Undergraduate Core/General Education Curriculum
New York Institute of Technology adopted the 21st-century Discovery Core Curriculum in fall 2010. From 2010 to the present, New York Tech has offered courses under both the old core and new General Education curricula. Following is an explanation of new courses replacing old courses and the options available to incoming freshmen and current students for fulfilling their graduation requirements.
The core courses have three stages:
- Foundation Courses
- Interdisciplinary Seminars
- Mathematics and Additional Science Courses
1. Foundation Courses
With the exception of the FCWR 300 series of professional communication courses, students take most foundation courses in their first year of study, and include:
- FCWR 101 Writing I: Foundations of College Composition
or
FCWR 111 Writing I: Foundations of College Composition for International Students - FCWR 151 Writing II: Foundations of Research Writing
or
FCWR 161 Writing II: Foundations of Research Writing for International Students - DATA 101 Making Sense of a Data-Oriented Society
Students will take one more foundation course in their junior year. There are four options for the Foundations of Professional Communication course (FCWR 301, 302, 303, 304). Academic advisors assist students in choosing the right option. Select one writing course (FCWR):
- FCWR 301 Communication for Business
- FCWR 302 Communication for Healthcare Careers
- FCWR 303 Communication for Arts and Design
- FCWR 304 Communication for Technical Professions
2. Interdisciplinary Seminars
Beginning in sophomore year, students who have successfully completed the first-year foundation courses will take four interdisciplinary seminars from at least three different categories: a) literature, b) behavioral science, c) social science, and d) philosophy/ethics. These courses all begin with IC (interdisciplinary core) and are followed by LT, BS, SS, and PH respectively, to indicate course topics. There are several seminars in each area to choose from. Please note: New courses are created each year, so students should check the catalog and course schedules for complete listings.
A. Select one literature course (ICLT). Students should check the catalog course descriptions and course schedules for complete listings. Two examples are provided here:
- ICLT 301 Contemporary American Immigrant Literature
- ICLT 302 Strange Creations: Literature, Intelligent Technology, and Ethics
B. Select one behavioral science course (ICBS). Students should check the catalog course descriptions and course schedules for complete listings. Two examples are provided here:
- ICBS 301 Cross-Cultural Aspects of Dating, Courtship, and Mate Selection Seminar
- ICBS 302 Intergroup Relations: Understanding, Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination
C. Select one social science course (ICSS). Students should check the catalog course descriptions and course schedules for complete listings. Two examples are provided here:
- ICSS 301 Seminar in Global Environmental History
- ICSS 303 The American Character: A Global Perspective
D. Select one philosophy course (ICPH). Students should check the catalog and course schedules for complete listings. Two examples are provided here:
- ICPH 301 The Philosophy of Human Nature
- ICPH 302 The Legacy of Socrates
Searching for Courses
When searching for new FC (foundation core) or IC (interdisciplinary core) courses online, use the following subject abbreviations:
FCWR Foundations of Writing
ICLT Literature Core
ICBS Behavior Science Core
ICSS Social Science Core
ICPH Philosophy Ethics Core
3. Mathematics and Additional Science Courses
All students are required to complete a minimum of six credits of science and three credits of mathematics. When science and/or mathematics courses are required as part of the degree, those courses can be used to satisfy this requirement. Students can use the following prefixes to satisfy the science requirements: BIOL, CHEM, PHYS. Courses with a MATH prefix satisfy the math requirement.