Download a PDF of the Learning Outcomes for Radford University's Core Curriculum.

Upon completion of University Core A, Radford University students will have achieved competency in four key concept areas: written communications, oral communication, critical thinking, and technology/information literacy.

Radford University students will demonstrate competency in critical reading, standard written English, audience-specific writing, clear and effective prose, and other elements of composition.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. effectively use standard written English (including grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure) to construct a thesis-driven essay supported by reasonable arguments
b. demonstrate the writing process through invention, organization, drafting, revision, editing, proofreading, and presentation
c. choose appropriate genres and styles when writing for a variety of different audiences
d. describe and evaluate critically a variety of print and other sources, synthesize and document material appropriately, and avoid plagiarism when developing a research paper

Radford University students will be able to communicate orally in clear and coherent language appropriate to purpose, occasion, and audience.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. identify and explain components of and influences on the communication process in interpersonal, small group, and public speaking contexts
b. demonstrate effective listening and critical analysis skills in interpersonal, small group, and public speaking contexts
c. identify and apply communication strategies appropriate to audiences in interpersonal, small group, and public speaking contexts
d. identify and demonstrate communication skills appropriate in interpersonal, small group, and public speaking contexts

Radford University students will learn to distinguish knowledge from opinion, challenge ideas, and develop reasonable strategies for belief formation.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. apply the processes of deduction, induction, and other key elements of logical reasoning
b. create a well-reasoned argument by evaluating the validity of ideas and information, providing evidence and support, and arguing against competing claims when applicable
c. analyze issues, solve problems, and apply reasoning to everyday situations
d. evaluate written and verbal arguments by discerning any logical fallacies, distinguishing between documented fact and opinion, examining explicit and implicit assumptions, and assessing the use
of evidence to draw inferences and conclusions

Radford University students will be able to acquire, analyze, and synthesize digital and print information and explain how digital information is organized and communicated.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. explain contemporary technological trends and issues
b. utilize industry standard technologies as appropriate for academic purposes
c. identify economic, societal, legal, privacy, and ethical considerations for using and sharing digital
and print information
d. demonstrate the use of basic research techniques to locate information from a variety of
electronic and print sources
e. apply appropriate modes of inquiry to evaluate digital and print information in terms of credibility,
reliability, and accuracy

Upon completion of University Core B, Radford University students will have achieved competency in five
key concept areas: mathematical sciences, natural sciences, humanities, fine arts, and social/behavioral
sciences.

Radford University students will be able to use the tools of mathematics and quantitative reasoning to conceptualize and solve problems.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. identify and interpret relationships among numeric, symbolic, and graphical information
b. generate mathematical models using numeric, symbolic, and graphical information for use in real-world applications
c. solve problems using numeric, symbolic, and graphical information

Radford University students will understand the methodologies of scientific inquiry; think critically about scientific issues and understand that the results of scientific research can be critically interpreted;
articipate in informed discussions of scientific issues; and describe the natural/physical world within the
context of a specific scientific discipline.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. employ scientific methods to gather and analyze data and test hypotheses in a laboratory setting
b. distinguish between findings that are based upon empirical data and those that are not
c. explain the relationships among the sciences and between science, technology, popular media, and contemporary issues in society
d. explain how scientific ideas are developed or modified over time based on evidence
e. use the language of science to explain scientific principles within the context of a specific scientific discipline

Radford University students will understand the importance of the search for answers to humankind's most fundamental and profound questions and the ways in which these questions have been examined.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. explain the nature and methods of inquiry in the humanities
b. describe and explain differing views of the meaning, value, and purpose of life
c. explain historical, philosophical, religious, or literary sources according to societal or cultural
perspectives
d. interpret and critically evaluate historical, philosophical, religious, or literary expressions of the
human experience

Radford University students will experience and analyze ways in which the visual and performing arts reflect and communicate aspects of the human experience.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. analyze works of art in terms of the medium's distinctive language and syntax
b. identify and explain how works of art express human values and experiences within specific historical, cultural, and social contexts
c. identify and explain how the visual and performing arts have been used as vehicles for influencing culture
d. evaluate works of art from the perspectives of aesthetic and critical criteria

Radford University students will understand how individual, social, or cultural factors influence human behavior and shape reciprocal relationships between people and society.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. explain the social or cultural factors that shape individuals' ideas and behaviors
b. explain how individual and collective behaviors shape societies and cultures
c. explain social or behavioral science concepts
d. use social or behavioral science concepts to interpret real-world problems, including the
underlying origins of such problems

Upon completion of College Core A, Radford University students will have achieved competency in two key concept areas: U.S. Perspectives and Global Perspectives.

Radford University students will understand how social and cultural (for example, political, historical, economic, environmental, religious, or geographic) forces shape the American experience.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. explain basic facets of the American experience with attention to unity and diversity in American
society
b. use material studied to explain contemporary issues in the United States
c. evaluate common institutions in American society and how they have affected, or continue to
affect, different groups

Radford University students will understand how social and cultural (for example, political, historical, economic, environmental, religious, or geographic) forces shape experiences in the global setting.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. compare and contrast different perspectives used to explain the world or international issues
b. use material studied to explain cross-cultural issues in the world
c. evaluate differences and similarities among world cultures that affect perceptions, beliefs, or
behaviors, and thus relationships between those cultures

Upon completion of College Core B, Radford University students will have a stronger foundation in three
key areas: mathematical sciences or natural sciences; humanities, fine arts, or foreign languages; and
social/behavioral sciences or health and wellness. As part of this area, students may take a course in a
foreign language or health and wellness with learning outcomes specified below.

If a foreign language is chosen to satisfy core curriculum requirements, Radford University students will achieve a degree of competence in a foreign language and culture.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. demonstrate language skills appropriate to the level of study
b. analyze similarities and differences between their own and the target cultures
c. explain contemporary international issues from the perspectives of their own and the target cultures

If a health and wellness course is chosen to satisfy core curriculum requirements, Radford University
students will understand the implications of health and lifestyle choices for themselves and society.

Radford University students will be able to:

a. identify health-related choices that promote personal well being and enhance the overall quality of
life
b. analyze the relations among factors such as nutrition, stress, leisure, and health related fitness
activities as they influence personal wellness
c. explain how personal health and lifestyle choices affect society at large
d. explain how social and cultural factors affect personal health and lifestyle choices