Nor’easter Core Curriculum

As a student at the University of New England, you share a common learning experience with all undergraduates, the Nor’easter Core Curriculum, to complement the knowledge gained in your major.

ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ’s Active, Engaged Approach to Learning

The University of New England’s Nor’easter Core Curriculum is a comprehensive general education program designed to equip undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, and Westbrook College of Health Professions with essential skills and interdisciplinary knowledge. The Nor’easter Core Curriculum is outcomes-based and emphasizes active, engaged approaches to learning. It encompasses 13 courses totaling 40 credits, structured around seven critical content areas and six key habits of mind.

A student holding a piece of paper stands in front of a blackboard in a classroom with other students
A professor assists a student with their petri dishes filled with yeast in a class lab

Core Content Areas

  • Power, Knowledge, and Justice: Explores societal structures and equity.
  • Human Experience: Examines cultural and historical perspectives.
  • Human Health: Focuses on holistic health and equity.
  • Health of Natural Ecosystems: Addresses environmental interactions and sustainability.
  • Creativity and the Arts: Encourages creative expression and innovation.
  • Quantitative Reasoning: Develops analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Scientific Method: Emphasizes empirical research and laboratory experience.
A student refines their unfired pottery
A group of three students studying at a table together with a laptop and books
A student stands with an open book in front of shelves of numerous books in a library stack
Three students set up a telescopic pole on green grass
A student plays cards with two elderly residents at nursing home

Curriculum Structure

This curriculum is designed to prepare you for the complexities of modern society by fostering interdisciplinary knowledge, critical skills, and civic responsibility.

Foundational Knowledge and Skills

  • First-Year Seminar (FYS): Introduces academic and social integration.
  • First-Year Writing (FYW): Enhances written and oral communication.
  • Creativity and the Arts (CA): Fosters artistic creation and innovation.
  • Scientific Method (SM): Engages in scientific inquiry with lab components.
  • Quantitative Reasoning (QR): Applies mathematical reasoning to real-world problems.

Expanding Awareness of the World

  • Power, Knowledge, and Justice – Social Science (PKJS): Analyzes societal dynamics and justice.
  • Human Experience â€