First Year Experience
The First Year Experience (FYE) program was established at Catholic University to promote a liberal arts education and particularly to enhance the experience of Catholic University first-year students. All first-year students are required to take core courses as a member of a learning community. The first-year curriculum is built around foundational courses in philosophy, theology, and writing, in which students learn to read carefully, to write persuasively, and to think rigorously.
A number of sections of the FYE courses are reserved for students who are not classified as first-year students (if they have transferred to Catholic University as upper class students, were prevented from taking all FYE courses during their first year due to unusual circumstances, or need to retake FYE course(s) due to failure on a previous attempt, etc.). Registration for these sections is not automatic and must be done following the same procedure as regular courses. Typically these course sections are labeled 60 or higher.
Students in the University Honors Program will be enrolled in an Honors Learning Community, where they will move through the core curriculum with a cohort of Honors students. Some of these classes are specifically tailored to the Honors curriculum. Others are similar to their non-Honors equivalents, but are taught by Honors faculty and taken with fellow Honors students.
Components of the Curriculum
The general requirements for the degree consist of four main components: the math and science component, the non-technical (liberal arts) liberal study component, the general engineering component and the major-specific technical component. Students should consult with their individual departments about the curriculum required for the degree.
Liberal Studies Electives
Liberal studies courses must be selected in consultation with the student's advisor from the School of Engineering’s List of Approved Liberal Studies Courses. These liberal study courses provide exposure to the broad range of studies necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context and knowledge of contemporary issues relevant to engineering practice. For courses that are not listed on the List of Approved Liberal Studies Courses, students must obtain written approval from the chair and dean before taking them. In general, any course in the areas of humanities, such as philosophy, history, psychology, religion, and economics, may be acceptable. A course cannot be accepted for liberal studies if it is:
- A skills development course
- A beginning-level foreign language course (intermediate and advanced language courses are acceptable because, in addition to grammar and vocabulary, students learn about the culture, literature, and history of the portion of humanity that uses the language in question).