Core Curriculum
As the shared academic experience of all Detroit Mercy undergraduate students, the Core Curriculum is the signature element of a Detroit Mercy education. The Core serves as the foundation to the university's mission to "integrate the intellectual, spiritual, ethical and social development of our students."
The outcomes-based core curriculum is provided to students through approved courses that incorporate the outcomes designated for a core knowledge area or integrating theme. It is recommended that students consult closely with their academic advisor before registering for core courses, as there may be prerequisites or specific courses unique to a program of study.
List of University Core Curriculum approved courses
Additional approved classes may exist and will be noted in the Self-Service – Student course catalog and class schedule.
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Knowledge Area A: Communication Skills
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Knowledge Area B: Mathematical & Statistical Knowledge
B1: Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- MTH 1010 Algebra
- MTH 1020 and MTH 1030 and MTH 1040 Algebra
- MTH 1110 Mathematical Analysis I
- MTH 1120 Mathematical Analysis II
- MTH 1400 Elementary Functions
- MTH 1410 Analytic Geometry & Calculus I
- MTH 1420 Analytic Geometry & Calculus II
B2: Statistical and Probabilistic Reasoning
(see College/School specific page for program requirements) -
Knowledge Area C: Scientific Knowledge
C1: Physical Sciences
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- BIO 1030/SCIE 1030: Environmental Science
- BIO 1090 Current Topics in Biology
- BIO 1200 and BIO 1210 General Biology I + Lab
- BIO 2300 and BIO 2310 Hum Anat & Phys I + Lab
- CHM 1015 Chemical Principles (2)
- CHM 1025 Intro Chem for the Health Sciences
- CHM 1030 Chemistry in Society (2)
- PHY 1080 History of the Universe
- PHY 1600 and PHY 1610 Gen Physics I + Lab (2)
- SCIE 1020 Energy and Society
C2: Social Sciences
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- AAS 3100 Science, Technology, and Race (3)
- ECN 1000 Introduction to Economics
- ECN 2950 Microeconomic Principles
- ECN 2960 Macroeconomic Principles
- ECN 3050 Money and The Financial System
- ECN 4355 Comparative Economic Systems (2)
- ECN 4705 Economic Development (2)
- EDU 4400 School and Society
- ENGR 3110 Professional Practice of Engineering (2)
- GEO 2110 World Regional Geography (2)
- HSA 4610 Health Economics
- LST 2000 Introduction to Legal Studies
- POL 1000 Intro to Political Science
- POL 2010 Introduction to Law and the Judiciary
- POL 3100 Women and Politics (3)
- POL 3460 Civil Liberties and Equality
- POL 4670 Politics in Africa
- PYC 1000 Introduction to Psychology
- PYC 2500 Developmental Psychology (3)
- PYC 2600 Social Psychology
- PYC 2650 Psychology of Environment (2)
- SOC 1000 Introduction to Sociology
- SOC 2100 Cultural Anthropology (2)
(2) - Fulfills two core requirements
(3) - Fulfills three core requirements -
Knowledge Area D: Religious & Philosophical Knowledge
D1: Philosophical Knowledge
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- PHL 1000 Introduction to Philosophy
D2: Religious Knowledge
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- CAS 2000/RELS 2000 Catholicism:Spirit & Methods (3)
- RELS 2001 The Study of Religions
- RELS 2020 Asian Religions (2)
- RELS 2030 Western Religions (2)
- RELS 2050/ISLM 2050 Introduction to Islam
- RELS 2120 Introduction to Judaism
- CAS 2150/RELS 2150 The Rise of Christianity
- RELS 2170 Religion in the United States of America
- RELS 2180 Black Religion in America (2)
- RELS 2195 Geographies of Religion
- RELS 2200 Intro to Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) (2)
- RELS 2230 Prophets and Visionaries (2)
- RELS 2240 Jesus and Gospels (2)
- RELS 2245 Introduction to the New Testament (2)
D3: Additional PHL/RELS Elective
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- CAS 3000/RELS 4320/HIS 3090 Classical and Contemporary Catholicism (3)
