring Explicitly Catholic Dimensions of the Liberal Arts
- Theology 1: Foundational
- Theology 2: Developmental
- Philosophy 1: Introductory
- Philosophy 2 or CAD: Philosophy elective or Catholicism and the Disciplines
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Two Courses in Writing
- Writing 1: University Seminar*
- Writing 2: Writing & Rhetoric or Other Writing-Intensive Course
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Moreau First Year Experience
- Moreau: One two-semester course
- A University Seminar course may be double-counted to fulfill both the USEM requirement and one of the other liberal arts requirements.
University Writing Program
Writing and Rhetoric courses introduce students to principles of academic discourse and ethical argumentation.
University Seminar
With a class size of no more than 18 people, University Seminars offer a small, writing-intensive learning environment.
Moreau First-Year Seminar
The Moreau course fosters students' personal development through discussion of meaningful contemporary topics.
Core Curriculum Advising
Notre Dame students have significant flexibility in deciding when and how to satisfy most Core requirements. Only three Core requirements must be completed in the first year: the University Seminar, Writing and Rhetoric, and the Moreau First Year Experience (two semesters). Many Core requirements can be satisfied by courses taken for college or school, major, or minor requirements. For more detailed advising information related to the Core Curriculum, visit the University Advising website.