Core Curriculum Home Academics Core Curriculum IN THIS SECTION The core develops fundamental skills and habits of mind that are essential for success in college and beyond. The Value of the Core Interdisciplinarity of knowledge Knowledge rarely fits nicely into human-defined disciplines. The core connects to all majors and opens the door to the endless possibilities that a Liberal Arts education provides. Shared intellectual engagements The core curriculum explores questions, texts, and patterns of thought that form the foundation of human societies. The core provides an intellectual foundation shared by students, faculty, and all Colgate alumni. Old questions, new contexts Society evolves rapidly, casting new light on classic problems. The constantly evolving Liberal Arts Core Curriculum allows each new class to approach these subjects with fresh perspectives and methods of discovery. Liberal Arts Core Courses All Colgate graduates complete the courses below, in any order, by the end of their sophomore years. Legacies of the Ancient World Explore ancient texts that articulate perennial issues: the nature of the human and the divine; the virtues and the good life; the true, the just and the beautiful; the difference between subjective opinion and objective knowledge. Learn More Challenges of Modernity Explore pivotal issues of modernity (i.e. urbanization, scientific discovery, imperialism, capitalism, aesthetic innovation) through texts across media and disciplines. Learn More Communities and Identities Courses ensure that all students appreciate the identities, cultures, and human experience inherent in communities and regions of the world. Learn More Scientific Perspectives on the World Courses apply scientific methods to an issue in society or outside the realm of natural sciences and mathematics. Learn More Global Engagements A wide variety of courses meet the educational goals of global engagement. These courses teach perspectives critical to living an examined life in the globalized 21st century. Learn More Areas of Inquiry To foster breadth of learning, students take six courses from a range of disciplines across three areas: Human Thought and Expression; Social Relations, Institutions, and Agents; and Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Learn more about the areas of inquiry CAMPUS RESOURCES & SERVICES Core Curriculum Declaring a Major Degree Planning All Campus Resources & Services Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Flickr 13 Oak Drive Hamilton, NY 13346 (315) 228-7000 News Events Give Athletics Directory Libraries Campus Services & Resources Jobs at Colgate Maps & Travel Academic Calendar University Catalog Alerts © 2021 Colgate University Privacy Notice Non-Discrimination Policy Colgate Portal