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Kent Core (general education requirements) PDFDownload to print

The Kent Core is the foundation of the university's mission to prepare students to live in today's complex, global society. It broadens intellectual perspectives, fosters ethical and humanitarian values and prepares students for responsible citizenship and productive careers. Through this learning experience, students develop the intellectual flexibility they need to adapt to an ever-changing world.

Kent Core courses enable students to:

  • Acquire critical-thinking and problem-solving skills
  • Apply principles of effective written and oral communication
  • Broaden their imagination and develop their creativity
  • Cultivate their natural curiosity and begin a lifelong pursuit of knowledge
  • Develop competencies and values vital to responsible uses of information and technology
  • Engage in independent thinking, develop their own voice and vision and become informed, responsible citizens
  • Improve their understanding of issues and behaviors concerning inclusion, community and tolerance
  • Increase their awareness of ethical implications of their own and others' actions
  • Integrate their major studies into the broader context of a liberal education
  • Strengthen quantitative reasoning skills
  • Understand basic concepts of the academic disciplines

Although not every Kent Core course will address all these goals, learning within the Kent Core as a whole enables students to acquire the tools for living rich and meaningful lives in a diverse society.

Requirements

  • As part of the requirements for any bachelor's degree and the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees, all students must complete a minimum 36-37 semester credit hours of the Kent Core distributed as indicated within the specific categories.
  • As part of the requirements for any applied and technical associate degrees (A.A.B., A.A.B., A.T.S.), all students must complete a minimum 15 semester credit hours of the Kent Core distributed as indicated within the specific categories.
  • Colleges or degree programs may augment the university's minimum Kent Core, and they may specify for their students certain courses in fulfillment of the requirements. It is essential, therefore, that students consult that section of the catalog for their college and degree program.
  • The Kent Core should normally be completed within the 60 semester hours that immediately follow the first date of enrollment in a bachelor's degree program.
  • Honors equivalents shall satisfy the Kent Core.
  • None of the courses on the Kent Core list may be taken pass/fail.

Transfer Credit, Proficiency Testing and Other Options in Meeting the Kent Core

  1. Certain alternatives to formal Kent State coursework may be recognized in the fulfilling of the Kent Core.
  2. Credits earned for specified courses within the Kent Core course list through external credit-conferring testing programs, such as the College Board Advanced Placement and CLEP subject   examinations, will be applied toward the fulfillment of the Kent Core as appropriate for the specific courses for which credit is received.
  3. Courses transferred from accredited post-secondary institutions will be applied toward fulfillment of the Kent Core as appropriate for the specific courses for which credit is awarded.
  4. The university's Credit-By-Examination (CBE) program may be utilized in fulfillment of the Kent Core within the conditions, guidelines and policies established for that program and for the course (s) for which credit is sought.
  5. Proficiency, as established by placement examinations or other recognized procedures and mechanisms for this purpose, can be used to fulfill Categories I (Composition) and II (Mathematics and Critical Reasoning) of the Kent Core. For example, students who are placed into ENG 21011 and complete it with a passing grade will have met the Category I. It is assumed that students who are placed at and pass the higher level of one of these sequenced courses have also mastered the content of the prerequisite course. While students may meet the requirements of Categories I and II through proficiency, minimum hours must be met in Categories III, IV, V and VI. Students meeting Categories I and II requirements through proficiency must substitute other courses, which shall be elective, to earn the minimum hours required for the bachelor's or associate degree.

To fulfill the purposes of general education, any of the above alternatives to the fulfillment of the Kent Core by formal coursework at Kent State University must be exercised by the students within the first 60 hours of academic credits earned at and/or transferred to Kent State University.

Students who transfer to the university with more than 45 semester hours of applicable credits (including students with associate's degrees in technology from the Kent State University Regional Campuses or those who transfer to bachelor's-level programs from associate-level technology programs) must exercise such option(s) within the first calendar year of their Kent State University enrollment.

Kent Core for the bachelor's, A.A. and A.S. degrees
(36-37 credit hours):
Kent Core for A.A.B., A.A.S. and A.T.S. degrees
(15 credit hours):
I. Composition (6 credit hours) I. Composition (3 credit hours)
II. Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (3 credit hours) II. Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (3 credit hours)
III. Humanities and Fine Arts (9 credit hours) III. Humanities and Fine Arts (3 credit hours)
IV. Social Sciences (6 credit hours) IV. Social Sciences (3 credit hours)
V. Basic Sciences (6-7 credit hours) V. Basic Sciences (3 credit hours)
VI. Additional (6 credit hours)    
Kent Core course listing in PDF format Kent Core course listing in PDF format

