A Distinctive Program of Studies| The Tulsa Curriculum The Tulsa Curriculum has earned national recognition as a model course of study. Developed with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Ford Foundation, the Tulsa Curriculum is noted for its responsiveness to contemporary intellectual concerns and its recognition of the values of imagination, rigor, discipline, and coherence. These qualities led to the university being awarded a Phi Beta Kappa Chapter in 1989. Based on the belief that each student must be educated broadly before specializing, the Tulsa Curriculum consists of three components: the Core Curriculum, the General Curriculum, and the Area of Concentration. The Core Curriculum The Core Curriculum has two basic requirements. The first is that each student learn to write clearly and critically. Students in the College of Arts and Sciences meet this requirement by completing a First Seminar, several writing courses, and a Senior Seminar. The second requirement is that students acquire the broad skills and knowledge necessary for advanced work in the academic disciplines. To earn the bachelor of arts degree, students must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language through the fourth-semester level. The bachelor of science degree requires proficiency in mathematics and statistics. The bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of music, and bachelor of music education are preprofessional degrees based on the college's historical involvement with the fine and performing arts. The General Curriculum Courses in the General Curriculum, which are designed and taught by the university's most talented teacher-scholars, give students a broad range of knowledge and an introduction to the methodologies and perspectives of a variety of disciplines. Students choose from courses offered in four areas: Aesthetic Inquiry and Creative Expression, Historical and Social Interpretation, Scientific Investigation, and Gender and Cultural Diversity. General education courses include significant amounts of writing, an emphasis on original texts whenever appropriate, and exposure to current scholarship. Area of Concentration The Area of Concentration includes a major subject and a certificate or minor field chosen by the student with the approval of the faculty advisor. The Area of Concentration builds upon the basic skills in the Core Curriculum and the breadth of knowledge in the General Curriculum. Students are encouraged to explore different areas of study during their freshman and sophomore years as they decide on a major and a minor. |
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