Academic Affairs

Wright State Core

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Overview

The Wright State Core is an integrated program of courses that provide you with the breadth of skills, knowledge, and understanding expected of university graduates. A university degree goes beyond preparing you for a profession—it aims to transform students' lives and communities. The Wright State Core helps you develop the knowledge and skills essential for critical thinking, creative problem solving, meaningful civic engagement, multicultural competence, appreciation for the arts, and lifelong learning. You will graduate with the ability to apply insights from multiple disciplines to engage effectively with a diverse world.

Learning Outcomes

University Learning Objectives

Wright State graduates will:

  1. communicate effectively.
  2. demonstrate mathematical literacy.
  3. evaluate arguments and evidence critically.
  4. apply the methods of inquiry of the natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities.
  5. demonstrate global and multicultural competence.
  6. demonstrate an understanding of contemporary social and ethical issues.
  7. participate in a democratic society as informed and civically engaged citizens.

As a part of the requirements for a bachelor's degree at Wright State University, you must complete a minimum of 38 hours of course work in the Wright State Core prior to graduation. You should complete English 1100 and 2100 and the mathematics requirement by the time you have earned 45 credits at Wright State University.

The Elements of the Wright State Core

The elements of the Wright State Core are the foundational skills, the broad areas of knowledge and practice, and the global, historical, and cultural perspectives that provide you with the ability to negotiate your roles successfully and constructively in a changing world. Even more than in the past, graduates must be proficient writers, mathematically literate, and understand the methods of inquiry of the historian, the scientist, and the humanist.

Learning Outcomes for Each Element

Element Learning Outcomes

1. Communication

The foundational skills students need in academic discourse, research, and documentation in an electronic environment.
  1. Adapt rhetorical processes and strategies for audience, purpose, and type of task.
  2. Organize and produce texts that meet the demands of specific genres, purposes, audiences, and stances.
  3. Employ appropriate mechanics, usage, grammar, and spelling conventions.
  4. Find, analyze, evaluate, summarize, and synthesize appropriate source material from both print and electronic environments.
  5. Present focused, logical arguments that support a thesis.
  6. Use reliable and varied evidence to support claims, incorporate ideas from sources appropriately, and acknowledge and document the work of others appropriately.
  7. Use electronic environments to draft, revise, edit, and share or publish texts.

2. Mathematics

The foundational skills required to use and interpret mathematics and statistics.
  1. Identify the various elements of a mathematical or statistical model.
  2. Determine the values of specific components of a mathematical/statistical model or relationships among various components.
  3. Apply a mathematical/statistical model to a real-world problem.
  4. Interpret and draw conclusions from graphical, tabular, and other numerical or statistical representations of data.
  5. Summarize and justify analyses of mathematical/statistical models for problems, expressing solutions using an appropriate combination of words, symbols, tables, or graphs.

3. Global Traditions

Historical analysis and global perspectives necessary to understand our diverse world.
  1. Critically describe some of the political, social or economic systems, historical, cultural or spiritual traditions, and/or technological innovations around the world.
  2. Demonstrate an awareness of the diversity of people or traditions in our world in ways that promote effective engagement, both locally and globally.
  3. Use political, social, economic, historical, cultural, spiritual, or technological knowledge to evaluate contemporary issues.

4. Arts/Humanities

Tools for analysis and appreciation of the arts, philosophy, and religious thought.
  1. Critically analyze significant creative, literary, philosophical or religious works.
  2. Understand and discuss the complex blend of imaginative vision, socio-cultural context, ethical values, and aesthetic judgment in creative, philosophical, or religious works.
  3. Recognize, evaluate and respond to creative, philosophical, or religious works.
  4. Develop appropriate and ethical applications of knowledge in the humanities or the arts.

5. Social Science

Perspectives on human behavior and culture informed by the disciplines of the social sciences.
  1. Critically apply knowledge of social science theory and methods of inquiry to personal decisions, current issues, or global concerns.
  2. Explain and critique the methods of inquiry of social science disciplines.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical issues involved in the acquisition or application of social science knowledge.
  4. Demonstrate, from a social science perspective, an understanding of the responsibilities of an informed and engaged citizen.

6. Natural Science

Introductions to the scientific understanding of physical and biological phenomena.
  1. Understand the nature of scientific inquiry.
  2. Critically apply knowledge of scientific theory and methods of inquiry to evaluate information from a variety of sources.
  3. Distinguish between science and technology and recognize their roles in society.
  4. Demonstrate an awareness of theoretical, practical, creative and cultural dimensions of scientific inquiry.
  5. Discuss fundamental theories underlying modern science.

