Core curriculum classes must meet standards approved by Core Curriculum Oversight Committee for each of the core curriculum subject areas.
The standards for each subject area are provided below as guidance to faculty and staff. The CCOC uses these standards to evaluate courses for admission into the core curriculum. Faculty wishing to propose a new core course, or classification of an existing course as a core course, need to refer to the detailed workflows to determine the path in their college to getting approval. Core courses are submitted for review by the CCOC through the Course Inventory Management System.
General Guidelines for Courses Requesting Core Designation(s)
Teaching Credentials
All instructors serving as instructor of record for core courses must satisfy the UA policy for Teaching Credentials for Instructor of Record.
Foundational Core Courses
Courses receiving foundational core designations must be 100- or 200-level courses. They must be broad courses that are open to students from all majors. Departments must ensure that core designated courses remain consistent with the approved core designation(s).
To ensure this, all instructors must be provided with the requirements for the appropriate core designation(s) and a copy of the syllabus that was used for approving or renewing the core designation(s). Courses may only receive ONE Foundational Core designation.
Upper-Level Courses
Courses receiving upper-level core designations are ordinarily 300- or 400-level courses. These courses usually cover specialized topics and are often restricted to students in a particular major.
Departments must ensure that core designated courses remain consistent with the approved core designation(s). To ensure this, all instructors must be provided with the requirements for the appropriate core designation(s) and a copy of the syllabus that was used for approving or renewing the core designation(s).
CORE DESIGNATION STANDARDS
Natural Science or Mathematical Sciences Designations
The general education core curriculum requires eight (8) credit hours of courses with an N designation, which must include at least two (2) credit hours of laboratory experience. Study in the natural sciences emphasizes the scientific method and applies quantitative or inductive reasoning. Disciplines in the natural sciences include, but are not limited to, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and physics. Interdisciplinary courses involving the natural sciences are eligible for the N designation.
Note: For AGSC approval, courses must comply with these requirements. Please consult the AGSC site for specifics.
1. The course must present the basic processes of inquiry and analysis in the discipline.
2. The course must provide a broad, integrative introduction to major concepts, principles, and methods within one or more scientific disciplines, rather than focusing narrowly on a specialized subfield or technical application. Interdisciplinary courses are appropriate when they meaningfully integrate perspectives, methods, or content from multiple scientific disciplines..
3. The course must emphasize the development of problem-solving and critical thinking skills by requiring students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate knowledge in solving problems
4. The course must include weekly laboratory or field experiences[1]. These experiences must be equivalent to one credit hour as defined by the UA credit hour definition.
5. Laboratories or field experiences must be primarily “hands-on” experiences that emphasize student participation, application of the scientific method, and analysis of data. These experiences must not consist primarily of watching demonstrations.
Mathematical sciences include courses in mathematics, statistics, or courses combining elements of both fields. Students must take one course (3–4 credit hours) carrying a MA designation. MA-designated courses must be 100- or 200-level courses. The primary content of MA-designated courses must be mathematical and/or statistical in nature.
As it is a general education course, a Mathematical Science course should address the material as a subject worth learning on its own, with its own perspective and approaches. It should not present the mathematical sciences solely as instruments for use in other disciplines. While applications may play a significant role in Mathematical Sciences courses, these courses should not present the value of the mathematical sciences as being solely derived from their supporting role in other disciplines. If they do include applications, these courses should draw their examples from as many distinct disciplines as possible to present the unifying nature of the mathematical sciences – one of their key intellectual contributions.
Mathematical sciences courses ought to be conceptually rich and include discussions of why the material has developed in the way that it has, at least at a conceptual level, and what assumptions and limitations exist for using the material. In addition, Courses applying under the statistics option should focus on statistical thinking and literacy, with an eye toward students being better able to understand and analyze the use of statistics in their lives, careers, and society.
MA-designated courses must have as a prerequisite high school mathematics through algebra that includes linear and exponential functions, or the equivalent. MA-designated courses must not require a MA core-designated course (e.g., MATH 110 or higher) as a prerequisite or corequisite without an option for initial placement.
Courses focusing on mathematics must be problem-solving courses at the level of Finite Mathematics (MATH 110) or higher.
1. These courses require students to demonstrate an understanding of basic mathematical topics (e.g., linear, quadratic, exponential, and logarithmic functions or sets and probability) and their various representations (e.g., algebraic, graphical, tabular).
