Frequently Asked Questions

The KU Core establishes six educational goals for all undergraduates at the University of Kansas. The KU Core is designed to yield fundamental skills, build a broad background of knowledge, generate capacities and opportunities for blending and creating ideas, strengthen an appreciation of cultural and global diversity, and cultivate ethical integrity. Starting in fall 2013, all students entering KU will follow curricula that coordinate with the KU Core goals.

There is no standard timeline for completion of the core. You do not have to complete the core before applying or declaring a major. It needs to be completed before you can graduate. The general education goals (Goals 1-3) are best met early in a student’s career. The advanced education goals (Goals 4-6) are most appropriately acquired using the foundation of knowledge gained from the general education goals and progression through the major.

There are no specific course requirements in the KU Core. Each learning outcome can be achieved either by taking an approved course, participating in an approved educational experience, or completing an approved combination of courses and/or educational experiences. Students should work with their academic advisors to determine how they will meet the goals and learning outcomes of the KU Core.

Experiences that have been approved for the KU Core include certain study-abroad programs, service-learning opportunities, and internships. Approved experiences are posted on the KU Core website. Students may choose from this list with confidence that the experience will satisfy the requirements of the KU Core curriculum. With guidance from the Experiential Learning Collaborative, the University Core Curriculum Committee will continue to add to this list.

A unit can be a single approved course (3–5 hours), an approved educational experience, an approved sequence of courses, or an approved combination or partnership of coursework and/or experiences. Students will complete 12 units in meeting the requirements of the KU Core.

A course may be approved to meet more than one learning outcome. However, for purposes of satisfying the KU Core, a student may count one course toward only one learning outcome. By visiting kucore.ku.edu/courses, you can see the courses and the goals they fulfill. Courses that are approved for more than one goal will automatically fill into the KU Core goals that have not been met. We recommend you refer to your Degree Progress Report (DPR) and meet with your advisor if you have questions or concerns.

Although satisfying all six goals of the KU Core is a requirement for all undergraduates, the KU Core is intended to integrate as seamlessly as possible with the degree requirements across the many majors offered at KU. Courses taken to satisfy degree-specific requirements can often simultaneously be used to achieve KU Core learning outcomes. Double-check with your academic advisor and department for confirmation.

Students who meet KU Core requirements as part of one degree program and then change majors will not have to meet KU Core requirements again as they pursue their new major. They will, however, still be expected to meet all the degree-specific requirements of their new major.

Yes. Some transfer courses satisfy KU Core requirements. The Credit Transfer website lists courses taken at other institutions that may transfer to KU. The charts on that page indicate whether a course is equivalent to a course that meets a learning outcome of the KU Core. If a transfer course is equivalent to a KU course that meets a KU Core requirement, then the transfer course may be considered to satisfy the same requirement.

Courses and sequences can meet more than one goal. However, these cannot be used simultaneously by students.

There are not exact situations when a letter is better suited from an advisor. The primary reason for letters of support is to help explain how the course or experience meets the goal/learning outcome and show support for the petition.

Exceptional or extraordinary circumstances might be a course that transferred into KU with a general designator (such as BIOL N) and the student believes the course fulfills and aligns with a KU Core goal. Most existing KU Courses, that do not already have a Core designation, will not be reviewed by the committee. Departments decide to propose courses to fulfill KU Core goals, and the committee cannot override those decisions. Questions about exceptional or extraordinary circumstances may be directed to kucore@ku.edu.

Courses that transfer into KU with a direct match may complete KU Core outcomes if the direct match is approved for KU Core credit. Please visit the Credit Transfer website to see how your course will transfer to KU.

Please visit the KU Core Nominations webpage to see the breakdown on nominating a course.

Please visit the KU Core Educational Experiences webpage to read about the process.

The UCCC will communicate when a nomination has not been approved. To appeal, we recommend you discuss with the UCCC Chair and KU Core Coordinator for more information about the committee’s review. Once your information has been compiled, please send it to kucore@ku.edu. The committee will review the additional information and reconsider the course.

Please visit the KU Core Recertification webpage for more information.

The course must demonstrate that it meets the learning outcomes for the proposed goal. Please visit KU Core Goals webpage to see a breakdown of the learning outcomes for each goal.

The course will be up for recertification on a 6-year cycle. During this process, you will be asked to provide information about how the course meets the learning outcomes for the approved goal. For more information and a timeline of the recertification process, please visit the KU Core Recertification webpage.

Please visit the KU Core Decertification webpage for more information.

The UCCC does not decertify courses without probable cause. The reason for courses to be decertified are either by request of the department or during the recertification process. The committee determines if courses meet the learning outcomes for the goals. Courses that are decertified can be appealed through the committee by better demonstrating that the courses meet the learning outcomes.