Core Curriculum

Effective for Fall 2025 

University of North Carolina Asheville’s general education program reflects UNC Asheville’s identity as the liberal arts and sciences university of the UNC System. As such, it cultivates students’ sense of belonging to and stewardship of local, national, and global places, while delivering a transformative education based on the liberal arts tradition of free and open inquiry, ethical reasoning, and interpersonal growth.

UNC Asheville’s general education curriculum begins with a first-year experience that introduces students to campus, the local region, and the foundations of a liberal arts education.
Students hone these liberal arts skills and competencies by taking six Disciplinary Foundations courses, where they acquire a breadth of knowledge about different academic disciplines and
methodologies to supplement their in-depth study of a major. These disciplinary courses ensure that students have the opportunity to explore and experience varied content, methodologies, and
approaches from across campus, all while fulfilling SLO’s that will aid and support them in their majors and future careers. Students then reflect on their place within the United States and the
world in two Interdisciplinary Intensive courses that challenge them to examine the nation’s democratic ideals (FAD) and think critically about their roles as global citizens (Senior-Year Seminar).

Courses approved by the faculty to satisfy the specific requirements of the Core Curriculum may be found below. The course credit hours listed below for each requirement are stated as the minimum credit hours required. Descriptions of these individual requirements may be found in the academic catalog. We recommend you use GradPlan to track your course requirements.

Core Curriculum Requirements

 

Liberal Arts Foundations through the First-Year Experience

(Cannot share with other requirements)

First-Year Seminar— 3-4 semester hours

  • FYS 178 – This requirement is for new First-Year students only and it must be fulfilled in residence. 

Academic Writing and Critical Inquiry— 4 semester hours

  • LANG 120 – A grade of C- of better is required to fulfill this requirement. 

Disciplinary Foundations

(Can share with other requirements.)

Humanities— 4 semester hours

  • AMS—any course
  • HIST—any 300-level course
  • HUM—any course
  • LANG—any course (except LANG 120)
  • LIT—any course
  • LL—any course
  • PHIL 100, 101, 200, 214, 230, 305, 310, 312
  • RELS—any course
  • Language courses 200-level or above (ASIA, CHER, FREN, GERM, GRK, HEB, LAT, PORT, SPAN)

Arts —3-4 semester hours

Social Sciences—3-4 semester hours

A 3 or 4 credit class from the list below.

  • AFST—any course
  • AIIS—any course
  • ANTH—any course
  • ASIA—any course
  • BUS—any course
  • ECON—any course
  • EDUC—any course
  • ESI—any course
  • ETHN—any course
  • HRST—any course
  • HS 222, 224, 333, 365
  • INTS—any course
  • IST—any course
  • MCOM—any course
  • MUSC 350, 367, 368
  • POLS—any course
  • PSYC—any course
  • SOC—any course
  • WGSS—any course

Natural Sciences — 4 semester hours

A lab science course from one of the disciplines listed below.

  • ASTR 102 + 112 or 113, ASTR 103 + 112 or 113
  • ATMS 103 + 111
  • BIOL 125 + 126, BIOL 136, BIOL 328
  • CHEM 109, CHEM 111 + 132, CHEM 145 + 231, CHEM 145 + 233, CHEM 222 + 232
  • ENVS 105, 130 + 171
  • HS 234, 235
  • PHYS 101 + 121, PHYS 102 + 122, PHYS 131, PHYS 221

    Quantitative Reasoning —4 semester hours

    • A 4 credit class in MATH or STAT.

    Second Language—0-4 semester hours

    • Fulfilled by any level of a second language or placement exam (low intermediate proficiency)
      • Language courses at UNCA are ASIA, CHER, FREN, GERM, GRK, HEB, LAT, PORT, SPAN
      • Other language courses are available via the UNC Language Exchange.

    Interdisciplinary Intensive

    (Cannot share with Disciplinary Foundations requirements.)

    Foundations of American Democracy — 3-4 semester hours

     

    For students admitted prior to Fall 2025, please see the Liberal Arts Core requirements.