Core Curriculum
Core Curriculum
The Core
Central to undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame is the Core Curriculum, a set of University Requirements that apply to all students, regardless of college or major.
The Core's “ways of knowing” approach is designed to expose students to diverse modes of thought for approaching, analyzing, and understanding different aspects of our lives and our world. Each course forms a complementary part of the larger whole, bringing students closer to attaining intellectual capacities and practices that fulfill the overall goals of a Notre Dame education.
The Core Curriculum reflects Notre Dame’s shared vision for a modern Catholic liberal arts education. It takes a student-centered approach that transcends traditional department boundaries and offers undergraduates the flexibility to fulfill requirements in multiple ways over the course of their four years at Notre Dame.
Understanding the Core
Join First Year Advising as they walk through the purpose, structure, and requirements of the Core.
Learn more
Learn more about the Notre Dame Core Curriculum here.
The Core and First-Year Requirements
Moreau First Year Experience
The Moreau First Year Experience is a required component of the University of Notre Dame's Core and must be completed during your first year. It is a two-semester course. Learn more about the Moreau course here.
Writing 1 and Writing 2
The Core requires students to take two writing-intensive courses at Notre Dame. Although these requirements are numbered Writing 1 and Writing 2, they are not sequential and can be taken in either order. Students must complete the University Seminar (Writing 1) course in their first year. This is a one-semester course. Most students will also complete Writing & Rhetoric (Writing 2) in their first year. This is also a one-semester course. Students with Advanced Credit for Writing & Rhetoric cannot take it and must take another writing-intensive course to fulfill the Core's Writing 2 requirement. This writing-intensive course is usually taken after the first year.
Learn more
Explore more information about the Moreau course and Writing Requirements on the First-Year Requirements page.