About the Montana University System Core Curriculum
The Montana University System Core Curriculum (MUS Core), described in Policy 301.10, represents an agreement among community, tribal, and publicly-funded colleges and universities in the State of Montana. It assures the transfer of up to 30 semester credits for those students enrolled in courses prescribed within each of six areas at a participating host institution. The six areas are:
| Natural
Science -- at least one of the classes must have a laboratory experience |
6
credits |
|
| Social Sciences/History | 6
credits |
|
| Mathematics | 3
credits |
|
| Communication --Written communication and oral communication |
6 credits |
|
| Humanities/Fine Arts | 6
credits |
|
| Cultural Diversity | 3
credits |
|
TOTAL |
30 credits |
Students may be required to take additional coursework at the upper division level that is part of an approved general education program at the receiving campus.
A General Education Council was established in December 2005 to oversee the provisions of Policy 301.10, including the MUS Core. With the assistance of the Council, each campus of the Montana University System has developed a list of courses that satisfy the MUS Core. Those lists can be found here.
The General Education Council of the Montana University System believes that the purpose of general education, and its importance in undergraduate education, is best articulated by the "The Essential Learning Outcomes" statement developed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The Council formally adopted that statement, in February 2008, as the rationale for the Montana University System General Education Core.
"The Essential Learning Outcomes" statement is set out below:
The Essential Learning Outcomes
Beginning in school, and continuing at successively higher levels across their college studies, students should prepare for twenty-first-century challenges by gaining:
Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World
- Through study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, histories, languages, and the arts
Focused by engagement with big questions, both contemporary and enduring
Intellectual and Practical Skills, including
• Inquiry and analysis
• Critical and creative thinking
• Written and oral communication
• Quantitative literacy
• Information literacy
• Teamwork and problem solvingPracticed extensively, across the curriculum, in the context of progressively more challenging problems, projects, and standards for performance
Personal and Social Responsibility, including
• Civic knowledge and engagement—local and global
• Intercultural knowledge and competence
• Ethical reasoning and action
• Foundations and skills for lifelong learningAnchored through active involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges
Integrative Learning, including
• Synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies
Demonstrated through the application of knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to new settings and complex problems
Note: This listing was developed through a multiyear dialogue with hundreds of colleges and universities about needed goals for student learning; analysis of a long series of recommendations and reports from the business community; and analysis of the accreditation requirements for engineering, business, nursing, and teacher education. The findings are documented in previous publications of the Association of American Colleges and Universities: Greater Expectations: A New Vision for Learning as a Nation Goes to College (2002), Taking Responsibility for the Quality of the Baccalaureate Degree (2004), and Liberal Education Outcomes: A Preliminary Report on Achievement in College (2005). Liberal Education Outcomes is available online at www.aacu.org/leap.
