Core Curriculum

As a Christian university whose mission is to prepare students for empowered engagement with human need, we believe that God has a desire and design for every individual. Graduates realize God’s purpose and plan best when prepared with a broad foundation of personal skills and intellectual content. More than mere acquisition of knowledge – knowing must be combined with informed reasoning and appropriate attitudes. The Core Curriculum at Northwest ensures that graduates possess certain knowledge, attitudes, and skills identified as critical to be effective servant-leaders in today’s dynamic world community.

“Distinctively Northwest”

Northwest University’s Core Curriculum provides a broad exposure to the foundational disciplines commonly expected of students who have earned a university degree. However, at Northwest students explore these essential elements, which form a foundation for every major and each discipline, within a context of faith. We believe students benefit most when the entire curriculum, not just those courses in a student’s major, is taught from a Christian perspective with a focus on the integration of faith and learning.

Within this context of Christian faith and learning, Northwest’s Core Curriculum offers three additional advantages:

• Focus on faith: In addition to its strong Bible and Theology components, the Core Curriculum offers two distinctive courses—Identity and Vocation, and Faith in Society—which situate a student’s calling within a spiritual, ethical, and global framework.
• Flexibility: The Core Curriculum for Bachelor of Arts degrees creates a foundation of learning within a structure specifically designed to allow students to follow their curiosity and interests.
• Writing excellence: Because writing skills are so important for future success, almost all Northwest University courses contain a significant element of writing practice intended to strengthen writing across all disciplines.

Transfer Students

The flexibility built into the Core Curriculum helps transfer students utilize as many of their credits as possible. Additionally, transfer students benefit from the following provisions:

• When transfer students bring in courses that fulfill the Humanities and Social Science requirements, the Writing Practice standards do not apply.
• Transfer students can fulfill the Humanities requirement by transferring in nine credits from any two of the specified disciplines.
• Transfer students 20 years of age or older who bring in 47 or more transfer credits may replace UCOR 1052 Identity and Vocation with an elective course.

Core Curriculum Outcomes

To be prepared for service and leadership, Northwest University graduates must be able to think critically, to integrate their faith and learning, and to apply theory and knowledge in addressing life’s complex issues. Therefore, the goal of Northwest University is for its graduates to demonstrate the following knowledge, attitudes, and skills.

1. Spiritual Development – Students completing the Core Curriculum will demonstrate an understanding of Christian beliefs and values, a Christian worldview, and how Christian values relate to their academic studies. Additionally, they will develop spiritually in a manner consistent with faith in Jesus Christ.
2. Reasoning and Communication – Students completing the Core Curriculum will demonstrate the ability to think critically, employ ethical reasoning, and communicate effectively.
3. Science and Mathematics – Students completing the Core Curriculum will demonstrate scientific and mathematical reasoning.
4. Humanities and Social Sciences – Students completing the Core Curriculum will demonstrate knowledge of and reasoning within the humanities and social sciences.
5. Multicultural Awareness – Students completing the Core Curriculum will demonstrate an awareness of multiculturalism and diverse worldviews.

Core Curriculum Requirements (60 Credits)

The Core Curriculum requirements below are for most Bachelor of Arts degrees. Bachelors of Science, Music, and Fine Arts degrees and Associate in Arts degrees satisfy the outcomes on the previous page through a slightly different set of courses. Refer to the appropriate degree sections in this catalog for specific degree requirements. Some majors may qualify or restrict the Core Curriculum Requirements.