CU Denver Undergraduate Core and gtPATHWAYS Curriculum (updated 05/27/2014)

View the CU Denver Core courses .  

Core Curriculum

Philosophy of the Core Curriculum

The University of Colorado Denver subscribes to a liberal arts philosophy of education in order to develop a broad set of academic skills for the baccalaureate student and to establish a foundation for lifelong learning.  Since 1990, the CU Denver Core curriculum of general education has been a campus-wide program for all undergraduate students, independent of the student’s major.

The CU Denver faculty designed the Core curriculum to provide undergraduate students a high quality academic foundation while still allowing flexibility based on students’ individual backgrounds and specific career goals.  The Core curriculum develops multiple literacies, stimulates creative thinking, and utilizes technology.  The Core engages students in developing sensitivity to diversity and developing their place in an urban environment, as well as in the rapidly changing global environment.  The Core provides an understanding of ourselves, ours and other cultures, and our environment.

CU Denver Core Curriculum

All undergraduate students must complete a 34-38 semester hour (11 courses) curriculum of general education. CU Denver schools and colleges may have specific requirements within the Core curriculum. Please see the list of Core courses  for details. The Core curriculum is outlined below.

Intellectual Competencies:  9-10 hours

Students must earn a minimum letter grade of ‘C­-’ (1.7) in each Intellectual Competency course to satisfy the Core curriculum requirements.

English Composition - two course, 6 hours  

Courses provide opportunities to write for different purposes and audiences, with an emphasis on critical thinking, reading, and writing in print-based and electronic contexts.

                ENGL 1020, Core Composition I

                ENGL 2030, Core Composition II

Mathematics - one course, 3-4 hours

Courses promote critical thinking, logic, quantitative reasoning, and numerical relationships in behavioral, social, and physical phenomena.   

any lower division (1000- or 2000-number) MATH course             

Knowledge Areas:  19-22 hours

Students may not use core courses in the discipline defined by their major(s) to satisfy Knowledge Area requirements.

Arts and Humanities - two courses, 6 hours

Arts courses celebrate creativity, nurture self-expression, generate an appreciation of artistic and cultural aesthetics, and stimulate thought from a creative perspective. Humanities courses develop the skills necessary for analysis of human development, including contemporary life issues, civic responsibilities, and impacts of social actions.

For students not majoring in either Arts or Humanities, one course must be from the Arts and the second from the Humanities. For students majoring in Humanities, one course must be from the Arts and the second course may be from either category. For students majoring in Arts, both courses must be from the Humanities.                 

Students planning to transfer to a Colorado public college/university under the gtPathways guaranteed transfer program must take one history course approved as gtPathways HI-1. Students should consult the table of Core courses (see below) for CU Denver approved HI-1 courses.

Behavioral and Social Sciences - two courses, 6 hours  (*updated as of 2/3/14)              

Behavioral science courses develop an understanding of behavior, communication, and analysis of human experience and development. Social science courses develop an understanding of the social, political, and spatial relationships that constitute human society.

For students not majoring in either the Behavioral or Social Sciences, one course must be from the Behavioral Sciences and the second from the Social Sciences.

*CU Denver students matriculating Fall 2013 and earlier: For students majoring in a Social Science, both courses must come from the Behavioral Sciences. For students majoring in a Behavioral Science, both courses must come from the Social Sciences.

*CU Denver students matriculating Spring 2014 and later: For students majoring in a Social Science, or a Behavioral Science, one course must be from the Behavioral Sciences and the second from the Social Sciences.

Biological and Physical Sciences, Mathematics - two courses, 7-10 hours

Biological and physical science courses develop knowledge through the scientific method, scientific reasoning, and solutions to complex phenomena in nature. Mathematics courses are typically not classified as a science, but do provide the tools to investigate science and to formulate hypotheses.

Students must take one biological or physical science course with a laboratory. The second course may be a science course with or without a laboratory, or may be a mathematics course, excluding the course used to satisfy the Intellectual Competencies mathematics requirement.

International Perspectives:  3 hours

International perspectives courses develop insight into globalization effects and the influence of a worldwide, multicultural society. Students must take one international perspectives course. An approved study abroad experience will satisfy this requirement. The course may be selected from the discipline defined by the student’s major(s).

Cultural Diversity:  3 hours

Cultural diversity courses provide insight and analysis of and sensitivity to race/ethnicity and gender issues within the United States. Students must take one upper division (3000- or 4000-number) cultural diversity course. The course may be selected from the discipline defined by the student’s major(s).

CU Denver Core Curriculum                    11 Courses                    34-38 Hours

Approved CU Denver Core Curriculum Courses

The following table shows the courses that have been approved by the CU Denver Core Curriculum Oversight Committee for inclusion in the Core Curriculum:

Core Curriculum Table (updated 05/27/14) 

Click here to view Core courses and their catalog descriptions .

gtPathways Courses

The Colorado Department of Higher Education oversees the Guaranteed Transfer (gtPathways) program, which provides for guaranteed transfer, and more importantly, guaranteed application of credit toward lower division general education credit between Colorado public institutions of higher education. All gtPathways approved courses undergo statewide faculty review, and all lower division CU Denver Core courses are gtPathways approved. Please see the list of Core courses  for their gtPathways content area.