Dec 10, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025 
    
Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025

The Core Curriculum


John Brown University’s core curriculum provides a common set of broadly oriented foundational courses that instill a deeper, integrative understanding of scripture, creation, and culture in order to prepare students to honor God and serve others.


Core Curriculum Courses


Students must take all of the Required Courses and must satisfy each of the Elective Areas.

A course may satisfy only one Core Curriculum requirement, except that study abroad courses satisfying the Intercultural Engagement requirement may also satisfy one other Core Curriculum requirement.

Courses with prerequisites are marked with a superscript ‘P’.

One of the following options to satisfy the Integrated Humanities I and II requirements


Option 1 - Preferred


Option 2


Option 3


Option 4


Option 5


Option 6


Elective Areas - 23 hours


Note: Courses recommended for most students are shown in bold. Courses that are not bolded will satisfy the elective area but may be more appropriate for students in a particular major.

Mathematics - 3 hours


Natural Science - 6 hours


One course must have a lab component. Lecture and corresponding lab must be taken together.

One of the following


Anatomy and/or Physiology courses may only be used to satisfy up to three hours of the Natural Science elective area. Lecture and corresponding lab must be taken together.

Whole Person Wellness - 2 hours


Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences - 9 hours


3 hours from any of the areas in the Arts and Humanities

3 hours from any of the areas in the Social and Behavioral Sciences

3 additional hours from any of the areas in either the Arts and Humanities or the Social and Behavioral Sciences

Arts and Humanities - 3 to 6 hours


The Arts

Literature

Religion and Philosophy

Social and Behavioral Sciences - 3 to 6 hours


Christian Ministry and Formation

Economics

Linguistics

Political Science

Psychology

Sociology

Additional Option for Meeting Core Curriculum


A student who enters JBU with either a bachelor’s degree or one of the following associate’s degrees-Associate of Arts or Associate of Science-from an accredited institution will satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements except for the following courses:

A student who completes either an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science through reverse transfer will also satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements except for the courses listed above. Associate’s degrees earned from JBU will not fall under this policy and students must explicitly satisfy each Core Curriculum requirement in order to earn a bachelor’s degree.

 

Core Curriculum Course Exemptions

Students in some degree programs that are subject to external accreditation requirements are granted exemptions to certain Core Curriculum courses. All such exemptions are listed in the catalog section pertaining to the particular degree program.

The Co-Curriculum

Complementary to and supportive of the Core Curriculum is the Co-Curriculum. The Core and Co-Curriculum have many of the same goals, some of which, especially those of the spiritual, social, and emotional dimensions, are more strongly addressed through the Co-Curriculum. Co-curricular components include Freshman Orientation, the Chapel program, student organizations (e.g., SGA, Cause Ministries, Residence Hall Associations, Growth Groups, lectureships and other special events, counseling, the Career Development Center, the Academic Assistance Program, forums, and other out-of-class programs presented by the faculty and staff, the Lyceum Artists Series, intramural sports, Residence Life programs, programming for married students, Milestone Leadership, the Center for Healthy Relationships, and the student leadership programs.

The Core Curriculum and Co-Curriculum are mutually reinforcing and interdependent.