Female student holding book in library

Foundation Courses

Foundational Requirements ensure that you achieve competency in a variety of communication and quantitative skills. You may be eligible to place out of some foundational requirements by taking proficiency or placement exams in English, language, or computing. If you require additional work and support in these vital skill areas, you will find the help you need through this series of coursework.

Computing Foundation Core Courses

  • CIS 101, Introduction to Computing
  • CIS 103, Problem Solving Using Technology
  • CS 109, Introduction to Computing Using an Object-oriented Programming Language (required for chemistry majors)
  • CS 121, Computer Programming I (required for computer science majors and students with a minor in computer science)
  • CIT 110, Introduction to Information Technology (also a Writing-enhanced course)
  • TS 105, Computers for Human Empowerment (recommended for education majors)

An exam is available for students who believe they can demonstrate equivalent knowledge.

English Foundation Core Courses

  • English 110: Composition
  • English 120: Critical Writing
  • English 201: Writing in the Disciplines

Note: ENG 099A and ENG 100A are NOT Core course and count only as Free (Open) Electives.

Public Speaking Core Course

  • COM 200

Mathematics Foundation Core Courses

  • MAT 102
  • MAT 102A
  • MAT 109A
  • MAT 104
  • MAT 104A
  • MAT 111
  • MAT 131
  • MAT 134
  • MAT 137
  • MAT 141: Introductory Statistics For The Life Sciences
  • MAT 142: Introductory Statistics For Psychology
  • MAT 143: Introductory Statistics For The Social Sciences
  • MAT 144: Introductory Probability and Statistics For Economics

Notes:

  • MAT 100, MAT 100C, MAT 103, MAT 103A, MAT 103C, MAT 130, are NOT Core course and count as a Free (Open) Electives.

Science Foundation Core Courses

Chemistry

  • CHE 101
  • CHE 102
  • CHE 103
  • CHE 104
  • CHE 105
  • CHE 106
  • CHE 107
  • CHE 110
  • CHE 111
  • CHE 112

Physics

  • PHY 109
  • PHY 101
  • PHY 111
  • PHY 112

Science

  • SCI 101
  • SCI 110
  • ENV 222
  • SCI 145
  • SCI 150
  • SCI 160
  • SCI 170
  • SCI 230
  • SCI 296K

Biology

  • BIO 110
  • BIO 111
  • BIO 101
  • BIO 102
  • BIO 123
  • BIO 124
  • BIO 152
  • BIO 153
  • BIO 220
  • ENV 221

Second Language Proficiency

  • All undergraduate students with two or more years of high school study in Chinese, French, Italian, Russian or Spanish, who plan to continue their study of the same language in either the fall, spring or summer semester must take a placement exam to determine the appropriate level of college study. Test scores remain valid for one year. Students who postpone language study beyond that year must retake the placement exam. All students with less than two years of high school study in a language will automatically be placed in the 101-level course in their chosen language. Find more information about the Language Placement Exams on the Modern Languages and Cultures department website.

    All students must begin their language study at the evaluated placement level and will not receive Core credit if they start at a lower level.

Exemptions

  • Students placed at 101 must take 101 and 102 in the same language.
  • Students placed at 102 must take 102 and 280 in the same language.
  • Students placed at the 200 level or above must take one 3-credit course at the level of their placement.
  • Students will be exempt from second language study if they satisfy one of the following requirements:

    Please note that American Sign Language (ASL) may be used to fulfill the Core language requirement.

    Students who transfer 25 college credits or more in the Lubin School of Business, the Lienhard School of Nursing, and the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems may fulfill language Core requirement by taking one culture course with a prefix of ARA, CHI, FRE, JPN, GRK, ITA, JPN, LAT,RUS, or SPA.

    • Students who have completed secondary schooling in a language other than English
    • Students who have taken the foreign language SAT II exam prior to enrollment and have a score of 550 or above
    • Students who have taken the Language and/or the Literature Advanced Placement Exam in a foreign language and scored 4 or 5 will receive 3 or 6 credits that satisfy the Core
    • Students who take the NYU 12 point Proficiency Exam and score 12 points receive 3 credits of language Core credit