The core curriculum provides a foundation for the knowledge and intellectual skills constituting the University's judgment of what is essential to being an educated person. These general education courses are required of all freshmen and sophomores. The Core is divided into the five areas of Essential Skills; Institutional Priorities; Humanities and Fine Arts; Mathematics, Science and Quantitative Technology; and Social Sciences, plus a sixth area specifically related to your major.

When deciding on a schedule, most students who do not work take a full schedule of five academic courses (15 hours). Each semester you and your advisor will decide on the combination of classes which is best for you. Listed inside are the areas of the Core and specific suggestions/ descriptions which may help you choose the ideal combination of classes for you.

Academic advising is a joint responsibility: yours and your advisors. It is a continuous process that begins with your freshman orientation and culminates at your graduation. Be aware that some departments may put a hold on your registration until you have seen an advisor. Be sure to make an appointment for advising well in advance of your day to register. With a few exceptions, you will register yourself on a computer using Banweb. When you may register is determined by the last two (2) digits of your social security number and is noted in the Bulletin of Courses each semester.

1. An appointment made early, well before your registration date. Promptness at all your scheduled advising appointments.
2. Preparation for your advising appointment. Always have with you a pen, Schedule of Classes, West Georgia catalog, curriculum guide, and transfer evaluation. Have tentative schedules worked out.
3. Basic knowledge of the Core Curriculum and your academic record to date so that you can provide your advisor with the information needed to reach your goals.
4. Basic knowledge about the academic requirements and policies in the West Georgia Undergraduate Catalog.
5. Acceptance of responsibility for your choices and your decisions.
6. A willingness to ask questions and be an active participant in your educational career.

1. General information about University policies, programs available at West Georgia, the Core Curriculum, degree requirements for your major, and career possibilities.
2. Assistance in planning and scheduling each semester's program of study.
3. Awareness of the services and persons available to offer assistance when you are experiencing academic difficulties.
4. Knowledge of University regulations regarding grades and grade point averages relating to required academic progress as well as other University requirements (such as Regents' Test, etc.).
5. Confidentiality of your academic record and any personal concerns/questions which may be discussed.
 
 

Section 1
BOTH English courses are required. You must earn a C or higher in ENGL 1101 and ENGL 1102 to complete the requirement

ENGL 1101 Basic Composition I (3)
ENGL 1102 Basic Composition II (3)

Section 2
Choose ONE math course appropriate for your major:

Business majors:
MATH 1111 College Algebra (3)
MATH 1113 Pre-calculus (4)

Engineering majors:
MATH 1634 Calculus (4)

Nursing majors:
MATH 1101 Mathematical Modeling (3)
MATH 1111 College Algebra (3)

Science, Science Education, Math, Computer Science majors:
MATH 1113 Pre-calculus (4)
 

All other majors:
MATH 1101 Mathematical Modeling (3)
MATH 1111 College Algebra (3) - Recommended for Education Majors
MATH 1113 Pre-calculus (4)
 

The following is a recommendation from the Math Department. Students who have taken MATH 1111 (College Algebra) and then discover they are required to take MATH 1113 (Pre-calculus) should take MATH 1112 (Trigonometry & Analytical Geometry) to satisfy their Pre-calculus requirement.

 

Section 1
Choose ONE of the following:
ART 2000 Oral Communication and the Visual Arts (3)
    Recommended for Art Majors
COMM 1110 Public Speaking (3)
    Recommended for Education and Business Majors
ENGL 2000 American Speech (3)
ENGL 2050 Self Staging: Oral Communication in Daily Life (3)
PHIL 2110 Critical Thinking (3)
XIDS 1004 Oral and Technological Communication (4)
 
 

Section 2
Choose ONE of the following :
ANTH 1100 Faces of Culture (2)
BUSA 1900 Surfing the Internet for Success (2)
CS 1000 Practical Computing (1)
CS 1020 Computers & Society (1)
LIBR 1101 Academic Research & the Library (2)
COMM 1111 Issues in Argumentation (2)
MUSC 1110 Survey of World Music (2)
XIDS 2001 What Do You Really Know About...(1) Topics in this course vary each semester.
XIDS 2002 What Do You Really Know About...(2) Topics in this course vary each semester.
 

Please note that not all courses in Area B/Sections 1 and 2 are taught each semester.

Section 2
Choose ONE of the following:
ART 1201 Introduction to Art (3)
ART 2201 History of World Art I (3)
ART 2202 History of World Art II (3)
COMM 1110 Public Speaking (3)
COMM 1154 Introduction to Mass Communication (3)
ENGL 2110 World Literature (3)*
ENGL 2120 British Literature (3)*
ENGL 2130 American Literature (3)*
ENGL 2160 Philosophy and Literature (3)*
ENGL 2180 Studies in African-American Literature (3)*
ENGL 2190 Studies in Literature by Women (3)*
FORL 2200 Survey of National Literatures (3)
FORL 2300 Topics in National Literatures (3)
MUSC 1100 Music Appreciation (3)
MUSC 1120 Survey of Jazz, Rock, and Popular Music (3)
PHIL 2100 Introduction to Philosophy (3)
PHIL 2120 Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 2160 Philosophy and Literature (3)*
THEA 1100 Theater Appreciation (3)
Any 3 credits of a foreign language 1001, 1002, 2001, 2002

*Before you register for these classes, you must have successfully completed ENGL 1101 AND ENGL 1102.
 