Honors Sections

Honors sections of Wright State Core courses are available for both entering first-year students and continuing Wright State students who meet the University Honors Program criteria. Honors sections have smaller enrollments, encourage student participation, offer more sophisticated and complex assignments, and provide greater opportunities for analysis, synthesis, and creative expression. Honors students may also choose to use UH 2010 and 2020 courses to meet requirements for elements 4 and 5, respectively. For more information, consult the University Honors Program.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is there a process for submitting an appeal concerning the way quarter GE courses have been applied to semester Core requirements?

    Yes, there is a process. Students with questions should meet with their academic advisors. In many cases, academic advisors will be able to resolve any issues. If not, they can inform the student of the next step to take.

  • Why does my degree audit report show the science category incomplete even though I have two science courses complete?

    For students who first enrolled at Wright State before fall 2012, degree audts are set for three natural science courses in General Education (GE). Unless your major requires specific science courses, you will have completed the distribution requirement for the Core (a) if you completed two natural science courses in the quarter GE program or (b) if you completed one natural science course in the GE program and one in the semester Core program. However, you may need to complete additional hours to reach the minimum total hours required for the Core. See your advisor to determine the best course of action, including any adjustments to your degree audit report to indicate completion of the distribution requirement.

  • What do I do if I have every Element complete but am short in Core hours?

    All transition students (students who began on quarters) must complete the equivalent of at least 37 semester hours in the Core. If you are a transition student and have completed the distribution requirements but still have fewer than 37 semester hours in the Core, see your advisor to determine the best course of action to complete this requirement.

  • What should I do if a class that was counting in General Education on quarters isn't counting in WSU Core on semesters?

    All courses that counted toward General Education should count toward requirements of the Core. However, some majors require specific courses within the Core. Consult your advisor to determine why the course is not being counted and to determine the best course of action.

  • What is the difference between CORE IW and Major IW requirements?

    All students are required to complete at least two designated Integrated Writing (IW) courses in the Core and two designated IW courses in their major. All IW courses are intended to help students grow as writers, encourage them to use writing as a tool to learn, and help them learn discipline-specific ways of writing. IW courses in the Core tend to focus more on writing to learn. Those in the major are more discipline based, and the assignments are more extensive.

  • What is Integrated Writing?

    Integrated Writing (IW) courses are courses within Wright State University’s Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program. WAC is a comprehensive program extending writing throughout each student's undergraduate career. All Wright State students are required to complete at least two designated WI courses in the Wright State Core and at least two designated IW courses in the major. The WAC website contains a full description of the program.

  • What do IW, MC, and TM stand for?

    IW indicates that the course counts toward the Integrated Writing requirement for the Core.

    MC indicates that the course counts toward the Multicultural Competence requirement for the Core.

    TM indicates that the course has been approved for the Ohio Transfer 36 (formerly Ohio Transfer Module) and that the course would be applied to the approved Transfer Module at any other Ohio public institution of higher education.

  • How will students who started under the old General Education system finish under Wright State Core?

    Transition students will complete the requirements using a combination of the GE courses already taken and new Core courses. Together, these courses should satisfy the course distribution in each Core Element and total at least 37 semester hours. A guide for transition students is available online.

  • I began my degree program a few years ago under the old General Education system and completed all my GE requirements. Will I have to fulfill any new Wright State Core requirements?

    Students who complete the quarter General Education program prior to fall 2012 will have completed the requirements of the Wright State Core. However, if your major requires any course within the Core and you have not taken an equivalent course on quarters, you must meet the requirements of your major.

  • Why do I need an arts or humanities course when I'm not a major in those fields?

    University graduates need the ability to apply insights from multiple disciplines to engage effectively with a diverse world. Studying the arts and humanities provides one route to a greater understanding of others with whom we interact.

  • Why do I need to take math or science when I'm not a major in those fields?

    University graduates need the ability to apply insights from multiple disciplines to engage effectively with a diverse world. An understanding of the principles of mathematics and science plays a critical role in understanding the complexity of today’s world.

  • What is the purpose of the Wright State Core?

    A university degree goes beyond preparing graduates for a profession. The Wright State Core helps students develop the knowledge and skills essential for critical thinking, creative problem solving, meaningful civic engagement, multicultural competence, appreciation for the arts, and life-long learning. Wright State graduates should have the ability to apply insights from multiple disciplines to engage effectively with a diverse world.

Office of the Provost

Location: 
364 University Hall
Phone: 
937-775-2029
Fax: 
937-775-3830
Students: Contact the Provost