The Common Core Courses

The common core is a series of four courses that are taken over the first two years and a capstone experience that is taken in the senior year. The common core course descriptions are:

Portal Course – GST 150: Seeking Wisdom: From Wonder to Justice
Taken in the first year
First-year students at Salve Regina University are beginning a journey toward a lifetime of learning and responsible citizenship in a global context. This portal course helps begin that journey, one which requires both liberal arts skills and a commitment to explore perennial moral and spiritual questions faced by humanity. Throughout history and across cultures, human beings have attempted to answer these great questions in images, ideas and actions. Using a text-based, writing intensive approach, this course will enable students to enter into dialogue with some of the most powerful and provocative answers ever given, answers that for many have been doors to wisdom. In the process, students will join their fellow human beings across time and culture in this search for wisdom.

Literature Course – ENG 150: What it Means to Be Human
Taken in the first year
In this course students will read, analyze, discuss and write about major literary texts which are selected for their moral, spiritual and intellectual richness. This is a writing intensive course.

Religion Course – RST 210: Christianity in Dialogue with World Religions
Taken in the sophomore year
Responsible citizens of the world need to understand religious viewpoints since religious faith is the source of most world views, which both shape and are shaped by culture. This course is designed to explore the dialogue between Christianity and the other great religions of the world. Emphasis will be placed on how the adherents of religious traditions understand themselves and address certain issues in our contemporary world such as justice, reconciliation and peace.

Philosophy Course – PHL 220: Philosophy and Responsibility
Taken in the sophomore year
In the light of classic philosophical texts, students examine various ethical treatments of personal and social responsibility, the nature of community, as well as the challenges inherent in working for a world which is harmonious, just and merciful.

GST450: Capstone Experience: Living Wisdom, Contemporary Challenges
Taken in the Senior Year
As the Capstone of this University’s Core Curriculum, this course encourages students to integrate their undergraduate experience and look toward their future with thoughtfulness, sensitivity, and openness. Using the liberal arts skills of critical reading, discussion, analysis, and writing, this course will challenge students to address issues of personal development as well as social concerns in ways that reflect the mission of the University. Required readings will engage personal, social, philosophical and religious themes.