Core Requirements
No matter what your program of study, as a Faculty of Arts student you will also need to complete the Faculty's 'core requirements'. The core requirements have two main purposes. First, they're intended to encourage students to take a fairly wide range of courses early on in their time at the University. This increases the chances that you will discover the subject areas that really interest you and that would therefore make a good major. Second, they are designed to ensure that all Arts graduates will have had exposure to several broad areas of learning. These are areas of learning that members of the Faculty of Arts have identified as being important for any liberally-educated student.
You can find a formal description of the core requirements in the Undergraduate Calendar.
One thing to keep in mind is that the core requirements CAN overlap with the requirements for your particular program. For example, ANTH 100 (Introduction to Anthropology) can be used to satisfy both a part of the requirements for a BA Major in Anthropology and a part (the so-called 'List B' course) of the core requirements.
If you have any questions about whether a particular course can be used to satisfy one (or more) of the core requirements, you can contact the Arts Student Services Office for assistance.
2021 - 2022
Bachelor of Arts Core Requirements
As part of their degree programs, all students in the Faculty of Arts are required to complete one course from each of the following categories (two courses from the Language category).
Concept: Rationale: Course(s) that Meet the Requirement:
| Academic Integrity | Classes that focus on introducing students to the priniciples of academic integrity and must be completed during the first semester of registration. Subsequent registration will not be permitted until this course is passed. | ARTS 099 |
| Communication & Literacy | Classes that focus on reading critically and writing rhetorically effective prose. | ENGL 100 |
Numerical or Logical Reasoning |
Classes that provide an introduction to the systematic study of reasoning in theory and practice involving either numerical information or good forms of argument. | Any course in MATH, STAT, CS (except CS 100), PHIL 150/352/450/460, ECON 224, SOST 201 |
Media, Art & Performance |
Classes that develop an awareness and appreciation of artisitic scholarship and creation. | Any course in ART, ARTH, CTCH, MAP, FILM, INA, INAH, MU, MUCO, MUEN, MUHI, MUTH, THAC, THEA, or THST |
The Natural Sciences |
Classes that provide an introduction to major ideas being debated in the natural sciences and the process of hypothesis, challenge, and revision by which scientific knowledge is developed. | Any course in ASTR, BIOL, CHEM*, GEOL, or PHYS that has a laboratory component, or GES 121 (*CHEM 100 does not fulfill this requirement) |
Textual Studies |
Classes that teach close reading, analysis, and interpretation of texts. | One of: ENGL 110, RLST 245/248, PHIL 100, or SOST 110 |
Language |
Classes that provide an introduction to the study of the structure and use of a language other than English. |
Two language courses (or one 6-credit hour class) in any language other than English. Both classes must be in the same language. |
Intercultural Difference |
Classes that explore how people from various cultures and/or societies operate, why they live the way they do, how they answer some of the most essential questions of life, and how they represent their identities. | Any course in ANTH or RLST (except RLST 181/184/186/188/284/288), GES 100/120, or INDG 232/234/238/332/432 |
Social and Cultural Heritage |
Classes that explore the past to convey the strong sense of continuity and change in culture and society. | Any course in HIST, CATH 200, CLAS 100, IDS 100, or INDG 208/210/215/216/218/219/221/228/229/230, or INDL 214/242, or any one of INDL 240AA-ZZ |
The Social Sciences |
Classes that teach general concepts and theories concerning humans and their environments, activities, and institutions; view to better understanding and exploring possible solutions to social problems. | Any course in ECON, GES (except GES 100/120/121/309/321/323/325/327/ 329/333/411/421/423/429/431), INDG 236, 258, 305, 358, IS, JS, LING 270, PSCI, PSYC, SOC, SOST, or WGST |
Indigenous Knowledge |
Classes that develop familiarity with North American aboriginal cultures and societies. | Any course in INCA, INDG (except INDG 208/210/215/216/218/219/221/228/229/230/ 232/234/236/238/258/305/332/358/432), INHS, ENGL 214/310-AA-ZZ, GES 344, JS 350/351, KIN 105, LING 230, PSCI 338, SOC 214 |