Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 
    
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2024-2025 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog

Core Curriculum Requirements

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Bridgewater State University’s Core Curriculum was developed to serve as the educational foundation that all Bridgewater State University students will build on to complete their program of study. The Core Curriculum features a skills-centered, outcomes-based distribution model of general education that allows students a wide choice of courses and the flexibility to integrate the requirements of their major with the broader, liberal education that is required of responsible citizens of the 21st century. Students who complete the BSU Core Curriculum will learn a significant body of factual knowledge as well as understand the intellectual foundations, conceptual frameworks, and methodologies of the major academic disciplines.

The BSU Core Curriculum is composed of four main areas:

Skill Requirements: All students are required to demonstrate proficiency in the skill areas of writing, logical reasoning, mathematical reasoning, and spoken communication.

Core Distribution Requirements: All students will learn about the arts, humanities, the natural and social and behavioral sciences, global culture, multiculturalism, application of quantitative skills and the U.S. and Massachusetts Constitutions.

Seminars: The First and Second Year Seminars are key features of the BSU Core Curriculum. These topic courses will allow students to explore an area of interest in a small, discussion oriented course. The First Year Seminar is a writing intensive course designed to engage the student in university-level learning. The Second Year Seminar is either speaking or writing intensive and will engage students in the connections between classroom learning and the world. Second Year Seminars may be used for the major or minor, if specifically permitted by the major or minor.

Requirements in the major: To connect the core curriculum with each major, students will complete one writing designated course in their major and will be able to demonstrate information literacy and technology proficiency in their major.

Core Skills Requirements:

Writing Skills (CWR1, CWR2)

This requirement must be completed in the first year.

Foundations of Logical Reasoning (CLOR):

This requirement must be completed in the first year.

Select one course:

Foundations of Mathematical Reasoning (CMAR):

This requirement must be completed before the end of the second year.

Select one course:

Spoken Communication (CSPK)

This requirement must be completed before the end of the second year.

Select one course:

Seminars:

Each seminar may also fulfill a Core Distribution Requirement and an Additional Distribution Requirement.

XXXX 199 First Year Seminar (CFYS)
XXXX 298 Second Year Seminar (Speaking Intensive) (CSYS)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101 and XXXX 199 First Year Seminar (CFYS) and a speaking intensive skills requirement (CSPK)
or
XXXX 299 Second Year Seminar (Writing Intensive) (CSYS)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 and XXXX 199 First Year Seminar (CFYS)

NOTE: XXXX 299 Second Year Seminar (Writing Intensive) (CSYS) CAN NOT count toward the upper-level Writing Designated in the Major (CWRM) requirement.

Bridgewater State University considers any student with fewer than 24 credit hours to be a 1st year student and any student with 24-53 earned credit hours to be a 2nd year student.

NOTE(S):

  • Only certain BSU courses have been approved for use in the Core Curriculum. This site provides a complete list of approved courses and the most up-to-date information regarding the Core Curriculum.
  • Returning students who completed all of the GER’s (the general education requirements in place prior to fall 2006) before leaving BSU, should contact the Office of the Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at 508-531-1218.
  • Students who transfer more than 23 credits to BSU will have the CFYS (First Year Seminar) waived. Students who transfer more than 53 credits will have the CSYS (Second Year Seminar) waived. However, transfer students will still need to fulfill the Writing Intensive and Speaking Intensive requirements.
  • Appeals for substitutions of transfer courses of the Foundations of Mathematical Reasoning and the Natural Sciences requirements should be directed to the Dean of Science and Mathematics (508-531-2418). All other substitutions should be directed to the Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences (508-531-1218).
  • First Year Seminars may not count toward the major or minor. Second Year Seminars may be used for the major or minor, if specifically permitted by the major or minor.
  • Students may take only one First Year Seminar (XXXX 199) and one Second Year Seminar (XXXX 298 or XXXX 299).

Writing and Speaking Intensive Requirements:

These requirements may be completed at any time.

Speaking Intensive (CSPI)*:

Select one course from below:

Writing Intensive (CWRT):

Select two courses from below:

XXXX 199 First Year Seminars and writing intensive XXXX 299 Second Year Seminars may also be used.
NOTE: Writing Intensive (CWRT) courses, XXXX 199 First Year Seminars and writing intensive XXXX 299 Second Year Seminars, DO NOT count toward the upper-level Writing Designated in the Major (CWRM) requirement. CWRM is an additional requirement. CWRM courses may not be used to fulfill the CWRT requirement.

Writing Designated in the Major (CWRM):

Select one course for each major as described in the major(s) requirements listed in the Academic Programs  section of this catalog.

Core Distribution Requirements

These requirements may be completed at any time.

These courses will not satisfy the Core Skills Requirements. A course may be applied to a Core Distribution Requirement and one or more of the Additional Distribution Requirements. All requirements must be met.

Fine and Performing Arts (CFPA):

Select two courses from below:

Humanities (CHUM):

Select three courses from below:

Natural Sciences (CNSL; CNSN):

Select two courses from below (one must be a laboratory science):

Laboratory Sciences (CNSL):

Non-Laboratory Sciences (CNSN):

Social and Behavioral Sciences (CSOC):

Select two courses from below:

Additional Distribution Requirements

These requirements may be completed at any time.

Core Skills courses may not satisfy these requirements. Courses listed in Core Distribution Requirement areas may also be listed here.
 

Global Culture (CGCL):

Select two courses from below:

Multiculturalism (CMCL):

Select one course from below:

Application of Quantitative Reasoning Skills (CQUR):

Select one course from below, or a second Mathematical Reasoning course may be taken (CMAR):

United States and Massachusetts Constitutions (CUSC):

Select one course from below:

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