The Core Curriculum

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Goals and Objectives General Description

Primary Level: 16-28 credit hours Secondary Level: 12 credit hours: Capstone Level: 6 credit hours

“A Liberal Arts education is a celebration of learning that encompasses pretty much everything: the arts and the humanities, the social sciences and the ‘hard’ sciences, business training and other professional studies. It grounds us in a sound understanding of our own culture and history, but also makes us aware and tolerant of the histories and cultures of others. Liberal learning seeks to emphasize the growth of intellectual self-reliance and independence while encouraging co-operative endeavor. It is the competence to think, analyze and understand independently.” - Former AUC President Thomas Bartlett

The primary aim of AUC’s Core Curriculum is to ensure that all students, regardless of major, receive a strong grounding in the traditional liberal arts and sciences. The Core Curriculum is a body of courses designed to provide a broad liberal arts base for students. It aims to develop basic academic and intellectual traits while enhancing students’ writing skills, as well as their ability to reason and construct a logical argument. It strives to familiarize students with a diverse body of knowledge and intellectual tradition, and helps them understand themselves, in addition to their culture, society and place in the world. It encourages them to address the patterns of rational thought and argumentation that underpin the world’s great intellectual traditions, and introduces them to the ways in which science seeks to comprehend the natural world. In sum, the Core Curriculum lies at the heart of AUC’s commitment to the liberal arts. It is, first and foremost, an education in the fundamentals of learning itself.

The Core Curriculum is a body of 10 to 15 courses (30 to 46 credit hours) that all students are required to complete, regardless of major. It is divided into three components.

The Primary Level consists of a set of English and Arabic language requirements (3 to 15 credit hours) and four arts and science courses (13 credit hours). They are designed for AUC freshman and most will complete them during their first three semesters. The four courses include Scientific Thinking, Philosophical Thinking (all students must take both), a natural science course and a freshman requirement in the humanities or social sciences. All students majoring in the fields of science and engineering (except actuarial science) are exempted from the general science elective. In addition, students who demonstrate the appropriate competence may be exempted from up to six credit hours of Arabic language and up to six credit hours of English writing courses.

The Secondary Level consists of four requirements in the social sciences and humanities (12 credit hours) including one course in the general humanities and social sciences; one that deals with world history, culture, society, politics and economics; and two that deal with the history culture, society, politics and economics of the Arab world. Most students will complete one of these four requirements in each semester of their junior and senior years.

The Capstone Level consists of two requirements that students are intended to meet in their senior year or beyond. The goal is to ensure that students meeting the requirements in their senior or fifth year take courses that are designed for seniors, challenge them to the highest level of their ability and prepare them for life after graduation.

Category 1: English Composition and Communication (3-9 credit hours)

Rhetoric and Composition

Students must fulfill this requirement in two ways:
RHET 101		Approaches to Critical Writing
RHET 102		Integrated Writing
RHET 103		Research Writing
	or
RHET 102		Integrated Writing
RHET 103		Research Writing
and choose one courses from the following courses for the secondary level:
RHET 320		Business Communication
RHET 321		Technical Writing
RHET 322		Writing in the Humanities and Social Sciences
RHET 400		Writing and Editing for Publication
RHET 410		Grant Writing

Students may be exempted from one or two courses (RHET 102,103) by a series of placement exams administered by the department of Rhetoric and Composition.

Category 2: Arabic Language (0-6 credit hours)

All entering students, except those who have passed the thanawiya amma exam or its equivalent, will take an Arabic placement exam. Based upon the exam results, students may be required to take up to two modern standard Arabic courses.

(ALING 101, 102, or 103; 201, 202 or 203).

Category 3: Information Literacy

LALT 101

(non-credit)

Category 4: Fundamental Intellectual Skills Requirement (6 credit hours)

PHIL 220		Philosophic Thinking
SCI 120		Scientific Thinking

Category 5: Natural Sciences or Quantitative Thinking (3 credit hours plus 1 lab credit)

Restriction: Students majoring in any of the fields of the School of Sciences and Engineering (except for actuarial science students) are exempted from the natural science requirements.

