Core Curriculum

A Summer Day by Rudolph Ruzicka. Woodcut from Humanities Art Center, Dept. of Liberal Studies
The Department of Liberal Studies is responsible for the core curriculum of the University. Like all accredited universities, Kettering offers opportunities to acquire deep understanding of a specialized field as well as broad exposure to other fields of study so necessary to having a life as well as a career.

Liberal Studies courses provide a broad program of study to help you learn more about yourself, your cultural heritage and human societies. By focusing on such essential skills as communication and critical thinking, and on an understanding of ethics, culture and society, and the global economy, we prepare students in all majors for their roles as leaders of their professions and their communities.

Because Kettering University is unique, our core curriculum is unique as well. Our core curriculum is different from that at most other colleges in several ways.

  • First, our courses require students to practice both their written and oral communication skills. Because of the leadership opportunities the co-op program provides, these skills are in immediate demand.
  • Second, unlike other colleges that allow students to get core courses "out of the way" early in the college years, Kettering students take these courses throughout their years here. As cognitive abilities expand and professional experiences deepen, the benefits from core courses grow as well.
  • Third, students engage in disciplined reflection on their work experiences while learning about such things as communication, ethics, leadership, and social organization.
  • Finally, our capstone course, Senior Seminar: Leadership, Ethics and Contemporary Issues, allows senior students to discuss core issues of leadership and ethics drawing upon both academic and work experiences.

Kettering's core curriculum includes courses in science, math, history, social sciences, english, and literature, which produces graduates with a broad base of knowledge.

To ensure that all Kettering University students gain a broad education, eight courses in Liberal Studies are required for graduation.

These "general education" courses are:

  • Written and Oral Communication I (COMM 101)
  • Economic Principles (ECON 201)
  • Introduction to the Social Sciences (SSCI 201)
  • Introduction to the Humanities (HUMN 201)
  • Written and Oral Communication II (COMM 301)
  • One elective at the 300 level in any discipline in the humanities (art, communication, literature, music, philosophy)
  • One elective at the 300 level in any discipline in the social sciences (economics, history, sociology)
  • Senior Seminar: Leadership, Ethics, and Contemporary Issues (LS 489)