University Core Curriculum Policies

For general information on the Univerisity Core Curriculum, please visit this page. 

Foundations Courses

English 
  • Students shall take each of the three required English Courses (110, 120, & 201) unless tested or waived out of part of the requirement. 
  • ENG 099A Introduction to Academic Writing - ESL and ENG 100A Academic Writing - ESL are not Core course and count as Open Electives. 
Mathematics 
  • Please note that certain majors require a specific math course as part of Foundations. Consult with your advisor or department chair for details. 
  • MAT 100 Fundamental Mathematics, MAT 103: Algebra, MAT 103A: Algebra - Arithmetic, MAT 130: Precalculus, are not Core courses and count as Open Electives. 

Science 

  • Please note that certain majors require a specific lab science course as part of Foundations. Consult with your advisor or department chair for details. 

Computer Science 

  • CIS 121: Introduction to Computer Science is required for the Computer Science, Computational Economics, and students with a minor in Computer Science as part of Foundations. 

General Core

 

Students shall take 6 courses (totaling at least 18 credits) from the following two categories of liberal arts and sciences courses taught in the Dyson College of Arts & Sciences:   

Three from Arts and Humanities courses (AH): ART, AMS, ASL, CHI, ENG, FRE, FSS, HIS, ITA, JAP, LIT, PHI, RES, RUS, SPA  

and  

Three from Natural Sciences and Social Sciences courses (NS or SS): ANT, BIO, BNS, CHE, CRJ, ECO, ENS, ENV, FOR, MAT, PHY, PAA, POL, PSY, SOC, SCI. 

 

Interdisciplinary subjects (INT; WGS; PJS; LLS; CMS; MCA; LAS; GLA; DMS) have designated individual courses as Arts & Humanities, Natural Science or Social Science. 

 
  • Courses in the general core must be from a field of study outside the student’s major. Each major has determined the prefixes aligned to their major field of study. Please consult your advisor for details. 
  • The 6 General Core courses must have different and distinct prefixes with three exceptions: 
 
  1. A student's primary major may prescribe up to three qualified General Core courses, but not more than three courses, that count BOTH as a major requirement and as part of the General Core's six-course requirements.  Such designated courses may all have the same prefix or may have different prefixes; they can be from either A&H or NS/SS, or they may be spread between the categories.  Each student will have three courses in the General Core free and clear of any primary major requirements or prescriptions. 
  2. For students whose primary major does not have prescribed courses in the General Core, students may pursue a concentrated study by selecting up to 3 courses outside of the primary major's disciplinary prefix(es) and major requirements. This 3-course concentrated study is allowed once.
  3. Students with a Natural Sciences primary major with 3 prescribed Natural Science courses in the General Core remaining General Core courses will be two in Arts & Humanities and one in Social Sciences. 

Definitions of Natural Science and Social Science

For the purpose of General Core policies, the following course prefixes and programs are considered Natural Science: BIO, BNS, CHB, CHE, ENS, FOR, MAT, PHY, PLS, and SCI.

For the purpose of General Core policies, the following course prefixes and programs are considered Social Science: ANT, CRJ, ENV, ECO, PAA, POL, PSY, and SOC, as well as courses designed in the SS category from the following prefixes: INT, WGS, PJS, LLS, CMS, MCA, LAS, GLA, and DMS. 

Interdisciplinary (INT) Courses: 

Interdisciplinary Class shall be counted in the core based on the disciplinary prefixes of their constituent parts. Each half of the INT course may count towards the General Core if it is from a qualified prefix outside of a major’s field of study.  

University Core Curriculum Policy for Transfer Students and Freshmen Students 

 

At Pace University, a transfer student is defined as one who prior to attendance, enters the University with a minimum of 25 accepted college-level credits (grade of "C" or better) from one or more institutions. 

 

For purposes of determining appropriate University Core Curriculum requirements, transfer students are required to complete Core Foundation requirements and one course in Civic Engagement and Public Values (CE), and shall complete the rest of their core credits with qualified General Core classes in either Arts & Humanities or Natural and Social Science. However, students entering with fewer than 25 accepted transfer credits (classified as freshmen) are required to complete the entire Core Curriculum. 

Second Language Proficiency Policy 

All undergraduate students with two or more years of high school study in American Sign Language, Chinese, French, Italian, Russian, or Spanish, who plan to continue their study of the same language in either the fall, spring or summer semester must take a placement examination to determine the appropriate level of college study. Test scores remain valid for one year, so students who postpone language study beyond that year must retake the placement test.  All students with less than two years of high school study in a language will automatically be placed in the 101-level course in their chosen language. 

All students must begin their language study at the evaluated placement level and will not receive Core credit if they start at a lower level. 

  • Students placed at 101 must take 101 and 102 in the same language. 
  • Students placed at 102 must take 102 and 280 in the same language. 
  • Students placed at the 200 level or above must take one 3-credit course at the level of their placement. 
 
  1. Placement based on AP scores – For students who have taken an AP exam in French, German, or Spanish Language or Literature, the placement is as follows: 
    1. Score of 4 or 5 – Students receive six (6) Pace credits and are exempt from taking language courses for core but are encouraged to continue language studies to develop proficiency. Students who elect to continue may select any 300-level course.  They might also consider completing a minor or major (or second major) in a language.
    2. Score of 3 – Placed in a three-credit (3) 200-level course. Course No. 280, "Intensive Review," is the recommended course in Spanish or French, but other options are also possible.  Must complete one (3 credit) language course to satisfy the language core requirement.
  2. Placement based on high school record. If a student has studied a language for the following length of time in high school, he/she will be placed at the following level of the same language:
    1. Four years – No. 280 or another 3-credit 200-level course selected by the student. Must complete that one language course to satisfy the language core requirement.
    2. Three years – No. 280 (Intensive review) is the best option in French, Spanish, or Italian. In Japanese and Chinese, the intensive review course is No. 271 offered in NYC. Must complete that one language course to satisfy the language core requirement.
    3. Two years or one year (during any high school years) – No. 101.  Must complete 101 and 102 to satisfy the language core requirement. Note: Students with a facility for language may elect to accelerate their language study by enrolling in intensive language study 101A and 102B, offered consecutively for seven weeks each during a single 14-week semester.
  3. Placement for those starting a new language. All students starting a new language at Pace will be placed at the beginning (101) level. Those students must complete 101 and 102 in that language to satisfy the language core requirement.

Notes on Language Core Requirements 

  • Students who have completed their secondary schooling at an institution where English is not the language of instruction are exempt from the core language requirement. However, they are invited to learn a new language at Pace. 
  • Students who take the NYU 12-point Proficiency Exam and score 12 points receive 3 credits of language Core credit. 
  • American Sign Language (ASL) may be used to fulfill the core language requirement. Transfer students with two semesters of college-level study of ASL (grade "C" or better) will receive transfer credit and will be exempt from further study of any language at Pace.