 

You should consult the specific requirements listed in the description of your degree program in the catalog and work closely with an advisor to complete this area of the Core; however, there are basically three options for satisfying the requirement.
OPTION I - NON-SCIENCE MAJORS
Section 1
Choose TWO of the following science courses, at least one of which must be a lab science class:
ASTR 2313 Astronomy (3 + 1)*
BIOL 1010 Fundamentals of Biology (3 + 1)*
BIOL 1011 Biology of Human Reproduction (3)
    Prerequisite: BIOL 1010
BIOL 1012 Ecology & Environmental Biology (3)
    Prerequisite: BIOL 1010
BIOL 1013 Biology of AIDS & Infectious Disease (3)
    Prerequisite: BIOL 1010
BIOL 1014 Nutrition (3)
  Prerequisite: BIOL 1010
BIOL 1107 Principles of Biology I (3 + 1)*
BIOL 1108 Principles of Biology II (3 + 1)*
CHEM 1100 Introductory Chemistry (3 + 1)*
CHEM 1151K Survey of Chemistry I (4)
CHEM 1152K Survey of Chemistry II (4)
CHEM 1211K Principles of Chemistry I (4)
   Pre- or Co- requisite : MATH 1113
CHEM 1212K Principles of Chemistry II (4)
CHEM 1230K Accelerated Principles of Chemistry (4)
GEOG 1111 Introduction to Physical Geography (3)
GEOL 1121 Introductory Geosciences I:Physical Geology (3 + 1)*
GEOL 1122 Introductory Geosciences II:Historical Geology (3 + 1)*
GEOL 2503 Introduction to Oceanography
GEOL 2553 Geology of National Parks (3)
PHYS 1111 Introductory Physics I (4)
  Presequite: MATH 1113 or Departmental Consent
PHYS 1112 Introductory Physics II (4)
PHYS 2211 Principles of Physics I (4)
   Pre- or Co- requisite:  MATH 1634
PHYS 2212 Principles of Physics II (4)
XIDS 2201 Science Foundations (4)
XIDS 2202 Environmental Studies (3)

    * These classes have a separate lab. You must sign up for both the class and the lab if you want it to count for your lab science requirement. If you take
    the class by itself, it can count as one of your two non-lab course requirements.

Section 2
Choose ONE from BELOW OR ABOVE as long as no more than two of three courses in Area D are from the same discipline:

CS 1030 Introduction to Computer Concepts (3)
CS 1301 Computer Science I (4)
CS 1302 Computer Science II (4)
CS 2000 Applied Computing for the Sciences (3)
    Prerequisite: MATH 1112 or 1113 or Departmental Consent
MATH 1111 College Algebra (3)
MATH 1112 Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry (3)
MATH 1113 Pre-calculus (4)
MATH 1413 Survey of Calculus (3)
    Recommended for Business Majors
MATH 1634 Calculus I (4)
MATH 2063 Applied Calculus (3)
MATH 2644 Calculus II (4)
MATH 2703 Foundations of Mathematics I (3)
    Recommended for Early Childhood and Middle Education Majors
 
 

Section 2
Choose ONE from the list below. Be sure to consult the Undergraduate Catalog for your degree program requirements and course prerequisites.
MATH 1634 Calculus I (4) - Recommended for Math, Computer science, and most science programs
MATH 2063 Applied Statistics (3)
MATH 2644 Calculus II (4) - Recommended for Engineering Majors
CS 2000 Applied Computing for the Sciences (3)

OPTION III - NURSING MAJORS
Section 1
Choose any TWO lab science courses (in sequence) from the list below.
CHEM 1151 Survey of Chemistry I (4)
CHEM 1152 Survey of Chemistry II (4)
CHEM 1211 Principles of Chemistry I (4)
CHEM 1212 Principles of Chemistry II (4)
PHYS 1111 Introductory Physics I (3+1)
PHYS 1112 Introductory Physics II (3+1)

Section 2
Nursing students must take the following math
course for Area D, Section 2.
MATH 2063 Applied Statistics (3)
 
 

Physical Education Requirements by College
The College of Arts and Sciences has no physical education requirement.
The College of Business requires three hours of physical education.
The College of Education requires three hours of physical education that must include one 2-hour Health and Wellness course and one 1-hour activity course.
All students must satisfy the physical education requirements of the college from which they graduate.
 

Writing Across the Curriculum (for Arts and Sciences majors only)
Students are required to take at least two 3000/4000 level W courses (courses approved as Writing Intensive courses and marked in the semester bulletin with a "W") for a total of six hours. At least three hours must be in the major.

ENGL 1101 and 1102 (or the equivalent of) are prerequisites to all "W" courses.

Majors
Some majors may have specific core course requirements. Be sure to check the course requirements for your major as well as seek advisement from a faculty member in that department prior to registering for classes.

Minors
Minors are offered in the following fields: Accounting, Administrative Systems, American Studies, Anthropology, Art, Art History, Biology, Business Administration, Business Information Systems, Chemistry, Classical Studies, Computer Science, Criminology, Economics, English, Finance, French, Geography, Geology, German, History, Latin, Management, Marketing, Mass Communication, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Real Estate, Religion, Sociology, Spanish, Theatre, and Women's Studies.

Some programs require a minor while others do not. Be sure to check the program requirements in the catalog.
 
 

A full load under the semester system is 15 semester credit hours; this is the minimum load necessary to be able to graduate in 4 years at 2 semesters a year (15x4x2 for a total of 120 hours, the typical number of hours needed to graduate). To be considered a full time student for financial aid, medical insurance, and immigration purposes, a minimum of 12 hours per semester is necessary.