(Choose one course with lab)
BIOL 102 & 150L		Essentials of Environmental Biology
BIOL 103		Introductory Biology
BIOL 104		Unity of Life
BIOL 105		Diversity of Life
CHEM 103 & 150L		Chemistry and Society
		(for students with no Chemistry background)
CHEM 104 & 150L		Man and Environment
CHEM 105 & L		General Chemistry I
PHYS 100 & 150L		Physics for Poets
		(for students with no physics background)
SCI 105 & 150L		Science and Technology of Ancient Egypt
SCI 109 & 150L		Exploration of the Universe
SCI 140 & 150L		Archaeometry
SCI 250 & 251L		Introductory Geology
MATH 112		Statistical Reasoning

Category 6: Humanities or Social Sciences (3 credit hours)

(Choose one course from the 2 sub categories: a humanity or a social science course)

Sub-Category 1: Humanities Option
ARIC 101		Children’s Literature and Cultural Representations
ARIC 199		Selected Topics in the Humanities
ARTV 199		Selected Topics in the Humanities
ANTH 199		Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
CREL 135		Dimensions of the Sacred: Exploring Religious Experience
ECLT 199		Selected Topics in the Humanities
ECLT 123		Experiencing Creativity: Texts and Images
FILM 199		Selected Topics in the Humanities
HIST 110		World Cultures
HIST 111		Big History
HIST 112		Truth or Fiction: History and Historical Fiction
HIST 114		A History of Modern Imperialism
HIST 122		Words that made History: Great Speeches of the Twentieth Century
HIST 123		Family in the Modern Middle East
HIST 124		Eve and the Serpent: Witches and Witchcraft in Modern History
HIST 199		Selected Topics in the Humanities
MUSC 199		Selected Topics in the Humanities
RHET 199		Selected Topics in the Humanities
THTR 199		Selected Topics in the Humanities
THTR 130		The World of the Theater
PHIL 199		Selected Topics in the Humanities
SEMR 111		The Human Quest: Exploring the “Big Questions”
SEMR 112		Who Am I?: Explorations in Consciousness and Self Across the Disciplines
SEMR 199		Selected Topics in the Humanities
SEMR 200		Celebrating Ideas: A Voyage Through Books, Art, Film and Theatre
Sub-Category 2: Social Science Option
ECON 199		Economics for Everyone
EGPT 199		Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
POLS 101		Introduction to Political Science
POLS 199		Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
PSYC 199		Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
SOC 199		Selected Topics in the Social Sciences

Most students will complete these requirements in their first three semesters.

Category 1: Humanities and Social Sciences (3 credit hours)

Every student must choose and complete one course from the following sub-category lists. The requirement should be completed by the end of the student’s sixth semester. If the student chooses to meet the primary level Humanities/Social Science requirement by taking a Humanities course, she/he must choose from the list of Social Science options below to meet this requirement. If the student chooses to meet the Primary level Humanities/Social Science requirement by taking a Social Science course, she/he must choose a course from the Humanities options below to meet this requirement.

Sub-Category 1: Humanities Options
ARIC 206		Art and Architecture of the City of Cairo
ARIC 270		Introduction of Islamic Art and Architecture I
ARIC 271		Introduction of Islamic Art and Architecture II
ARIC 305		Arabic Literature and Gender
ARIC 306		Arabic Literature and Film
ARIC 307		The Writer and the State
ARIC 320		Introduction to Sufism
ARIC 336		Studies in Ibn Khaldun
ARIC 337		Shi’I Muslims in History
ARTV 200		Foundations of Design and Color
ARTV 211		World Art Survey I
ARTV 212		World Art Survey II
ARTV 299		Special Topics in the Humanities
ARTV 310		Modern and Contemporary Art
ARTV 314		Modern and Contemporary Architecture
CREL 299		Special Topics in the Humanities
ECLT 200		Introduction to Literature
ECLT 201		Approaches to Literature
ECLT 202		Close Reading to Literary Texts
ECLT 299		Special Topics in the Humanities
FILM 220		Introduction to Film
FILM 299		Selected Topics in the Humanities
HIST 200		Introduction to History Theory and Methodology
HIST 203		Western Civilization from Antiquity to the Middle Ages
HIST 204		Early Modern Europe
HIST 205		Europe in the Age of Revolution and Reform (1789-1914)
HIST 211		History in the Making
HIST/CREL 212		The Quest for the Historical Jesus
HIST 299		Selected Topics in the Humanities
HIST 307		The Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Reformation
HIST 308		Europe in the Age of Reason
MUSC 220		Introduction to Music
MUSC 299		Selected Topics in the Humanities
PHIL 221		Informal Logic
PHIL 224		Self and Society
PHIL 226		Philosophy and Religion
PHIL 230		Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 299		Selected Topics in the Humanities
PHIL 344		Literature and Philosophy
RHET 299		Selected Topics in the Humanities
THTR 230		Play Analysis
THTR 299		Selected Topics in the Humanities
THTR 350		Survey of Dramatic Literature
THTR 351		History of Theatre
THTR 360		Play Writing I
THTR 361		Play Writing II
SEMR 300		Core Honors Seminar
SEMR 310		Cross-Cultural Perceptions and Representations
Sub-Category 2: Social Science Options
ANTH 202		Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 299		Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
ARIC 323		Marriage and the Family in the Medieval and Early Modern Middle East
ARIC 324		Non-Muslim Communities in the Muslim World
ARIC 325		On the Fringes of Society: Marginals in History
ECON 201		Introduction of Micro Economics
ECON 202		Introduction of Macro Economics
ECON 239		Economic History of the Middle East
EGPT 202		Ancient Egypt
EGPT 299		Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
LING 252		Introduction to Linguistics
PSYC 201		Introduction to Psychology
PSYC 299		Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
SOC 201		Introduction to Sociology
SOC 299		Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
SOC/PSYC 301		Social Psychology

