Core and Distribution Requirements For Baccalaureate Degrees (Traditional Undergraduate Programs)

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Core Requirements

The core curriculum is based on the faculty’s belief that a liberal arts education should be broad and inclusive, introducing students to ideas and values of continuing concern and providing them with historical and spiritual perspectives on the complex problems of our society. The core curriculum is also designed to provide Covenant students with common learning experiences, to emphasize the God-ordained unity of knowledge, to provide a global rather than a provincial emphasis in learning, to focus students’ attention not only on the past and the present but also on the future, and to develop students’ capacities to learn not only through ratiocination but experientially. Crucial to the success of the core curriculum is the pervasiveness of a biblical perspective in every course.

All students who are candidates for a baccalaureate degree are required to take courses or demonstrate competency in each area of the core curriculum. Exceptions to these requirements are listed in the sections of the catalog describing particular majors. Normally, one semester of the two course sequence of Christian Doctrine I, II and Cultural Heritage of the West I, II are required to be completed at Covenant. If a core requirement is fulfilled by demonstrating proficiency, no credit hours are awarded. These hours will be replaced with elective hours applied toward the minimum of 126 hours needed to graduate. Some programs will require more than 126 hours.

All students who are candidates for a baccalaureate degree are required to complete an Intercultural Experience. All Intercultural Experiences must be pre-approved by a faculty member of the Intercultural Competencies Committee.

One component of this broad liberal arts core curriculum is the skill of public speaking. Beginning in Fall 2006, most departments will offer a ‘Speech Intensive’ or “S” course that will satisfy this component. Many departments have designated their Senior Integration Paper (SIP) course as the “S” course, which means this will come at the end of a student’s studies at Covenant. Some departments have not designated an “S” course and students pursuing those majors will be required to complete ENG 252 Speech . Below is a summary definition of what qualifies a course as an “S” course.

“S” course definition: A course in which students are required to make a prepared and organized oral presentation (minimum 12 minutes) to a class of peers and faculty. Instruction about form, content, and assessment will precede the oral presentation, and rubric-based evaluation of content, form, and delivery will follow it. In addition to whole-class instruction, there will be some level of mentoring interaction between professors and individual students.

With each list of major requirements, majors have designated the “S” course for the major or listed separately an alternate course which will satisfy this component. If the student completed the major’s “S” course prior to Fall 2006, it will not satisfy the “S” requirement, and the student will need to complete ENG 252 Speech to satisfy this requirement. However, if the student takes that major’s “S” course in a future term, the student will not be required to take ENG 252 Speech .

Another core component is writing skills that are grounded in our “W” courses, also taught within our majors as defined below.

“W” course definition: A course in which the conventions of formal writing in the discipline are taught, including adherence to a style manual or other disciplinary parameters. A major writing assignment will incorporate pre-writing instruction about form, content, and assessment, and subsequent rubric-based assessment will address both content and form. In addition to whole-class instruction, there will be some level of mentoring interaction between professors and individual students. The SIP may not count as a “W” course.

Distribution Requirements

Distribution requirements allow a student to select courses of interest to gain exposure to a variety of disciplines contributing to the broad liberal arts content, rather than an in-depth focused studies within one area within a discipline. Below are the four distribution requirements with the courses that can satisfy these components. A distribution course code (i.e. FAR, HUM, LAB, SSC) also appears with the course description.

Fine Arts (FAR) Distribution Courses

Explore varied elements of human artistic inquiry and/or expression. Students who successfully complete this requirement will have demonstrated the ability to:

* Engage various elements of human creative process as found in the visual, musical or theatrical arts.

* Appreciate the products of human creativity in the visual, musical or theatrical arts.

* Think biblically about the process and products of human creativity in the visual, musical or theatrical arts.

Fine Arts Distribution Requirement Approved Courses:

ART 100 Introduction to Art 3 hour(s).
ART 105 Introduction to Visual Culture 3 hour(s).
ART 110 Drawing Principles 3 hour(s).
ART 270 Introduction to Art History 3 hour(s).
ENG 266 Reading Film 3 hour(s).
MUS 161 Introduction to Musical Structure 3 hour(s).
MUS 171 Introduction to Musical Style 3 hour(s).
MUS 245 Introduction to Musical Theatre 3 hour(s).
MUS 370 American Music: The Cultural Tapestry 3 hour(s).
THT 202 Introduction to Theatre 3 hour(s).
THT 235 Acting I 4 hour(s).
THT 250 Theatre History I: Ancient Theatre through the Eighteenth Century 3 hour(s).
THT 251 Theatre History II: Eighteenth Century to Twenty-first Century 3 hour(s).

Humanities (HUM) Distribution Courses

Explore varied elements of human culture, thought, and/or literary expression. Students who successfully complete this requirement will have demonstrated the ability to:

* Engage various elements of human thought, literary expression and cultural development.

* Recognize the interplay between human thought, literary expression and cultural development.

* Think biblically about the process and products of human thought, literary expression and cultural development.