- CAS 3530/RELS 3530 Dynamics of Spiritual Growth (3)
- CAS 3800/RELS 3800 Sport and Spiritual Traditions (2)
- PHL 2020 Person and Society
- PHL 2500 Symbolic Logic
- PHL 3010 Social & Political Philosophy
- PHL 3020/RELS 3000 Philosophy of Religion (3)
- PHL 3030 Philosophy of God
- PHL 3040 Aquinas: First University Masterpieces
- PHL 3050 Aesthetics (3)
- PHL 3060 Ancient Philosophy
- PHL 3070 Medieval Philosophy
- PHL 3080 Early Modern Philosophy
- PHL 3081 Philosophy of Feminism (3)
- PHL 3101 Philosophy, Visuality, and the New Media
- PHL 3120 Contemporary Moral Issues
- PHL 3200 Contemporary Ethical Theory
- PHL 3410 Philosophy of the Human Person
- PHL 3650 African Philosophy and Culture (3)
- PHL 4060 Metaphysics (2)
- PHL 4091 Existentialism
- RELS 4100/ISLM 4100 Classical Islam
- PHL 4240 Philosophy of Law
- PHL 4400 Contemporary Philosophy (2)
- PHL 4070 Epistemology (2)
- POL 3800 Elements of Political Thought
- RELS 3000 Philosophy of Religion
- RELS 3051/ISLM 3100 Creative Islam
- RELS 3052/ISLM 3200 Modern Debates in Islam
- RELS 3055/ISLM 3300 Islam in America
- RELS 3060 Buddhism (3)
- RELS 3061 Buddhisms in America (2)
- RELS 3400 Class, Race, and Gender
- RELS 3590 Religion, Health and Healing
- RELS 3610 Religions and Sci-Fi (2)
- RELS 4132 Religions and Global Wellbeing
- RELS 4140 Gender and Religion (2)
- RELS 4141 Gender in Asian Traditions (2)
- RELS 4205 The Torah
- RELS 4230 Prophets, Wisdom and Apocalyptic
- RELS 4240 The Four Gospels
- RELS 4440 Sexuality & Love in Contemp Christian Thought
- RELS 4450 Sex, Race and Class: Feminist/Womanist Ethics
(2) - Fulfills two core requirements
(3) - Fulfills three core requirements -
Knowledge Area E: Essential Humanities
E1: Historical Experiences
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- HIS 1500 Introduction to History
- HIS 2000 Ancient Mediterranean World
- HIS 2100 Medieval Europe
- HIS 2200 Early Modern Europe
- HIS 2300 Europe in the 19th & 20th Cent.
- HIS 2400 Modern Middle East
- HIS 2500 United States to 1877
- HIS 2510 United States Since 1877 (2)
- HIS 2640 Comparative Civilizations
- HIS 2800 Modern Latin American
- HIS 2900 Modern Africa (2)
- HIS 3170 Social Hist of Art in Italy (2)
- HIS 3480 African-American History (3)
E2: Literary Experiences
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)E3: Aesthetic Experiences
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- ARCH/ENT 1000 Sketching for Product Development
- ARCH 2220 Architectural History & Theory II (2)
- CST 1120 Visual Communication
- CST 4120 Documentary Film Production
- ENL 2050 Intro to Creative Writing
- ENL 2550 Study of Film
- ENL 3750 Film Genres
- ENL 3850 Intermediate Creative Writing
- FINA 2000 Introduction to the Arts
- HIS 3170 Social History of Art in Italy (2)
- HIS 3190 Introduction to World Art History
- MUS 2020 Survey of Our Music Heritage
- MUS 2060 Music of the Theatre
- MUS 2080 American Music
- MUS 2090 African-American Women in Music (2)
- MUSM 4000 Introduction to Museum Studies
- PHL 3050 Aesthetics (3)
- TRE 1310 Introduction to the Theatre
- TRE 1500 Fundamentals of Human Expression
- TRE 1610 Fundamentals of Acting
(2) - Fulfills two core requirements
(3) - Fulfills three core requirements -
Knowledge Area F: Ethics and Social Responsibility
F1: Ethics
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- ENGR 1000 Engineering Ethics (2)
- ETH 3580 Health Care Ethics
- PHL 2010 Foundations of Ethics
- RELS 2340 Introduction to Christian Ethics (2)
- RELS 3480 Justice: Contemp Issues and Theories (2)
- RELS 4340 Christian Ethics
(2) - Fulfills two core requirements
(3) - Fulfills three core requirements -
Integrating Theme 1: Reading, Writing, and Research across the Curriculum
IT1: Reading, Writing, and Research across the Curriculum
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- ARCH 2220 Architectural History and Theory II (2)
- BIO 4990 Biology and Social Issues