Category 2: Arab World Studies (6 credit hours)

Every student must choose and complete two courses from the following list. The requirement should be completed by the end of the student’s sixth semester.

ANTH//SOC 210		Arab Society
ANTH 312		Peoples and Cultures in the Middle East and North Africa
ANTH 390		Selected People and Culture Areas (when appropriate)
ARIC 201		Introduction to Classical Arabic Literature
ARIC 202		Introduction to Modern Arabic Literature
ARIC 203		Classical Arabic Literature in Translation
ARIC 204		Modern Arabic Literature in Translation
ARIC/HIST 246		Survey of Arab History
ARIC 309		Selected Themes and Topics in Arabic Literature
ARIC 310		Selected Themes and Topics in Arabic Literature in Translation
ARIC 343		Birth of Muslim Community and Rise of the Arab Caliphates
ARIC/HIST 344		Caliphs and Sultans in the Age of Crusades and Mongols
CREL 299		Selected Topics for the Core Curriculum
ECON 239		Economic History of the Modern Middle East
HIST 247		Making of the Modern Arab World
HIST 299		Selected Topics in Arab History
HIST 330		Urban Landscapes in the Modern Middle East / North Africa
HIST/CREL 333		Zionism and Modern Judaism
SOC 203		Social Problems of the Middle East
SOC 206		Arab Family Structure and Dynamics

Category 3: International/World Studies (3 credit hours)

Every student must choose and complete one course from the following list. The requirement should be completed by the end of the student’s sixth semester.

AMST 299		What is America?
ANTH 302		Marriage, Family, and Kinship
ANTH 320		Peasants, Nomads and Rural Change
ANTH/LING 352		Language in Culture
ANTH 360		Gender, Society and Social Change
ANTH 372		Applied Anthropology
ANTH 382		Peoples and Cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa
ANTH 384		Peoples and Cultures of Asia
ANTH 386		Peoples and Cultures in Asia
ANTH 390		Selected People and Cultures Areas
ARIC 299		Special Topics for the Core Curriculum
ARIC 345		Gunpowder Empires: Ottomans, Safavids and Mughols
CREL/HIST 210		Religions of the World
CREL 220		Hinduism and Buddhism in India
CREL 230		Pilgrimage Traditions in the World’s Religions
CREL 299		Selected Topics for the Core Curriculum
CREL 320		Masters, Saints & Saviors: Sacred Biography in the World’s Religions
CREL 349		Prayer and Contemplation in the World’s Religions
CREL/HIST 398		Between Hindu and Muslim in India and Pakistan
ECLT/HIST 209		Introduction to American Studies
ECLT 299		Selected Topics for the Core Curriculum
ECLT 301		Medieval Literature
ECLT 302		Literature of the Renaissance
ECLT 333		African Literature
ECLT 346		Third World Literature
ECON 224		Economic History
HIST 201		History of American Civilization to the Nineteenth Century
HIST 202		History of Modern American Civilization
HIST 206		Global Politics in the 20th Century
HIST 207		World History
HIST 299		Selected Topics for the Core Curriculum
HIST 309		History of American Political Thought
LING 200		Languages of the World
MUSC 225		World Music
MUSC 255		The Songs of America
MUSC 360		Music in the Western Tradition
PHIL 319		Development and Responsibility
PHIL 356		American Philosophy
POLS 299		Our Political World
SOC/ANTH 303		Social Movements
SOC/POLS 304		Development Agencies
SOC 306		Sociology of Literature
SOC 307		Social Class and Inequality
SOC/ANTH 321		Urban Society in Transition
SOC 322		Rural Sociology
SOC 323		Fundamentals of Population Studies
SOC/ANTH 332		Race, Ethnic and Minority Relations
SOC/ANTH 370		Environmental Issues in Development

Category 1: Research and Practical Experience (3 credit hours)

The requirement may be met by selecting one course from a variety of options, including a senior thesis, a senior seminar, or a supervised internship.

Category 2: Community Engagement and International Perspective (3 credit hours)

The requirement may be met by selecting one course from a variety of discipline-specific service learning courses, international study options, international dialogue courses or special seminars in international issues and debates, and the Core Seminar.