2. The course must emphasize mathematical abstraction as a means to unify and understand patterns of reasoning that occur in different contexts
3. The course must require students to use symbolic reasoning as a tool to decontextualize problems, solve them, and then re-interpret the results in the original context and to use symbolic reasoning to justify the correctness of those solutions to themselves and others.
Courses focusing on statistics must be problem solving courses and must not require a MA core-designated course (e.g., MATH 110 or higher) as a prerequisite or corequisite without an option for initial placement.
1. These courses must require students to practice the collection, presentation, analysis and interpretation of data. “Practice” is understood to mean including activities that involve these processes. This, of course, has to be an introduction, but statistically literate people should at least understand that such difficulties exist. While the actual collection of data may not be possible for each course, the focus here should be on what is necessary for the systematic collection of data as an approach to answering questions.
2. Students in the course must learn standard techniques, tests, and tools of statistical observation and inference; understand theoretical foundations for applications; and bring a critical eye to the reception of statistical information based on an understanding of the impact of the design of observations, surveys, and experiments on the interpretation of the resulting data.
Standard statistical techniques include identifying appropriate graphs and summary statistics for variables and relationships between variables, and correctly interpreting information from graphs and summary statistics. This must include at least basic single-variable data exploration (measures of central tendency, mean, median, skewness, measures of variability, interquartile range, variance, standard deviation, etc.) and their various representations (e.g., histograms, tabular and other forms of exploratory data analysis), and the purpose of calculating these quantities to compare different models. It should also include exploration of the relationships between random quantities, such as plotting bivariate data, drawing time series, and modeling using simple linear regression.
The course should introduce, and ask students to think about:
a. The ideas behind abstract modeling of random quantities.
b. The effect of data collection on the conclusions that can be drawn from the data – in particular, the importance of randomization in statistical inference, and the differences between random sampling and random assignment.
c. That statistical inference requires generalization from a sample to a population
d. The differences between causation and correlation
e. The limitations of these techniques, such as the presence of confounding factors, the importance of replication, and the ways in which these analyses can go astray.
3. Students in these courses must use technological tools to explore statistical concepts and analyze data.
This is to replace hand computation and to allow students to work with more realistic data sets, that are often too large to admit hand computation (such data sets are now readily available). They should be asked to create simple visualizations, produce summary statistics, and carry out the computational aspects of statistical analysis. Such systems should also be used to illustrate and explain the conceptual ideas while allowing students to explore these ideas on their own.
Humanities, Literature, Fine Arts or World Languages Designations
Courses being considered for the Humanities (HU) designation must address students’ ability to consider questions of human values, ethics, and/or aesthetics in order to form a fundamental understanding of human society and culture. In addition to literature, disciplines in the humanities include, but are not limited to philosophy, religious studies, speech, world languages (200-level), art, music, theatre, and dance.
1. The course addresses questions of values, ethics and/or aesthetics in humanistic fields of learning.
2. The course emphasizes cultural value and appreciation of the humanities, rather than performance.
Courses being considered for the Literature (L) designation must present major intellectual and aesthetic ideas, develop close reading skills, and include substantial in-class/out-of-class writing.
Note: For AGSC approval, courses must be at the 200-level. Please consult the AGSC site for specifics.
1. The course presents major intellectual and aesthetic ideas to establish an analytical perspective on the subject matter as well as an appreciation of the literature to include key literary elements.
2. The course develops a learned understanding of literary studies to include critical thinking skills with historical and/or cultural content
3. The course includes substantial writing (i.e. a significant determinant of the final grade) that encourages the development of critical thinking skills requiring students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate knowledge of literature through thesis development with textual support.
4. The course must be at the 200 level with written composition requirements as prerequisites.
5. The course must cover multiple authors, multiple genres, and multiple historical/literary periods
6. To qualify for the Literature (L) designation, literary texts must be the primary object of study, not illustrative examples within broader cultural, philosophical, or historical inquiry.
Courses being considered for the Fine Arts (FA) designation must emphasize appreciation of artistic expression rather than performance or creative endeavor in order to form an educated perspective.
1. The course develops a broad learned understanding of artistic expression and creative processes through aesthetics to include critical thinking skills with historical and/or cultural content.
2. The course emphasizes aesthetic value of fine arts, rather than performance.
Courses being considered for the World Language (FL) designation must emphasize communication skills and knowledge of the culture where the specific language is spoken.
- Courses at the introductory or 100-level must emphasize basic communication skills and knowledge of the culture where the specific language is spoken.
