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University Core Curriculum

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Overview

As a Catholic, Vincentian, Metropolitan, and Global university, St. John's offers a core curriculum that enacts a Catholic and Vincentian identity, affirms the values of the liberal arts and sciences, and develops an engaged citizenry to serve their communities.

The core, based in our Catholic and Vincentian traditions, provides a unique foundation emphasizing the dignity of the human person and the diversity of human communities, the objectivity of moral values, and ongoing critical self-reflection on the relationship between faith and reason.

The University’s Catholic identity demands the inclusion of all voices and perspectives in our common task to understand the world and how we should live in it. It provides an entry into humanity’s ongoing search for shared, universal values, as expressed in the University’s core values of truth, love, respect, opportunity, excellence, and service.

Contact Information

Please contact your academic unit or advisor. If you do not know your academic unit or advisor’s name, please access Degree Works via signon.stjohns.edu. This information is listed at the top of your Advisement Report. 

Encourages students to ask the central Vincentian question: “What must be done?”

Students are equipped with the knowledge and values necessary to discern what the moment requires, and with the skills to listen, learn, engage, and persuade. St. John’s University graduates are well prepared to flourish in the workforce and make a difference in the world.

Coursework

Beginning Fall 2023, the University Core Curriculum will consist of 39 credits.  Course descriptions can be located in the Undergraduate Bulletin (Full Bulletin) by searching the title of the course (in bold font). All the following courses are required and are three (3) credits, unless otherwise noted:

1. First Year Seminar

First Year Seminar (FYS 1000C)

2. English

First Year Writing (FYW 1000C)

3. English

Literature in a Global Context (ENG 1100C)

4. Speech

Fundamentals of Public Speaking (SPE 1000C)

5. History

The Emergence of Global Society (HIS 1000C)

6. Philosophy

Philosophy of the Human Person (PHI 1000C)

7. Theology

Perspectives on Christianity: A Catholic Approach (THE 1000C)

8. Philosophy

Metaphysics (PHI 3000C)

9. Ethics

Choose one Philosophy (abbrev. as “PHI”) or Theology (abbrev. as “THE”) course of from the approved listing below.
Note – mandatory requirements for specific majors/college.

  • Ethics and Health Care (PHI 2240C) or Moral Theology of Health Care (THE 3300*).  Required for students majoring in Pharmacy in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
     
  • Ethics and Business (PHI 2220C*) or Moral Theology of the Marketplace (THE 3305).  Required for students enrolled in The Peter J. Tobin College of Business.
     
  • Ethics (PHI 2200C*), or Christian Responsibility (THE 1040), or Introduction to Christian Ethics (THE 2300*).  Available to students enrolled in St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Education and Collins College of Professional Studies.
     
  • Media Ethics (PHI 1024).  Available to students enrolled in Collins College of Professional Studies.
     
  • *Equivalents Courses: Two academic units of the University, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (SJC) and (CCPS), have determined that the following courses are equivalent.  See the academic unit in the Undergraduate Bulletin for details. 
     
    SJC CoursesEquivalenceCCPS Courses
    THE 3300is equivalent toTHE 1042 or THE 1043
    PHI 2220Cis equivalent toPHI 1020
    THE 2300is equivalent toTHE 1040
    PHI 2200Cis equivalent toPHI 1022

10. Theology: Sacred Texts and Traditions

Choose one course from the approved listing below.  School of Education students are required to enroll in Spirituality of the Educator (THE 3400).

  • Systematic/Constructive Theology
    • The Mystery of the Triune God (THE 2200) or The Mystery of God (THE 1030) 
    • Jesus in the Christian Faith (THE 2205)
    • Perspectives on the Church (THE 2210)
    • Women in Theology (THE 3240)
    • Liberation Theologies (THE 3245)
       
  • Biblical Studies:
    • Reading the Old Testament (THE 2110)
    • Reading the New Testament (THE 2120)
       
  • Religious Studies: 
    • Religions of the World (THE 1050)
    • Introduction to Krishna (THE 1070)
    • Judaism (THE 2820)
    • Hinduism (THE 2830) or Introduction to Hinduism (THE 1056) 
    • Introduction to Buddhism (THE 2840 or THE 1060) 
    • Introduction to Islam (THE 2850)
    • Race and Religion in the U.S. (THE 3255)
    • Science and Religion (THE 3920)
       
