Skip to main content

Liberal Education Core

In pursuit of breadth of knowledge and understanding about the world in which they live, all undergraduates complete the requirements of the Liberal Education Core program. This Liberal Education Core component of all Peabody undergraduate majors is intended to provide students with a solid foundation in the arts and sciences. The core curriculum incorporates the study of human conditions that are universal. The Liberal Education Core involves study in the following areas:

  • Communications. The study of language in its written and spoken forms. The study of computer language.
  • Mathematics. The study of mathematical concepts and procedures.
  • Social Studies.The study of the past—both the heritage of the United States and the more global human story. The study of growth and development of individuals.
  • Humanities. The study of the universal language of the arts.
  • Natural/Health Sciences. The study of scientific process and interrelationships among the sciences.

Through the study of these universal subjects, concepts, and modes of thought, students gain a broad foundation transferable to their futures. They will continue to grow within society and the classroom and will look at problems from different perspectives while maintaining curiosity.

Courses identified to fulfill the Liberal Education Core requirement for each undergraduate major are listed in the current program descriptions that follow and in Peabody's Undergraduate Handbook.

Courses used to satisfy these core requirements may also be counted toward the fulfillment of requirements in an academic major. Special topics courses are ordinarily not acceptable for meeting Liberal Education courses. Independent study courses are not acceptable for meeting Liberal Education Core requirements.

Transfer students may use credits form other colleges to fulfill Peabody's Liberal Education Core requirements if the credits are equivalent to the courses offered at Vanderbilt. The use of transfer courses to satisfy Liberal Education Core requirements must be approved by the Dean's office. For transfer students, credits are evaluated when the student enrolls at Peabody in order to determine which transfer courses will substitute for Peabody's Liberal Education Core requirements. Requirements still to be fulfilled will be noted at that time.