Humanities Distribution Requirement Approved Courses:

ARA 201 Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic I 3 hour(s). **
ARA 202 Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic II 3 hour(s). **
BIB 302 History & Expansion of Christianity I 3 hour(s).
BIB 303 History & Expansion of Christianity II 3 hour(s).
ENG 201 Introduction to Literary Studies 3 hour(s).
ENG 203 American Literature: Beginnings to 1865 3 hour(s).
ENG 204 American Literature: 1865 to 1965 3 hour(s).
ENG 210 Classical Literature 3 hour(s).
ENG 211 European Literature in English Translation 3 hour(s).
ENG 240 The Inklings 3 hour(s).
ENG 275 Twentieth-Century African-American Literature 3 hour(s).
ENG 276 Literature Across Cultures 3 hour(s).
FRE 201 Intermediate French I 3 hour(s). **
FRE 202 Intermediate French II 3 hour(s). **
GER 201 Intermediate German I 3 hour(s). **
GER 202 Intermediate German II 3 hour(s). **
HIS 111 History of the United States I 3 hour(s).
HIS 112 History of the United States II 3 hour(s).
HIS 213 The Formation of Europe to 1550 3 hour(s).
HIS 214 Age of Europe 1550-1871 3 hour(s).
HIS 225 Excavating Gotham: Public History In New York City 3 hour(s).
HIS 241 American Religious History 3 hour(s).
HIS 250 The New South 3 hour(s).
HIS 351 History and Culture of African Americans to 1865 3 hour(s).
HIS 352 History and Culture of African Americans since 1865 3 hour(s).
ISL 220 Introduction to Islam 3 hour(s).
LIN 100 Studies in Language 3 hour(s).
PHI 101 Introduction to Philosophy 3 hour(s).
PHI 102 Introduction to Logic/Critical Thinking 3 hour(s).
PHI 130 Contemporary Moral Issues 3 hour(s).
SPA 201 Intermediate Spanish I 3 hour(s). **
SPA 202 Intermediate Spanish II 3 hour(s). **

Natural Science Lab (LAB) Distribution Courses

Explore elements of scientific investigation and content, including hands-on laboratory experiences, in one or more of the natural sciences. Students who successfully complete this requirement will have demonstrated the ability to:

* Engage various elements of scientific exploration in physical or biological sciences.

* Appreciate the products of scientific study in physical or biological sciences.

* Think biblically about the process and products of scientific endeavor in physical or biological sciences.

Natural Science Lab Distribution Requirement Approved Courses:

CHE 103 Introductory Chemistry I 4 hour(s).
NSC 105 Physical Science 4 hour(s).
NSC 106 Issues in Contemporary Biology 4 hour(s).
NSC 107 Concepts in Human Heredity 4 hour(s).
NSC 108 Concepts of Geology 4 hour(s).
NSC 110 Concepts of Physical Geography 4 hour(s).
NSC 112 Astronomy 4 hour(s).
NSC 115 Science in Perspective 4 hour(s).
PHY 231 General Physics for Scientists and Engineers I 4 hour(s).

Social Science (SSC) Distribution Courses

Explore human behavior at the individual, group, and structural levels, as well as the interplay of these factors. Courses will make use of social and/or behavioral science methods, both quantitative and qualitative. Students who successfully complete this requirement will have demonstrated the ability to:

* Engage various elements of the exploration of human social interactions, institutions and behaviors.

* Appreciate the products of the study of human social interactions, institutions and behaviors.

* Think biblically about the process and products of the study of human social interactions, institutions and behaviors.

Social Science Distribution Requirement Approved Courses:

COS 117 Technology, Faith, and Society 3 hour(s).
ECO 202 Principles of Microeconomics 4 hour(s).
FIN 210 Personal Finance 3 hour(s).
HIS 218 Studies in U.S. Constitutional History 3 hour(s).
LIN 150 Introduction to Linguistics 3 hour(s).
POL 105 Political Research Methods 3 hour(s).
POL 200 Comparative Politics 3 hour(s).
POL 202 American Government 3 hour(s).
POL 210 International Relations 3 hour(s).
POL 217 Presidential Politics and Elections 3 hour(s).
PSY 100 General Psychology 4 hour(s).
PSY 303 Lifespan Development 4 hour(s).
PSY 333 Cross-Cultural Psychology 3 hour(s).
SOC 141 Principles of Sociology 3 hour(s).
SOC 201 Sociology of Sport 3 hour(s).
SOC 229 Cultural Anthropology 3 hour(s).
SOC 241 Social Problems 3 hour(s).
SOC 244 Social Psychology 3 hour(s).
SOC 246 Crime and Delinquency 3 hour(s).
SOC 341 The Family 3 hour(s).

Courses Satisfying Two Requirements:

To encourage breadth in the overall academic programs, a course in a student’s major department will normally not be allowed to satisfy a core distribution requirement. However, courses that are not “prefixed” in the major department, but are nonetheless required “supporting courses” for the major program may be used to satisfy core distribution requirements while also satisfying major program requirements. Also, it is permissible to use a course to satisfy a core distribution requirement and meet the requirements of a minor or a second major when the core of the first major is already satisfied. An Interdisciplinary Studies major prohibits any major requirement from being used toward a core requirement.

Examples: In the art major, a course with an ART-prefix could not be used to satisfy the fine arts distribution requirement. In the biology major, supporting course requirements include chemistry (CHE) lab courses. These CHE lab courses would count toward fulfilling the natural science lab distribution requirement for a student majoring in biology, whereas BIO lab courses would not.