Knowledge---those facts, concepts, and principles from the humanities; the social, behavioral, and natural sciences; and from other disciplines that are deemed important for understanding and solving the common problems of living.

Skills---key intellectual abilities such as communicating, quantifying, analyzing, and synthesizing.

Values---preferred patterns of behavior, including respect for individual dignity, concern for group welfare, and trust in human intelligence. 

The central purpose of the University Core Curriculum is to enable women and men to live rich, satisfying lives and to undertake the broad responsibilities of citizenship in a free society. Although it seeks to discover and nurture individual talents, the core curriculum's primary emphasis is on preparation for roles that people share in common as human beings as well as members of family and community groups.

The University Core Curriculum consists of more than the requirement that students have contact with the major fields of knowledge. Program suggests concern for direction, organization, spirit, appropriate instruction, and the objectives of component courses.  The spirit of the core curriculum emerges from the kinds of intellectual attitudes the university strives to develop in students. Through their core curriculum courses, students will be able to

• engage in lifelong education by learning to acquire knowledge and to use it for intelligent ends.

• communicate at a level acceptable for college graduates.

• clarify their personal values and be sensitive to those held by others.

• recognize and seek solutions for the common problems of living by drawing on a knowledge of historical and contemporary events and elements of the cultural heritage surrounding those events.

• work with others to solve life's common problems.

• assess their unique interests, talents, and goals and choose specialized learning experiences that will foster their fulfillment.

All students graduating from Ball State with baccalaureate degrees must complete the 41 credit-hour core curriculum requirement. The UCC program consists of core requirements (a series of five or six foundation courses) and distribution requirements (groups of courses from which students may choose among several disciplines). 

Writing Competency Examination. All students must take the Writing Competency Examination before graduation. Students take the examination, which is designated as ENG 392, after completing 60 but before completing 90 semester hours. Students who fail to pass the examination after two attempts will be required to take ENG 393, the writing competency course. They will satisfy the writing competency requirement by successfully completing ENG 393, but the credit hours in the course will not apply toward any graduation requirement.

Students with baccalaureate degrees from accredited institutions who are pursuing a second degree are exempt from the Writing Competency Examination.

Credit by Examination. University Core Curriculum courses are available on a credit-by-examination basis. Contact the appropriate department for more information.

Teaching Majors. Students who complete a major in elementary education, early childhood education, or the  major in special education will have satisfied all University Core Curriculum requirements except for the writing competency examination. Students who are completing another teaching major will choose the additional distribution elective course from the humanities or fine arts categories.

Honors College. Those enrolled in the Honors College, may substitute ENG 114 for ENG 104; HONRS 199 for 3 of the 6 credits required in social and behavioral sciences; HONRS 296, 297, or 298 for the physical, earth, or life sciences (respectively); HONRS 201 and 202 for 6 credits in humanities and fine arts; HONRS 203 for the additional distribution elective; and HONRS 189 for the 6 hours in international/global studies.

Art Majors. Those pursuing a bachelor of fine arts degree program must complete AHS 101 for 3 credits of the fine arts requirement.

Nursing Majors. A student majoring in nursing may substitute BIO 113 for the life sciences requirement.

Social Studies Teaching Majors with an Area in Historical Perspectives. Students majoring in this area substitute HIST 151 and 152 for HIST 150.