Academics
With a flexible approach that emphasizes interdisciplinary thought and practice, Quinnipiac’s University Curriculum (UC) seamlessly blends your unique educational journey with the foundational knowledge and universal skills needed to face the challenges and numerous opportunities of the 21st century.
Quinnipiac’s University Curriculum (UC) is designed around the idea that the knowledge and skills essential for success in a complex society and your future professional life are created across disciplines. Consisting of 15 core courses (46 academic credits) taken throughout your undergraduate experience, the UC will take you beyond your major or school to explore the different fields of study within the university.
As you integrate the UC into your education, you’ll acquire the universal skills all employers look for, such as how to write and speak clearly and effectively, analyze data, utilize digital media and other technologies, and adapt quickly to any professional, social and cultural environment.
Interdisciplinary learning alongside students from across Quinnipiac’s schools begins as early as your First-Year Seminar (FYS). You’ll experience how the arts and sciences, business, communications, engineering and health care disciplines impact one another, gaining diverse lenses through which to view your own field of study and future career.
Why are these lenses important? Consider why a finance student should understand the ethical, political, economic and historical factors that led to the 2008 financial crisis, or why journalism and health science studies majors would want to learn about how social media has impacted news and human health.
“Entering Quinnipiac, I thought I was going to go down the path of natural sciences as I was a health science major, but I quickly realized that was not for me. I am glad to have found love in social sciences through the UC courses. The UC is a holistic approach to exposing students to a lot of different subjects and topics, which personally helped me develop tools early in my education that I still use today as a senior.”
“The UC courses have truly encouraged me to think and look beyond the surface of the material and to truly delve deeper. When I took SO101 last semester, I was motivated to not only ask the questions, but to also seek the answers. A true scientist pursues with curiosity the answers to the questions: Why and how do social class or ethnicity control the opportunities we receive? What are the factors that control conventions and beliefs? This class really exposed and encouraged me to explore the nuances of human mentality so much that I am eager to minor in psychology.”
The University Curriculum culminates with a Senior Capstone course, in which you’ll put everything you’ve learned together into a signature work that will serve as the focal point of your educational portfolio and illustrate the breadth of your ability to potential graduate programs, post-baccalaureate fellowship or grant opportunities, and future employers. Flexible and designed with your academic interests and professional goals in mind, capstones can be completed as part of your major, part of a school/college requirement, or as a course open to any undergraduate. You also have the option to design your own capstone, in which you can incorporate study abroad, internships or independent research into your signature work.
The University Curriculum draws from across the college and schools, disciplines and departments to offer undergraduate students more than 300 courses taught by passionate faculty-scholars who share the latest research findings, recent discoveries, and emerging trends in student-centered classrooms and inclusive pedagogy. UC faculty are excited to share their love of their disciplines with students from all backgrounds, majors and interests. UC faculty learn as much from you, as you’ll learn from them and your peers.
“Taking a UC natural science course is important because so many decisions we make are grounded in science. Living through the current COVID-19 pandemic is an example of how we must evaluate scientific knowledge on a daily basis, regardless of our professional career. How do we evaluate a study that we hear about? How do we decide who to listen to for the most up-to-date information? These are all skills honed in a natural science classroom. The university curriculum prepares students to be holistic individuals, and to think creatively from a variety of perspectives.”
“My UC history classes focus not so much on what happened, but why it happened, and how it was experienced by those who lived through it. We look at how ‘history’ can also be ‘herstory,’ ‘ourstory,’ and ‘yourstory.'”
“Students can explore all areas of drama through the lens that most excites them. Acting, playwriting, directing, design, theater history and musical theater, are just a few of the disciplines available each semester. Through drama courses — and the arts at large — QU students can gain transferable skills in public speaking, interpersonal communication, creativity and critical thinking. Above all, they develop empathy for people and cultures with experiences vastly different than their own.”
“A QU UC modern language course: if you are interested in learning about a world of fascinating cultures, go for it. If you are interested in learning another language to help others, go for it. If you want to further yourself and expand your horizons through travel, go for it.”
These individuals work directly in traditional lecture and exam-driven classrooms. Fellows coordinate weekly study groups that not only review key course concepts but also practice them. They also work with faculty to keep updated on student performance.
“I was first introduced to the Peer Fellows program through my introductory bio course. I found the review sessions to be extremely helpful for keeping up with the material and preparing for exams. I quickly realized that this program would be perfect for me as it would allow me to help others with challenging topics, while also gaining more experience with public speaking and keeping the concepts fresh in my mind. The most rewarding part of being a peer fellow is after exams when students share how much the review sessions helped them prepare and boost their confidence in the course.”
“All peer fellows are undergraduate students, just like the first-year students we work with. Since we have gone through the same classes, we can easily relate to what our peer students are struggling with and offer strategies and various approaches to learning difficult concepts and coursework. I had such a great experience with my calculus peer fellow that I was encouraged to later become a fellow myself.”
“As a peer fellow, I attend the course with the students and take notes alongside them. Then, I create a review sheet and hold review sessions to go over any confusing material. I explain the concepts, share effective study strategies and go over common points of confusion for the students.”