Academics > Core Requirements

A student may choose to meet the graduation requirements listed in the College Catalog that was in effect the year the student entered Thiel College or in any subsequent College Catalog. However, a student may not select graduation requirements from more than one catalog at a time. If the student has been out of residence for more than one academic year, the graduation requirements in effect at the time of re-enrollment at Thiel will apply.

Competency Requirements
The competency requirements are designed to introduce the student to the knowledge and skills required to write and speak effectively and to achieve a certain proficiency level in a foreign language and mathematics.

The grade of "C-"or higher must be earned to successfully complete competency requirements.

• ENG 111 - Oral & Written Expression I (3 C.H.)
  
• ENG 112 - Oral & Written Expression II (3 C.H.)
  
• Writing Intensive Courses - 5 WIC courses
  
  • Combinations of major, minor, core and elective courses that are designated as WIC can be used to fulfill this requirement. However, to fulfill the requirement no more than three courses can be in the same discipline.
    
• Foreign Language (0-6 C.H.)
  
  • Two semesters of the same foreign language or
    
  • One semester of a foreign language at the intermediate level or
    
  • Exemption via proficiency examination
    
• Mathematics (0-4 C.H.)
  
  • MATH 107 - College Algebra (3 C.H.) or
    
  • MATH 121 - Cultural Approach to Mathematics (3 C.H.) or
    
  • Any higher level mathematics course (3-4 C.H.) or
    
  • Exemption via proficiency examination
    

At the heart of a Thiel education is the core curriculum, what we call the Integrative Requirement. Unique to Thiel College, the Integrative Requirement is a series of classes designed to provide students with a common foundation in the liberal arts. Through the Integrative Requirement, you'll see how all knowledge relates, how history, philosophy, religion and literature share common themes and ideas, and how the sciences and social sciences can work together to solve problems in the environment and society at large.

Many of the classes in our integrative core curriculum are team-taught. For example, in History of Western Humanities, you'll study the literature, music, art and ideas that shaped Western culture from ancient times to the present; and in Science and Our Global Heritage, you'll examine the effects of science and technology on India, Nigeria, China and Brazil and come away with an understanding of the importance of responsible and sustainable development.  Thiel College has received national recognition for its integrative core curriculum and has received support for it from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation and the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education.

Through the Integrative Requirement (IR), you'll also take classes that will help you develop as a writer and speaker, master a foreign language, and hone your analytical abilities. A liberal arts education gives you the power to learn new things quickly, adapt to new environments, and think critically and analytically. The courses in the IR will help you improve skills that will stay with you for a lifetime and translate into any field or career you choose.

The requirement includes:

• INDS 115 - History of Western Humanities I (4 C.H.)
• INDS 125 - History of Western Humanities II (4 C.H.)
• REL 120- Interpreting the Jewish & Christian Scriptures (3 C.H.)
• INDS 210 or INDS 220 - Science and our Global Heritage I or II (4 C.H.)
• Any Laboratory Science Class (4 C.H.)
• Successfully complete a course in four of the following groups (Competency Requirements cannot be used to satisfy these areas):
  • Humanities: Communication, English, History, Languages, Philosophy, Religion
  • Fine Arts/Performing Arts/Music: Art, Music, Theatre
  • Social Sciences: CJS, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology
  • Computer Science/Mathematics/Natural Science: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Physics
• Concern for Physical Well-Being: successfully complete:
  A. Two credit hours of theory courses such as:
       AH 105 - Taking care of your health
       AH 115 - Food patterns and health
       HPED 198 - Slimnastics
       HPED 199 - Fitness for Life and Wellness
  B. Two structured activity units: such as two seasons of intercollegiate athletics, activities offered through the Health and Physical Education department, or other documentable alternative activities approved by HPED that apply wellness theory to the development of healthy lifestyles.