LEGEND

TM - Ohio Transfer Module TAG - Ohio Transfer Assurance Guide LAB - Laboratory
D - Domestic Diversity G - Global Diversity    
   

Kent Core Coursework

I.   COMPOSITION
    English (ENG)
TM   11011 College Writing I (3) OR
TM     11002 College Writing I–Stretch (3)
TM   21011 College Writing II (3)
    Honors (HONR)
    10197 Freshman Honors Colloquium I (1-4)
    10297 Freshman Honors Colloquium II (1-4)
     
II.   MATHEMATICS AND CRITICAL REASONING
    Computer Science (CS)
    10051 Introduction to Computer Science (4)
    Mathematics (MATH)
    10041 Introductory Statistics (4)
    11008 Explorations in Modern Mathematics (3)
    11009 Modeling Algebra (4) 2 OR
      10772 Modeling Algebra Plus (5) 2
TM   11010 Algebra for Calculus (3) 3 OR
      10774 Algebra for Calculus Stretch II (3) 3 AND
      10775 Algebra for Calculus Plus (4) 3
TM   11012 Intuitive Calculus (3)
TM   11022 Trigonometry (3)
    12001 Algebra and Trigonometry (5)
TM   12002 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (5)
TM   12011 Calculus with Precalculus I (3)
TM   12012 Calculus with Precalculus II (3)
    14001 Basic Mathematical Concepts I (4) 1 OR
      10771 Basic Mathematical Concepts I Plus (5) 1
    14002 Basic Mathematical Concepts II (4)
    Philosophy (PHIL)
TM   21002 Introduction to Formal Logic (3)
     
III.   HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS
    At least one course must be selected from the Humanities in Arts and Sciences area, and at least one course must be selected from the Fine Arts area.
    Humanities in Arts and Sciences
    Classics (CLAS)
G TM   21404 The Greek Achievement (3)
G TM   21405 The Roman Achievement (3)
    English (ENG)
TM   21054 Introduction to Shakespeare (3)
TM   22071 Great Books to 1700 (3)
TM   22072 Great Books since 1700 (3)
TM   22073 Major Modern Writers: British and United States (3)
    History (HIST)
G TAG TM   11050 World History: Ancient and Medieval (3)
G TAG TM   11051 World History: Modern (3)
D TAG TM   12070 Early America: From Pre-Colonization to Civil War and Reconstruction (3)
D TAG TM   12071 Modern America: From Industrialization to Globalization (3)
    Pan-African Studies (PAS)
G TM   23001 Black Experience I: Beginnings to 1865 (3)
D TM   23002 Black Experience II: 1865 to Present (3)
    Philosophy (PHIL)
G TAG TM   11001 Introduction to Philosophy (3)
G TAG TM   21001 Introduction to Ethics (3)
    Religion (REL)
G TM   11020 Introduction to World Religions (3)
G TM   21021 Comparative Religion (3)
    Humanities in Communication and Information
    Communication Studies (COMM)
D TM   26000 Criticism of Public Discourse (3)
    Fine Arts
    Architecture (ARCH)
TM   10001 Understanding Architecture (3)
TM   10011 Global Architectural History I (3)
TM   10012 Global Architectural History II (3)
    Art History (ARTH)
TM   12001 Art as a World Phenomenon (3)
TAG TM   22006 Art History: Ancient and Medieval Art (3)
TAG TM   22007 Art History: Renaissance to Modern Art (3)
G TM   22020 Art of Africa, Oceania and the Americas (3)
    Dance (DAN)
G TM   27076 Dance as an Art Form (3)
    Music (MUS)
TM   22111 The Understanding of Music (3)
G TM   22121 Music as a World Phenomenon (3)
    Theatre (THEA)
G TM   11000 The Art of the Theatre (3)
     
IV.   SOCIAL SCIENCES
    Courses must be selected from two curricular areas.
    Anthropology (ANTH)
G TAG TM   18210 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3)
G TAG TM   18420 Introduction to Archaeology (3)
    Center for Applied Conflict Management (CACM)
D TM   11001 Introduction to Conflict Management (3)
    Criminology and Justice Studies (CRIM)
TM   26704 Issues in Law and Society (3)
    Economics (ECON)
TAG TM   22060 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
TAG TM   22061 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
    Geography (GEOG)
TM   10160 Introduction to Geography (3)
G TAG TM   17063 World Geography (3)
D TM   17064 Geography of the United States and Canada (3)
G TAG TM   22061 Human Geography (3)
    Gerontology (GERO)
D TM   14029 Introduction to Gerontology (3)
    Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC)
D TM   20001 Media, Power and Culture (3)
    Political Science (POL)
G TAG TM   10004 Comparative Politics (3)
D TAG TM   10100 American Politics (3)
G TAG TM   10500 World Politics (3)
    Psychology (PSYC)
D TAG TM   11762 General Psychology (3)
D TAG TM   20651 Child Psychology (3)
D TM   21211 Psychology of Everyday Life (3)
D TM   22221 Multicultural Psychology (3)
    Sociology (SOC)
D TAG TM   12050 Introduction to Sociology (3)
G TAG TM   22778 Social Problems (3)
     