  • Historical Theology
    • An Introduction to Vatican II (THE 1071)
    • History of Christian Theology I: Origins Through the Middle Ages (THE 2501)
    • History of Christian Theology II: Reformations to the Present (THE 2502)
    • Global Catholicism (THE 3000)
       
  •  Spirituality Studies
    • Christian Spirituality and Mysticism (THE 2400)
    • Spirituality of the Educator (THE 3400, and is a requirement for students enrolled in School of Education)

11. Science/data analysis

SCI 1000C or courses in data analysis or science-related disciplines. Major sequence courses for STEM majors would count. See advisor for advisement. 

12. Mathematics and/or Logical, Quantitative, and Computational Reasoning

Choose one course from the approved listing below:

  • Mathematics of Fairness (MTH 1100)
  • Modern Statistics (BUA 1333, and is a required for students enrolled in The Peter J. Tobin College of Business)
  • Introduction to Logic (PHI 3400)
  • Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences (PSY 2030). A laboratory will accompany this course (PSY 2030L). This course is four (4) credits  
  • Sports Analytics (SPM 1035) 

 13. Social Justice

Choose one course from the below listing that engages critical analysis of topics such as power, inequality, intersectionality, marginality, difference, and identity.

  • Language and Culture (ANT 1000 -Under SJC’s Department of Anthropology)
  • Critical Race and Ethnic Studies (CRES 1000)
  • Economics of Poverty and income Inequality (ECO 1320)
  • The Experience of Black Women in Selected Novels of Toni Morrison (ENG 1077)
  • Introduction to Literature and Culture/Race in American Culture (ENG 2100)
  • Women and Literature (ENG 3750)
  • Struggles for Social Justice (HIS 1505)
  • History of Colonial South Asia (HIS 2313)
  • History of Human Rights and Social Justice (HIS 3160)
  • African-American History to 1900 (HIS 3711)
  • African-American History since 1900 (HIS 3712)
  • Dante and the Search for Social Justice (ITA 3904 - Under SJC’s Department of Languages and Literatures/Italian)
  • Social Justice (PHI 3740 - Under SJC’s Department of Philosophy)
  • Debate in Global Contexts (RCT 1010)
  • Language and Intercultural Communication (RCT 1155)
  • Migration and Exile in Latin American and Latinx Literatures (SPA 3917)
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Sport (SPM 1552)
  • Inequality; Race, Class and Gender (SOC 1170)
  • Feminist and Womanist Theologies (THE 3240)

Additionally, academic units may require additional courses under College Core.

Students should refer to DegreeWork or their Academic Advisors for assistance. 

If you enrolled at the University prior to Fall 2023, the University Core Curriculum consist of 48 credits. 

The Core (consists of 48 credits)

  • 27 common credits that are taken by every St. John’s student, regardless of college or major field of study
  • a minimum of 21 credits from the Distributed Core requirements, that vary by college or program of study

Course descriptions can be located in the Undergraduate Bulletin (Full Bulletin) by searching the title of the course (in bold font). All the following courses are required and are three (3) credits, unless otherwise noted:

  1. Discover New York (DNY 100C)
  2. First Year Writing (FYW 1000C)
  3. English: Literature in a Global Context (ENG 1100C)
  4. History: The Emergence of Global Society (HIS 1000C)
  5. Philosophy: Philosophy of the Human Person (PHI 1000C)
  6. Philosophy: Metaphysics (PHI 3000C)
  7. Science: Scientific Inquiry (SCI 1000C)
  8. Speech: Fundamentals of Public Speaking (SPE 1000C)
  9. Theology: Catholic Perspectives on Christianity (THE 1000C)

Courses of the Distributed Core

  1. EITHER two courses in a second language OR Creativity in the Fine Arts AND Language and Culture (6 credits)
  2. Mathematics (3 credits)
  3. Philosophy (Ethics) (3 credits)
  4. Theology (6 credits) (including one course in Moral Theology)
  5. Social Sciences (3 credits)

Individual colleges may require additional Distributed Core courses. Students should see their Academic Advisors for assistance in choosing courses of the Distributed Core.

Course Descriptions (see 2021-2023 University Bulletin)