The core curriculum is designed to ensure that graduates of Charleston Southern University have achieved a capacity for values and ethics, communication, leadership, service, and wellness. This derives from the graduates’ ability to articulate capably a basic understanding of human history, culture and relationships, the arts, literature, mathematics and natural sciences, and to reflect upon these in terms of a Christian vision of life.
The Liberal Arts Core curriculum has been developed to implement the mission and vision of the University by fulfilling the following goals in the academic life of the students:
- Christian Worldview: Students achieve an understanding of the Christian vision of the world, along with the nature and destiny of humanity.
- Communication: Students become skilled practitioners in the art, science, and technology of communication.
- Culture: Students become well-grounded in the development of Western culture and are introduced to at least one other major culture.
- Fine Arts: Students understand the diverse ways in which the human experience is conceived and communicated through artistic form.
- Literature: Students explore the human condition through great works of literature.
- Mathematics and Natural Science: Students understand the fundamental principles of the natural sciences, the empirical method, and mathematics.
- Social Sciences: Students understand individual and human relationships in groups, communities, and societies.
All CSU students pursuing an undergraduate degree must satisfy the LAC requirements listed below. Some majors require specific and/or additional LAC courses. English 111 and 112 , and Mathematics 105 (or higher) must be completed within the first four major terms (fall and spring semesters, including transfer credit terms).
A student may attempt to earn a passing grade in these courses up to three (3) times (also see “Repeating a Course ,” in this catalog). A student who fails to earn a passing grade within three attempts of English 111 , 112 , and the required mathematics course will be ineligible to earn a degree from CSU, and may be classified as a nondegree-seeking student.