Many students arrive at college eager to pursue a major that they hope will lead the way to a specific career. At St. John Fisher College, a wide variety of academic programs provide you with deep learning in specialized areas. But as a student in today’s world, you'll need more. Employers are increasingly requiring broad knowledge and diverse skills that are the foundational elements of Fisher’s Core Curriculum.
What is the Core Curriculum?
The Fisher Core provides the breadth and depth needed for a lifetime of meaningful learning and critical thinking.
The Core Curriculum is the educational experience common to all Fisher undergraduates. It is the manifestation of the College's rich liberal arts tradition, and it was intentionally designed to provide you with the broad knowledge and diverse skills that employers require of today's job applicants. The curriculum also facilitates the development of values that encourage your personal and professional growth.
The broad knowledge base of the Core Curriculum includes:
- Intercultural Perspectives
- Social science
- Natural science
- Foreign language
Diverse skills you acquire through the Core Curriculum are:
- Critical thinking and analytical skills
- Complex problem-solving
- Ethical reasoning
- Quantitative/scientific reasoning
- Oral communication
- Information literacy
- Adoption of multiple perspectives on challenging problems
Values developed through the Core Curriculum include:
- Commitment to lifelong learning
- Intellectual engagement
Career Success: More Than a Major
According to the 2013 study "It Takes More Than A Major: Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success," employers across the United States said that:
- "A candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than their undergraduate major."
- "Every college student should acquire broad knowledge in the liberal arts and sciences" beyond their major.
- More emphasis should be placed on diverse skills that cut across major areas of study, including: critical thinking and analytical reasoning; complex problem-solving and analysis; written and oral communication; and cultural sensitivity and awareness.
These findings attest to the importance of the knowledge and skills that you'll obtain from the Core Curriculum.