- BUS 2310 Business Law (2)
- CHM 1015 Chemical Principles (2)
- CHM 1030 Chemistry in Society (2)
- CIVE 3450 Construction Materials
- DHY 8140 Strategies for Prevention of Oral Diseases and DHY 8280 Scientific Literature
- ENGR 1080 Fundamentals of Engineering Design
- ENL 2060 Intro to Professional Writing (2)
- ENL 3000 Writing about Literature
- ENL 3030 Technical Writing
- ENL 3080 Business Writing
- ENL 3260 History of the English Language
- HSA 4700 Evidence-Based Research for Health Services Administration
- HIS 2910 Historical Methods
- NUR 4500 Nursing Research & Evidenced-Based Practice
- PHIL 3410 Philosophy of the Human Person
- PHL 4060 Metaphysics (2)
- PHL 4070 Epistemology (2)
- PYC 2500 Developmental Psychology (3)
- PYC 3420 Abnormal Psychology (2)
- PYC 3430 Health Psychology (2)
- PYC 3540 Sex Differences and Sex Roles (2)
- SWK 2050 Critical Thinking & Writing for Social Workers (2)
- WGS 3300 The Complexity of Gender: Applied Approaches for Inquiry and Social Change (2)
(2) - Fulfills two core requirements
(3) - Fulfills three core requirements -
Integrating Theme 2: Critical Thinking
IT2: Critical Thinking
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- ARCH 2520 Architectural History & Theory III
- BIO 4490 Ecology Laboratory
- BIO 4630 Physiology
- BUS 2310 Business Law (2)
- CSSE 4150 Introduction to Software Engineering
- ENGR 3150 Thermodynamics I
- ENL 2060 Introduction to Professional Writing (2)
- HIS 2510 United States Since 1877 (2)
- NUR 2500 Fundamentals of Nursing Practice
- NUR 3256 Leadership in Nursing Practice (2)
- PHL 1500 Critical Thinking
- PHY 1600 and PHY 1610 Gen Physics I + Lab (2)
- RELS 2340 Introduction to Christian Ethics (2)
- RELS 3060 Buddhism (3)
- RELS 4130 Christianity and World Religions
- SWK 2050 Critical Thinking & Writing for Social Workers (2)
- WGS 3300 The Complexity of Gender: Applied Approaches for Inquiry and Social Change (2)
(2) - Fulfills two core requirements
(3) - Fulfills three core requirements -
Integrating Theme 3: Cultural Diversity
IT3: Cultural Diversity
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- AAS 2000 Black America Social Relations and Social Institutions (2)
- ADS 4950 Multicultural Competence in Treating Substance-Related Disorders
- ARB 1100 Introduction to Arabic I
- ARB 1110 Introduction to Arabic II
- ARB 1120 Introduction to Arabic III
- ARB 2100 Intermediate Arabic I
- BUS 4790 International Human Rights Law
- CHI 1100 Introductory Chinese I
- CST 3140 Intercultural Communication
- ECN 4355 Comparative Economic Systems (2)
- ECN 4705 Economic Development (2)
- ENGR 3110 Professional Practice of Engineering (2)
- ENL 2850 African-American Literature (2)
- FRE 1100 Introduction to French I
- FRE 1110 Introduction to French II
- FRE 1120 Introduction to French III
- FRE 2100 Intermediate French I
- GER 1100 Introduction to German I
- GER 1110 Introduction to German II
- GER 1120 Introduction to German III
- GER 2100 Intermediate German I
- HIS 3480 African-American History (3)
- HLH 2550 Population Health and Epidemiology
- HSA 3300 Health in the Community
- HUS 4410 Multicultural Understanding (2)
- ITL 1100 Introduction to Italian I
- ITL 1110 Introduction to Italian II
- PHL 3050 Aesthetics (3)
- PHL 3081 Philosophy of Feminism (3)
- PHL 3650 African Philosophy and Culture (3)
- PLS 1100 Introduction to Polish I
- POL 3020 Race and Political Thought
- POL 3100 Women and Politics (3)
- PYC 3430 Health Psychology (2)
- PYC 4400 Cross-Cultural Socialization
- RELS 2020 Asian Religions (2)
- RELS 2030 Western Religions (2)
- RELS 3060 Buddhism (3)
- RELS 3061 Buddhisms in American (2)
- RELS 4132 Religions and Global Wellbeing (2)
- SOC 2100 Cultural Anthropology (2)
- SPA 1100 Introduction to Spanish I
- SPA 1110 Introduction to Spanish II
- SPA 1120 Introduction to Spanish III
- SPA 2100 Intermediate Spanish I
(2) - Fulfills two core requirements
(3) - Fulfills three core requirements -
