TCU Core Curriculum
The educational experience offered by Texas Christian University reflects its membership in the worldwide academy of learning. The intellectual traditions of the University, honed by the scholarship and creativity of successive generations of faculty, are founded upon a rational and reflective examination of humanity and its natural and social environments. The essential elements of these traditions are captured in the TCU Core Curriculum requirements.
The TCU Core Curriculum is designed to:
- embody the liberal arts ethos of Texas Christian University;
- link curriculum requirements to TCU’s Heritage, Mission, Vision and Values;
- facilitate a focus on educational competencies, learning outcomes, and assessment;
- show sensitivity to the special needs of students in different colleges and degree programs; and
- provide intellectual challenges and opportunities for students and faculty.
The liberal arts ethos of Texas Christian University is stated clearly in the Heritage, Philosophy and Goals:
The University regards as essential the advancement and communication of general knowledge which enables students to understand the past, to comprehend the natural and social order, to search for the good and the beautiful, and to integrate knowledge into significant wholes.
The TCU Core Curriculum has three components: Human Experiences and Endeavors (27 hours), Heritage, Mission, Vision, and Values (18 hours) and Essential Competencies (12 hours plus six hours writing emphasis). All courses in the TCU Core Curriculum may overlay with other requirements of the student’s degree program. The overlay feature provides the flexibility for core requirements to be satisfied in a range between 39 and 63 hours.
For further information about the TCU Core Curriculum Requirements, please refer to the TCU Course Catalog website: Search for TCU Core Curriculum. Also, visit the TCU Core Curriculum Emendation.