Attention:

Northern Vermont University is now part of Vermont State University! Please visit VermontState.edu for accurate information.

Undergraduate Core Curriculum

At Northern Vermont University, our students pursue an education that helps them to make a positive impact in the world.

Our core classes are interdisciplinary sets of required courses not related to your major, with opportunities for hands-on learning. You’ll build these and other skills to prepare yourself for career success and to make a difference in your community:

  • Creative thinking
  • Communication
  • Critical thinking
  • Problem-solving
  • Teamwork
  • Research

Through the NVU core curriculum, you will learn how to adapt to innovation in the workplace and the world. You’ll also develop the ability to work within social and cultural diversity on campus, in the workplace, and in your community.

The program will give you opportunities to think of how you can contribute to solutions for some of society’s biggest challenges, all issues that are tied to NVU’s values. Students choose an in-depth course in climate change, social justice, or sustainability.

The General Core curriculum also includes credit-bearing courses in:

  • Written expression
  • Mathematics and computing
  • A lab-based science
  • Creativity and the arts
  • Society and behavior
  • History and cultural diversity

Students who enroll at NVU with less than 15 credits also take a First-Year Seminar, which makes the transition to college easier academically and socially and provides ways to connect with peers.

 

Vermont State University logo

Northern Vermont University will join with Castleton University and Vermont Technical College to become Vermont State University on July 1, 2023. Learn more and apply for fall 2023.

Learn More and Apply

Goals and Learning Outcomes

There are four overarching goals and specific learning outcomes for Northern Vermont University students.

1. Academic Skills

Students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate information literacy and research skills.
  2. Demonstrate quantitative reasoning.
  3. Communicate effectively in oral, written, and visual forms to diverse audiences.

2. Intellectual Curiosity and Flexibility

Students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate and apply critical thinking in a variety of situations.
  2. Demonstrate and apply creative thinking in a variety of situations.
  3. Adapt learning to new situations across disciplines and to the real world.

3. Individual and Social Responsibility

Students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate ethical reasoning by evaluating personal values, alternative viewpoints, and their potential consequences for individuals and communities.
  2. Understand and evaluate the civic dimensions of individual and public issues.
  3. Demonstrate teamwork skills.
  4. Demonstrate problem-solving skills.

4. Intercultural and Global Awareness

Students will be able to:

  1. Understand and examine social and cultural diversity.
  2. Understand and apply concepts of sustainability in relation to ecological, human, and economic well-being.