Integrating Theme 4: Human Difference
IT4: Human Difference
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- AAS 2000 Black America Social Relations and Social Institutions (2)
- AAS 3100 Science, Technology, and Race (3)
- BUS 4790 International Human Rights Law
- CJS 4540 Sociology of Deviant Behavior
- ENL 2750 Diverse Voices in Literature (2)
- ENL 2850 African American Literature (2)
- GEO 2110 World Regional Geography (2)
- HIS 2900 Modern Africa (2)
- HIS 3480 African-American History (3)
- HUS 4410 Multicultural Understanding (2)
- MUS 2090 African-American Women in Music (2)
- NUR 2100 Introduction to Nursing Practice in Mercy and Jesuit Traditions (2)
- NUR 3256 Leadership in Nursing Practice (2)
- PHL 3081 Philosophy of Feminism (3)
- PHL 3650 African Philosophy and Culture (3)
- PHL 4400 Contemporary Philosophy (2)
- POL 3100 Women and Politics (3)
- POL 4670 Politics in Africa
- PYC 2500 Developmental Psychology (3)
- PYC 2650 Psychology of Environment (2)
- PYC 2750 Human Sexuality
- PYC 3410 Psychology of Personality
- PYC 3420 Abnormal Psychology (2)
- PYC 3540 Sex Differences and Sex Roles (2)
- RELS 2180 Black Religion in America (2)
- RELS 2440 Love & Sexuality in Modern Christian Thought
- RELS 3400 Class, Race, and Gender
- RELS 3610 Religions and Sci-Fi (2)
- RELS 4140 Gender and Religions (2)
- RELS 4141 Gender in Asian Traditions (2)
- WGS 2000 Gender, Sex, and Justice (2)
(2) - Fulfills two core requirements
(3) - Fulfills three core requirements -
Integrating Theme 5: Personal Spiritual Development
IT5: Personal Spiritual Development
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- CAS 2000/RELS 2000 Catholicism: Spirit & Methods (3)
- CAS 3000/RELS 4320/HIS 3090 Classical and Contemporary Catholicism (3)
- CAS 3530/RELS 3530 Dynamics of Spiritual Growth (3)
- CAS 3800/RELS 3800 Sports and Spiritual Traditions (2)
- COM 8210 Concepts in Community Health (2)
- CTA 3010 and CTA 3020 and ENGR 3000 Engr Co-op I, II; Intro Co-op E&S
- NUR 2100 Introduction to Nursing Practice in Mercy and Jesuit Traditions (2)
- NUR 3251 Transitions Into Professional Practice in the Mercy and Jesuit Traditions (2)
- PHL 3020/RELS 3000 Philosophy of Religion (3)
- PHL 3560 Peace and Social Justice
- PYC 2620/LEAD 2000 Exploring Leadership (2)
- SWK 3000 Self-Care & Spirituality (2)
(2) - Fulfills two core requirements
(3) - Fulfills three core requirements -
Integrating Theme 6: Spirituality and Social Justice
IT6: Spirituality and Social Justice
(see College/School specific page for program requirements)- AAS 3100 Science, Technology, and Race (3)
- ARCH 1290 Introduction to Architecture II
- BUS 3190 Ethics, Bus. Leadership and Social Resp.
- CAS 2000/RELS 2000 Catholicism:Spirit & Methods (3)
- CAS 3000/RELS 4320/HIS 3090 Classical and Contemporary Catholicism (3)
- CAS 3470/RELS 3470 Catholic Social Thought
- CAS 3530/RELS 3530 Dynamics of Spiritual Growth (3)
- COM 8210 Concepts in Community Health (2)
- ENGR 1000 Engineering Ethics (2)
- ENL 2750 Diverse Voices in Literature (2)
- NUR 3251 Transitions Into Professional Practice in the Mercy and Jesuit Traditions (2)
- NUR 4755 Professional Practice from a Mercy and Jesuit Perspective
- PHL 3020/RELS 3000 Philosophy of Religion (3)
- PHL 3560 Peace & Social Justice
- PYC 2620/LEAD 2000 Exploring Leadership (2)
- RELS 2200 Intro to Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) (2)
- RELS 2230 Prophets and Visionaries (2)
- RELS 2240 Jesus and the Gospels (2)
- RELS 2245 Introduction to the New Testament (2)
- RELS 3430 Ethics and Economic Theories
- RELS 3480 Justice: Contemporary Issues/Theories (2)
- RELS 4132 Religions and Global Wellbeing (2)
- RELS 4230 Prophets, Wisdom and Apocalyptic (2)
- SWK 3000 Self-Care & Spirituality (2)
- WGS 2000 Gender, Sex, and Justice (2)
(2) - Fulfills two core requirements
(3) - Fulfills three core requirements
For more details about the Core Curriculum, visit your specific college or school from the following list: