A longstanding commitment to the liberal arts forms the essence of the Providence College educational experience.  All students benefit from a common education that introduces them to essential knowledge and goes beyond any one field of study:

• Business majors learn about ethics
• Scientists learn something of poetry
• Art and Art History students learn critical thinking skills and problem solving

The Providence College core curriculum grounds students in scientific literacy and instills a basic understanding of the range of human interactions through the varied lenses of psychology, sociology, anthropology, art, history, literature, theology and philosophy.  Our core links the past to the present and gives students the tools to define their intellectual and professional futures.

Undergraduate degree requirements for all students, regardless of major program, include a Core Curriculum as a prerequisite for the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees:

1. Development of Western Civilization: 20 semester hours, team–taught by members of the departments of Art, English, Languages, History, Philosophy, and Theology. This course will be taken normally in the freshman and sophomore years and will deal with major developments in the making of Western Civilization from the classical period to the present.
2. Social Science: 6 semester hours of social science courses. Completion of this requirement will normally be accomplished by taking any combination of approved and so designated social science courses.
3. Natural Science: 6 semester hours of courses in the natural sciences which have been approved and designated as fulfilling the natural science requirement.
4. Philosophy: 6 semester hours, consisting of a semester of any one of a variety of ethics electives and a semester from other electives offered by the Department of Philosophy.
5. Theology: 6 semester hours, consisting of any two courses chosen from a variety of approved and so designated electives offered by the Department of Theology.
6. Mathematics: 3 semester hours, consisting of any course chosen from a variety of approved electives offered by the Department of Mathematics.
7. Fine Arts: 3 semester hours, consisting of any course chosen from a variety of approved and so designated fine arts courses.
8. English Proficiency: As established by designated course work or other standards determined by the Department of English. ( see below )
9. Non–Departmental Electives: 9 semester hours of electives outside of major department or program requirements.

Courses approved for fulfillment of specific Core Curriculum requirements are noted as part of their respective course description in this college catalog and are listed below.

Course Listing of UG Day Core Requirements