V.   BASIC SCIENCES
    At least one laboratory course (marked "LAB") must be selected. Students taking a 1-credit science lab course must take the lecture course in the same or previous term.
    Anthropology (ANTH)
TAG TM   18630 Human Evolution (3)
LAB TM   18631 Issues in Human Evolution (1)
    Athletic Training (ATTR)
LAB TM   25057 Human Anatomy and Physiology I (3) 4,5
LAB TM   25058 Human Anatomy and Physiology II (3) 5,6
    Biological Sciences (BSCI)
TM   10001 Human Biology (3)
TM   10002 Life on Planet Earth (3)
LAB TM   10003 Laboratory Experience in Biology (1)
LAB TAG   10110 Biological Diversity (4) 5
LAB TAG   10120 Biological Foundations (4) 5
LAB   11010 Foundational Anatomy and Physiology I (3) 5
LAB   11020 Foundational Anatomy and Physiology II (3) 5
LAB TM   20020 Biological Structure and Function (5) 5
LAB   21010 Anatomy and Physiology I (4) 5
    Chemistry (CHEM)
TM   10030 Chemistry in Our World (3)
LAB TM   10031 Chemistry in Our World Laboratory (1)
TM   10050 Fundamentals of Chemistry (3)
TM   10052 Introduction to Organic Chemistry (2)
LAB TM   10053 Inorganic and Organic Laboratory (1)
    10055 Molecules of Life (3)
TAG   10060 General Chemistry I (4) 5
TAG   10061 General Chemistry II (4) 5
LAB TAG   10062 General Chemistry I Laboratory (1) 5
LAB TAG   10063 General Chemistry II Laboratory (1) 5
    10970 Honors General Chemistry I (4) 5
    10971 Honors General Chemistry II (4) 5
    Exercise Science (EXSC)
LAB   25057 Human Anatomy and Physiology I (3) 4,5
LAB   25058 Human Anatomy and Physiology II (3) 5,6
    Geography (GEOG)
TAG TM   21062 Physical Geography (3)
LAB TM   21063 Physical Geography Laboratory (1)
    Geology (GEOL)
TM   11040 How the Earth Works (3)
LAB TM   11041 How the Earth Works Laboratory (1)
TAG TM   11042 Earth and Life Through Time (3)
LAB TAG TM   11043 Earth and Life Through Time Laboratory (1)
TM   21062 Environmental Earth Science (3)
TM   21080 All About the Oceans (3)
    Nutrition (NUTR)
    23511 Science of Human Nutrition (3)
    Physics (PHY)
TM   11030 Seven Ideas that Shook the Universe (3)
LAB TM   12201 Technical Physics I (3) 5
LAB TM   12202 Technical Physics II (4) 5
TAG TM   13001 General College Physics I (4)
TAG TM   13002 General College Physics II (4)
TM   13011 College Physics I (2)
TM   13012 College Physics II (2)
LAB TAG   13021 General College Physics Laboratory I (1)
LAB TAG   13022 General College Physics Laboratory II (1)
TM   21040 Physics in Entertainment and the Arts (3)
LAB TM   21041 Physics in Entertainment and the Arts Laboratory (1)
TM   21430 Frontiers in Astronomy (3)
LAB   21431 Frontiers in Astronomy Laboratory (1)
LAB TAG TM   23101 General University Physics I (5) 5
LAB TAG TM   23102 General University Physics II (5) 5
     
VI.   ADDITIONAL
    Select courses from above. Any of the following courses may also be selected:
    Communication Studies (COMM)
TAG TM   15000 Introduction to Human Communication (3)
    Honors (HONR)
    13597 Colloquium: The Western Identity (3)
    Philosophy (PHIL)
    11009 Critical Thinking (3)
       
   
  1. MATH 10771 and MATH 14001 are equivalent; students earn credit once.
  2. MATH 10772 and MATH 11009 are equivalent; students earn credit once.
  3. MATH 10774 and MATH 10775 are equivalent to MATH 11010; students earn credit once.
  4. ATTR 25057 and EXSC 25057 are equivalent; students earn credit once.
  5. Science-related major course; not recommended for non-science majors.
  6. ATTR 25058 and EXSC 25058 are equivalent; students earn credit once.