- Courses at the intermediate or 200-level must emphasize review and further development of communication skills, and include readings of literary, cultural, and/or historical texts in the language.
Note: for AGSC approval, courses must be at the 100- or 200-level. Please consult the AGSC site for specifics.
Courses approved for core designations shall present the most extensive overview of their Social and Behavioral Science (SB) or History (HI) subjects available to students at The University of Alabama. Courses that earn SB or HI designation must not be solely focused on discipline-specific methodology or demand student work that is wholly measured by application of those methods. Rather, the course content and student workload must make substantive use of comparative perspectives and/or general historical or social science critical assessments that may be supported by broad methodological applications. Social and behavioral sciences disciplines include, but are not limited to anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, and sociology.
SB and HI courses may be taught in divisions outside of those departments with which they are traditionally associated; however, proposals of this sort must demonstrate that the methods, goals, and perspectives of the course match the traditions of those disciplines and that the faculty designated to teach the course have appropriate credentials. The CCOC may require additional clarification from departments regarding documentary support demonstrating consistent and enduring oversight of this requirement.
Courses designated as Social and Behavioral Sciences (SB) at The University of Alabama are rooted in a broad, interdisciplinary philosophy that emphasizes the rigorous study of human behavior, institutions, and societal processes. These courses are intentionally accessible to students across all majors and are designed to provide the most comprehensive and wide-ranging exploration of their subject matter. Rather than focusing on methodological training or professional skill development, SB courses promote critical thinking by engaging students in the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of knowledge related to social, cultural, economic, and political development. They emphasize essential processes of inquiry and analysis grounded in the social sciences and examine significant institutions or social processes that shape human experience across time and place. Whether focusing on a global phenomenon or a specific geographic unit, SB courses maintain a commitment to comparative perspectives and theoretical frameworks that connect local or national developments to broader social contexts.
Social science is a broad field that studies human society and social relationships. It encompasses various disciplines, each focusing on different aspects of society. Social science helps us understand how societies operate, how people interact within them, and how various factors influence human behavior and societal changes. Behavioral science explores individual and group behaviors and the underlying mechanisms driving those behaviors.
Social and behavioral sciences encompass a wide range of fields and perspectives. SB courses may be taught in divisions outside of those departments with which they are traditionally associated; however, proposals for SB designated courses must demonstrate that the methods, goals, and perspectives of the course align with the description of social science provided above. Additionally, faculty designated to teach the course must possess the appropriate credentials and expertise to ensure the course meets the standards of the social and behavioral sciences discipline.
To support the integrity and clarity of the SB designation process, all submissions must include a paragraph explaining how the course content and learning outcomes meet the expectations of the SB core designation. This justification should provide a concise overview of the course’s content and organization, as well as articulate how the course meets the goals of fostering critical inquiry into human behavior and societal processes.
Additional criteria for the SB designation follow.
1. The course presents essential processes of inquiry and analysis via study of human behavior, and/or social, cultural, economic, and political development.
2. The course encourages the development of critical thinking skills and requires students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate knowledge.
3. The course focuses primarily on major social structures, institutions, or processes relevant across societies.
4. The course does not focus on any particular country, region or state unless:
a. the geographical unit’s history, geography, social structure, etc., is considered within the context of more general social processes, structure and behavior; or
b. explicit and substantial use of general social science principles and theories is made in considering the geographical unit; or
c. the unit is examined in comparative perspectives; or
d. trends, structures and processes within the unit have significantly affected civilization(s).
Note, a course cannot be approved for both SB and HI designations.
The History (HI) designation at The University of Alabama reflects a commitment to providing students—regardless of major—with broad access to historically grounded perspectives that shape human understanding. Rooted in the liberal arts tradition, HI-designated courses prioritize content over professional or methodological training, offering the most comprehensive exploration of a historical subject available in the curriculum. These courses emphasize the development of critical inquiry by guiding students through major time periods or established historical themes that illustrate the evolution of civilizations. Through analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of historically significant knowledge, HI courses encourage students to think critically.
The study of history involves examining past events, societies, and cultures. Courses seeking a HI designation should demonstrate that their methods, goals, and perspectives align with the traditions of historical inquiry. These courses may be taught in divisions outside of traditional history departments; however, faculty designated to teach the course must possess the appropriate credentials and expertise to ensure the course meet accreditation standards.
