Liberal Arts Curriculum

The Liberal Arts Curriculum

All undergraduate students complete the Liberal Arts Curriculum as the core of their studies at Catholic University. The curriculum provides a common educational experience, grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and focused on enduring questions, that fosters a holistic understanding of reality and human life. Students develop a broad and versatile set of skills and knowledge that is necessary for success in any field of study or professional work.

For most students, the Liberal Arts Curriculum requires the completion of courses from the 15 courses and a focus area. To accommodate for more extensive major requirements, students in some professional programs complete 8-10 courses and no focus area. Four of the 15 (or 10) liberal arts courses are part of the First-Year Experience Program and are taken in small learning communities (“LCs”).

In addition to the two LC courses, some students begin taking courses that fulfill the liberal arts requirements during their first semester. This is particularly helpful for students who have not decided on and/or unsure about a specific major. By starting on the liberal arts requirements, students can explore various academic areas of interest. If you had decided on a major, two of your major courses can be used to fulfill the liberal arts curriculum requirements. If you have questions about courses that could "double count" for your major or which courses may be a good match for your interests, please consult your Academic & Career Advisor (ACA) .

More information about the Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements can be found at the University's curriculum page found here.

Detailed information about the requirements and courses that fullfill those requirements can be found here.

First-Year Experience Program's Learning Community "LC" Courses

During the first year at Catholic University, ALL students complete a series of 4 courses (two per semester) with a group of 15-20 students called a learning community or "LC". These four courses are part of the Liberal Arts Curriculum. The four learning community courses you will complete are:

  • Classical Philosophy - PHIL 201 or PHIL 211*/ HSPH 101*

  • Modern Philosophy - PHIL 202 or PHIL 212*/HSPH 102*

  • Foundations in Theology I - TRS 201 or HSTR 201*

  • Rhetoric and Composition - ENG 101 or ENG 101H*

*denotes courses open only to students in the University Honors Program

You will be placed into the appropriate LC courses for your Fall semester. All first-year students take a Classical Philosophy course in the Fall and Modern Philosophy course in the Spring. Students are randomly assigned to either Rhetoric and Composition or Foundations of Theology I in the Fall and then take the other course in the Spring, with the exception of Theology majors who all take Foundations of Theology I in the Fall. For example, if you were placed in PHIL 201 and TRS 201 in the Fall, then you would take PHIL 202 and ENG 101 in the Spring.

NOTE: Since LC courses meet MWF 9:00-11:00 AM, you will not be able to enroll in any other course offered during these times.

You may soon hear the term "LC Number". This refers to the section number of your assigned learning community courses. For example, if you are in "PHIL 201-06", then you are in LC number six.

Learn more about the first-year experience and learning communities here.