General Education at Roosevelt University seeks to develop in our students the knowledge, skill, perspective, and will to forge connections, solve problems, and enact positive change. All undergraduate students must complete Roosevelt CORE requirements, including the University Writing Requirement and General Education Mathematics Requirements.

The Roosevelt CORE: Connection. Opportunity. Responsibility. Experience.

The Roosevelt CORE is a set of required classes and experiences for all undergraduate students entering fall 2018 or later.  All undergraduate degree programs require a series of general education courses, specific courses or subject areas taken outside the major. The Roosevelt CORE requirements include general education requirements outside the major, as well as some courses in the major, as designated by each degree program. 

Together, the CORE requirements help students develop the Five CORE Competencies:

(1) Civic and Social Engagement
Civic and Social Engagement begins with knowledge of social justice issues and extends to participation in civic life at and beyond the university. It involves a range of intellectual skills including ethical reasoning, cultural awareness, and environmental literacy. It is enriched by knowledge of diverse communities and fosters the advancement of social justice. Students will

• gain knowledge of diverse places and cultures
• explore how relations among people, communities, and the physical environment connect to matters of social justice
• reflect on the complex relationship between one’s personal values and the promotion of social justice in different contexts
• demonstrate a balanced commitment to individual and civic responsibility

(2) Inquiry, Analysis, and Decision-Making
In the process of Inquiry, Analysis, and Decision-Making, students formulate questions, conduct research, perform analysis, and make decisions based on their findings. This approach to problem-solving commits students and instructors alike to a high standard of evidence-based reasoning and to seeking out, evaluating, and synthesizing multiple perspectives on complex issues. Students will

• craft and pursue compelling research questions
• find and evaluate qualitative and quantitative information in a variety of media
• demonstrate a commitment to evidence-based reasoning

(3) Literacy and Communication
Literacy and Communication refers to writing, reading, speaking, presenting, and listening, skills that are critical to professional success, personal fulfillment and citizenship in the 21st century. Students will

• critically engage with cultural and creative expressions
• analyze data and communicate trends, results, and conclusions
• summarize, analyze, and synthesize texts, including print, digital, visual and non-verbal communications
• communicate clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences
• command conventions of written and spoken language in diverse situations

(4) Personal and Social Awareness
Personal and Social Awareness is the capacity for critical self-awareness, interpersonal understanding, and lifelong learning. It is achieved through self-reflection, including reflection on one’s own thinking and learning (metacognition), and through self-awareness, including awareness of one’s own position in social, local, cultural, and political contexts. Students will

• describe and analyze the origins of their beliefs
• articulate and assess their processes of learning
• recognize and reflect upon their social and cultural positions in relation to others

(5) Integrated Learning
Integrated Learning enables students to transfer knowledge across contexts and disciplines and to make connections between their courses and the world, preparing students to develop intellectual flexibility, adapt to change, and creatively solve problems. Students will

• explain how different disciplines solve problems
• apply their learning across academic contexts
• extend their knowledge and skills into the world outside the classroom