To support the integrity and clarity of the HI designation process, all submissions must include a paragraph explaining how the course content and learning outcomes meet the expectations of the HI core designation. This justification should provide a concise overview of the course’s content and organization, as well as articulate how the course meets the goals of fostering historically grounded perspectives and engagement with the past.
Additional criteria for the HI designation follow.
1. This course presents the most extensive overview of the major course content available to students at The University of Alabama. No course shall carry the HI designation if its content is available in another course with greater breadth.
2. The course explores historical development over major time periods and/or broadly surveys delineated and established lines of inquiry that suggest or inform the characteristics of a civilization.
3. Designated courses must present the essential characteristics and basic processes of critical inquiry and synthetic analysis that define the discipline.
4. The course encourages the development of critical thinking skills and requires students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate historically significant knowledge
First-Year Writing (FYC) Designations
First-Year Writing (FYC) courses to satisfy the Freshman Composition designation must be courses that emphasize diverse rhetorical strategies and metacognition at the 100 level.
1. Class sizes should be small enough to allow the instructor to provide regular constructive feedback to students on their writing. Class sizes for FC courses will be determined by the Director of First-Year Writing in consultation with the chair of the Department of English and the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.
2. All classes will emphasize the development of diverse rhetorical strategies–writing in different ways for different audiences for different purposes.
3. All classes will emphasize critical thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, interpretation and evaluation.
4. All classes will emphasize writing as a recursive process. Students will compose multiple drafts for each assignment and will have multiple and timely opportunities for timely peer and instructor feedback.
5. All classes will emphasize sentence-level conventions (grammar, punctuation, usage, citation) appropriate to the genre/assignment.
6. All classes will emphasize metacognition, or students’ ability to reflect on their thinking.
7. Must include a minimum of four (4) extended compositions or equivalent assignments
8. The minimum number of assignments and their wordcount will be determined by the Director of First-Year Writing in consultation with the chair of the Department of English
Courses being considered for the W designation must be 300-, 400-, or 500- level courses that build on student competency in academic writing and oral communication skills, with the aim to extend those skills, as appropriate, through the student’s major discipline of study.
1. Multiple sections of the course taught by various instructors will include a description of the kind and amount of writing and/or oral communication that is both specific and consistent.
2. To allow instructors to provide substantial and regular feedback and guidance to students, particularly those who need more scaffolding, programs must limit the capacity of W courses to 35 students. For courses where this capacity is not practical, departments must demonstrate how substantial and regular feedback on writing will be provided to students given the larger class size. Departments will be asked by the co-chairs to provide specific plans for writing feedback to include who will be responding to writing and in what ways (individual meetings, rubrics, editing). The class will not be sent to the subcommittee co-chair until this email has been sent and effectively answered. Once the co-chair has been provided with satisfactory evidence that writing will be reviewed effectively, the class will move forward with the review process.
3. The course syllabus will indicate that written assignments require coherent, logical, and carefully edited prose. These assignments must require students to demonstrate higher-level critical thinking skills, such as analysis and synthesis.
4. Writing proficiency must be at least 50% of the final course grade. This grade distribution may not be appropriate for all disciplines. In cases where the 50% minimum is not appropriate, the department must explain how developing writing proficiency in the discipline is a significant component of the course.
5. The course syllabus will state that rubrics or other forms of grading criteria will be available for each assignment.
6. At least one major writing assignment will be due and returned to the students with feedback prior to mid-term..
BEST PRACTICES FOR WRITING INTENSIVE COURSES
• Although three hours of writing (W) are required in the core, programs may require up to six hours of W courses. The decision to require three or six hours of (W) will be determined by the college or program of study. For those that determine three hours is adequate, an additional three hours of oral presentations/visual understanding is recommended, preferably in the major/discipline. In such cases, colleges can convert an existing course rather than add a new course. Consultants from the CCOC Writing Subcommittee will be available to help identify a potential W course.
• The instructor should be willing and able to teach writing and, if appropriate, oral communication skills to support students in meeting the W requirements for the course.
• Beyond the percentage of grade devoted to writing assignments, the importance of writing in W courses can be supported by the number and length of writing assignments students are required to complete. Requiring completion of written assignments totaling 6,500 words over the course of the semester is suggested. Note that writing assignments can range from drafts or short responses to lengthier research papers.
• Faculty and students will regularly explore, discuss, and critique the various evolving and unpredictable capabilities of technology and its ethical and appropriate use in communication. Students will be taught to incorporate content and analysis derived from source material, or with the aid of technological resources (including AI-generated content), in a way that demonstrates information literacy and ethical citation practices.
