The Union University Core

Union University provides excellent liberal arts based undergraduate education; the foundation for this education is the core curriculum. The core curriculum provides our students with the opportunity to gain foundational knowledge across the range of scholarship and experience, become skilled in the acquisition and application of that knowledge, and develop a love of virtuous thinking and living. The core provides a common grounding in the knowledge, skills, and virtues which we believe all Union graduates should possess while providing a foundation for specialization in majors and minors as well as careers and lives of constructive learning. Union's core philosophy does not prescribe any particular selection of core courses. Rather, it establishes the goals of the core curriculum as a whole. Specific goals mentioned below can be actively pursued in many, if not all, courses in the core curriculum. We intend that connections between disciplines will be made overtly in the classroom and discussed by faculty and students alike. At all stages of our students' education, the Union faculty is intent upon academic excellence for ourselves and for our students.

God's creativity and governance shape all of life, make all knowledge possible, and unify the academic disciplines. In light of this, we want our students to know God and to develop a maturing awareness, understanding, and appreciation of God. We want them to acquire broad biblical knowledge and detailed knowledge of portions of the Scriptures. We want them to learn the essential doctrines that have guided historic Christianity and we desire that our students exercise the gifts and skills of living in the knowledge of God.

Union students need to know and love God's creation: anything physical and metaphysical which is distinct from God. They need to know about the inanimate from the subatomic to the cosmic, and about life, from its simplest to its most complex forms. Interactions between inanimate and animate are important to learn, as are the abstract concepts that have guided the study of the cosmos. They should understand how scientific views have changed, be skilled in scientific methodologies, and know their advantages and limitations. They should also understand and appreciate things we cannot touch, such as logic, numbers, goodness and evil, beauty and ugliness. Guided by Christian ideals, students should know how our understanding of creation can be used to improve life, alleviate suffering, and inspire beauty.

Union students need to know and love the human realm of creation. We want our students to understand (and wonder at) the physical, spiritual, and imaginative nature of humanity—in themselves, in others, in communities, and in cultures past and present. It is important for them to know the great ideas that have shaped how we live and think and to contemplate the creativity and self-reflection that so distinguish people from the rest of creation. We want them to see models of excellence in others that they may seek excellence for themselves. They need skills associated with human interaction. Finally, in all our studies of humanity, we want our students to be guided by Christian conceptions of human identity and purpose and to imitate Christ in service to others.

Throughout these academic pursuits and built into core courses, we want our students to develop a Christ-like character. The core curriculum at Union not only challenges students to know and to be skilled, it also challenges students to perceive and pursue virtue in their studies, social experiences, and in all areas of life. Knowledge and skill need guidance; that guidance comes from cultivated and practiced virtue. There are many ways to nurture Christian character; we will encourage students in the pursuit of the virtues presented in Scripture and in the Western tradition, such as the Beatitudes, the fruit of the Spirit, and the seven classic virtues.

The purpose of the core curriculum is to establish a common foundation of knowledge, skill, and virtue. These are valuable in their own right and also serve as a base for formal studies and life-long learning. The core challenges students to appreciate all legitimate human endeavors as godly calling and to discover such calling in their own lives. It provides opportunity for understanding, action, and faith to dwell together. The core provides the intellectual underpinning for engaging with the ideas of history and the issues of our day. The productive unity of the core will be found in the minds and actions of the faculty and students who work to see humankind, nature, and God together in as much of their extraordinary complexity as we can master. We intend that the core and additional formal studies bring to life the age-old belief that all truth is God's truth.

General Core Expected Outcomes

By successfully completing the work set out in the Union core curriculum, students should interact with the master disciplines in such a way as to help unlock all the others. Thus, the core offerings should improve students' capacities in writing, speaking, reading, calculating, and thinking. In concert with these improved capacities, students should attain greater sophistication with regard to their understanding and use of the arts, history, the social sciences, mathematics, and the natural and physical sciences. In accordance with Union's emphasis on the integration of faith and learning, the core emphasizes knowledge of the Bible and the relation of Christian worldview to all the other subjects.

General Core Requirements for Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Music

Humanities Courses:

Christian Studies, 6 hours

CHR 111

CHR 112

Composition, 6 hours

ENG 111

ENG 112

*Honors students may substitute HON 205 and HON 215 for ENG 111 and ENG 112.

History, 6 hours

HIS 101

HIS 102

*Students seeking elementary teacher licensure must substitute HIS 211 and HIS 212.

*Honors students may substitute HON 225 for HIS 102.

Literature, 6 hours

One of the sequences below:

Sequence A:

ENG 201

ENG 202

Sequence B (select any two):

FRE 311

FRE 312

FRE 317

Sequence C (select any two):

Fine Arts, 3 hours

ART 210

*Students pursuing the B.A. Music or B.M. Degree substitute MUS 220 for ART 210.

Social and Behavioral Sciences, 3 hours

One of the following:

*BSBA students are required to take ECO 211.

Laboratory Science, 4 hours

One of the following:

*Honors students may substitute HON 235 for one of the science courses.

Mathematics, 3 hours

Any mathematics course MAT 101 or higher.

See your advisor for mathematics requirements or options for your major.

Oral Communication, 3 hours

One of:

COM 112

COM 235

*College of Nursing and Bachelor of Social Work students meet this requirement by successfully completing prescribed major courses.

Physical Education, 1 hour

PEWS 100

*Not required for students over age 24.

TOTAL GENERAL CORE HOURS, 41 hours

Confer with your faculty advisor for limitations of options required in some programs of study.

In addition to the above requirements, each major will address Christian thought and action issues in a capstone experience.

