Columbia Core Curriculum
The Columbia Core provides an educational foundation in the undergraduate curriculum that is essential to any creative career. The Columbia Core is required to fulfill general education requirements for all undergraduate students and does not include courses needed for a student's major.
Columbia Core Requirements
42 credits total: 3 credits in the Columbia Experience, 33 credits in Essential Liberal Arts and Sciences, plus 6 credits of your choice from either category.
- The Columbia Experience (1 course, 3 credits minimum)
- "Big Chicago" (First-year Experience, 100-level)
- Creative Communities (200-level)
- Innovation and Impact (300-level)
- Essential Liberal Arts and Sciences (11 courses, 33 credits minimum)
- The Core Pathways (curated selection of ELAS courses)
- Communication: 2 courses (6 credits)
- Mathematics: 1 course (3 credits)
- History and Social Sciences: 3 courses total, with a minimum of one from each area (9 credits)
- Humanities and Literature: 3 courses total, with a minimum of one from each area (9 credits)
- Science: 2 courses, including at least one lab (6 credits)
- The Core Pathways (curated selection of ELAS courses)
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: at least 2 courses (6 credits with DEI designation before graduation)
- At least three courses in the Core at 200 level or above
For guidance on selecting courses, students should consult their Academic Advisor.
Students who started at Columbia prior to the Fall 2019 semester will fulfill the requirements of the LAS Core Curriculum.