• Some revision or sequencing of written assignments, and/or incorporation of lower stakes written assignments, is recommended, so that students can experiment, make mistakes, and improve through practice.
• Dedicated class time will be available, when appropriate, for library instruction each semester. Alternatively, videos will be made available by the University Libraries. Collaboration with library faculty is encouraged for addressing information literacy.
• W faculty will be encouraged to partner with the University Writing Center, when appropriate, to ensure that students are supported in their writing needs throughout the semester. Making use of this resource may allow more students to achieve the learning objectives of the W courses and improve their writing skills with additional feedback.
U.S. and/or Global Citizenship Designation
Courses being considered for the U.S. and/or global citizenship (USGC) designation include 300-, 400-, 500-level courses of any subject. USGC courses must expose students to cultural and societal issues and perspectives in order to lay the foundation for responsible participation in a diverse society by preparing students to make informed decisions in the complex cultural contexts of the U.S. and/or global communities. The student learning outcomes (SLOs) must show how students will apply their understanding of USGC concepts to the course’s field of study. USGC courses must engage students through active learning (e.g., guided discussions and debates, exercises in which students must analyze datasets and demonstrate critical thinking about cultural and societal issues, student presentations and creative products, service-learning projects and/or simulations). While course topics may include history and historical context, they must also include the practice of USGC in today’s world, particularly as it relates to students’ futures. USGC courses may be disciplinary or interdisciplinary.
A USGC course places citizenship—not just content—at the center of its purpose.
Citizenship is understood as informed, responsible participation in U.S. and/or Global communities.
USGC courses must include each of the competencies listed below:
- Critical Civic & Global Analysis: Students should be able to analyze social, political, and/or ethical issues at the local, national, and/or global level.
- Perspective-Taking & Comprehensive Interpretation: Students should be able to engage with multiple perspectives on a local, national, and/or global level.
- Citizenship-Related Reasoning & Action: Students should be able to apply reasoned arguments to civic issues and articulate or critically reflect on responsible courses of action.
- Demonstration of Citizenship Learning: Students should be able to produce clear and assessable work that demonstrates their understanding of local, national, and/or global citizenship concepts
- Connect Learning to Civic & Professional Life: Students should be able to demonstrate how the content informs their future roles as professionals, citizens, and community members in an interconnected world
Citizenship is the organizing framework.
Citizenship is not merely a topic, theme, or case study.
- Multiple sections of the course, taught by various instructors, must ensure consistency in course topics across sections and instructors.
- Courses must be limited to 35 students to allow instructors to provide substantial feedback and guidance to students and encourage active student engagement. If this capacity limit is not practical, departments must demonstrate how students will engage in interactive learning activities given the larger class size.
- Catalog-level outcomes must reflect listed USGC competencies. Catalog-level USGC SLOs should include (a) understanding of USGC competencies within the course context, (b) student development of USGC competencies, (c) and application and/or evaluation of responsible participation in the complex cultural contexts of U.S. and/or global communities. SLOs (and student assessments) must reflect higher-level critical thinking skills.
- Proficiency in USGC must comprise at least 50% of the final course grade. In cases where the 50% minimum is not appropriate, the department must explain how proficiency in USGC content is a significant component of the course. At least one major USGC-related assignment will be due and returned to the students with feedback prior to mid-term. The syllabus must state that rubrics and/or grading criteria will be provided to students for the USGC-related assignments.
BEST PRACTICES FOR U.S. and/or GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP COURSES
- The instructor should be willing and able to teach about global cultural and societal awareness as needed to assist students in meeting the USGC requirements of the course.
- The course should include at least two individual exercises relating to US and/or global citizenship.
Experiential Learning Designation (EXP) Designations
Across universities in the United States, the term “Experiential Learning” (EL) is used to denote a wide variety of curricular systems. At The University of Alabama, course-based EL will be attributed based upon those courses meeting the required EXP components, and General Education graduation credit will be earned by students for EXP-designated courses from any college or school on campus
The necessary components are based upon Kolb’s Theory of Experiential Learning, common to EL programming across the globe and are listed below:
- concrete experience
- observation-based reflection
- abstract conceptualization
- active, hands-on or applied experimentation
through engagement in at least one of the following focus areas:
- community engagement and leadership
- cultural immersion
- research and creative activity
- work-based learning
Social & Behavioral Sciences or History Designations