General Core Requirements for Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Bachelor of Science in Social Work

Humanities Courses:

Christian Studies, 6 hours

CHR 111

CHR 112

Composition, 6 hours

ENG 111

ENG 112

*Honors students may substitute HON 205 and HON 215 for ENG 111 and ENG 112.

History, 6 hours

HIS 101

HIS 102

*Students seeking elementary teacher licensure must substitute HIS 211 and HIS 212.

*Honors students may substitute HON 225 for HIS 102.

Literature, 3 hours

One of the following:

Fine Arts, 3 hours

ART 210

*Students pursuing the B.S. Music Degree substitute MUS 220 for ART 210.

Social and Behavioral Sciences, 3 hours

One of the following:

*BSBA students are required to take ECO 211.

Laboratory Science, 8 hours

One course from each group:

Group A

Group B

*B.S.E. degree will take PHY 231 and either CHE 105 or CHE 111.

*Honors students may substitute HON 235 for one of the science courses.

Mathematics, 3 hours

Any mathematics course MAT 101 or higher.

See your advisor for mathematics requirements or options for your major.

Oral Communication, 3 hours

One of:

COM 112

COM 235

*College of Nursing and Bachelor of Social Work students meet this requirement by successfully completing prescribed major courses.

Physical Education, 1 hour

PEWS 100

*Not required for students over age 24.

TOTAL GENERAL CORE HOURS, 42 hours

Confer with your faculty advisor for limitations of options required in some programs of study.

In addition to the above requirements, each major will address Christian thought and action issues in a capstone experience.

Courses Beyond the Required General Education Core

Additional Program Requirements and Prerequisites

Most majors include additional program requirements and/or prerequisites.

Courses included in additional program requirements may not be used to fulfill any General Core requirements.

Courses included in prerequisites to the major may be used to fulfill any other degree requirements.

Majors and Minors

By the beginning of the junior year, each student is required to select one subject as his/her major. To declare a major/minor, the student must go to the dean's office of the college/school that houses the major/minor and complete the required paperwork. The declared major/minor will then be entered into the student's electronic record and an advisor will be assigned. All juniors are required to have a Degree Audit with an Academic Center Degree Auditor or the Director of Educator Preparation.

A major consists of a minimum of 30 semester hours; a minor consists of a minimum of 18 hours. Requirements are detailed within the departments of the Catalogue.

All majors must have a minimum of 18 credit hours from non-overlapping courses from Union. All minors must have a minimum of 12 credit hours from non-overlapping courses from Union. Of the requirements in the major, 15 hours must be from upper-level courses (courses numbered above >299) earned through Union University. Of the requirements in the minor, 6 hours must be from upper-level courses earned through Union.

To satisfy the requirements for the major/minor, only grades of “C” or above in upper-level courses may be included. A minimum GPA of 2.0 must be maintained in each major and minor.

The student's choice of a major may require the student select a Track, Endorsement, Emphasis, or Concentration. Track is used to describe different curricular paths culminating in the completion of the same degree. References to Endorsement are applicable only to the Teacher Education Program. No notation of the Endorsement or Track will appear on the student's transcript or diploma. The terms Emphasis and Concentration are used interchangeably to denote specializations of content related to the major. These notations appear on the transcript and diploma as a Specialization of the major.

Independent Studies

Independent studies are available for highly motivated students interested in areas not covered by the regular courses and having both aptitude and discipline to do independent research. The program places major responsibility upon the student to identify an area of interest and seek the help of a professor qualified in that area to structure and formally define the course of study and assess the quality of work done.

Any junior or senior who has a minimum GPA of 2.75 is eligible to apply for independent study. Exceptional cases may be reviewed by the student's college/school dean.

No student will be permitted to enroll for more than one independent study per semester or term. The maximum hours which any student may apply toward graduation by independent study is nine.

No Catalogue course may be offered by independent study. No course taken by independent study may substitute for any specific course required by the core curriculum, a program for teacher licensure, or any course required by a major or minor.

Required forms are found on mobile.uu.edu. Students should check with the Academic Center for registration particulars.

Departmental Special Studies

Departmental Special Studies are group studies designed to go beyond or between courses listed in the Catalogue. Such courses may not parallel or substitute for regular catalogue courses. A student may apply up to 12 hours in Special Studies toward graduation. Restrictions within departments may apply; check departmental listings.

Study Abroad Program Studies

The Study Abroad program, housed in Union's Center for Intercultural Engagement, provides structured support for both domestic and international curricular and co-curricular initiatives. Working with faculty and students, the Study Abroad program uses expertise in off-site travel, course transcription management, and financial aid. With a clear protocol prior to departure, support during the experience, and a thorough debriefing process upon return, the Study Abroad program ensures that students have a safe, academically rigorous, and interculturally relevant experience. For a thorough explanation of Study Abroad Programming at Union University, please contact the Study Abroad Coordinator or visit the Center for Intercultural Engagement's website.

Union's Study Abroad program includes direct (concurrent) enrollment, independent institutes or providers, institutional agreements, and third-party providers. Furthermore, the Study Abroad program uses a rigorous set of criteria for identifying and cultivating relationships with high-quality, ethically-grounded programs around the world that provide optimal experiences for students. This ensures that we support domestic and international programs that have high academic standards, provide opportunities for students to engage with people from the host institution and the surrounding community, offer a safe living environment, and have an adequate support system for the student. The Center for Intercultural Engagement adheres to the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad put forth by the Forum on Education Abroad.

Continuing Education

Union University has a Continuing Education Program for those who wish to enhance personal or professional knowledge but not necessarily a degree. Courses offered will be determined by the groups desiring the courses and the instructors. These courses are offered only when there is a sufficient demand. See the School of Adult and Professional Studies for more details.