Northwest Core - Academics Requirements

The Northwest Core - Academics courses are required for the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, the Bachelor of Music Education, the Bachelor of Science, the Bachelor of Science in Education­, and the Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

Required courses for the Bachelor of Applied Science may be chosen from The Northwest Core requirements. See Bachelor of Applied Science for specific information on this degree.

A course taken to fulfill The Northwest Core - Academics Requirements may be used to satisfy other degree or program requirements as long as such application is not restricted in this catalog.  Such multiple applications will not reduce the total hours needed to earn a degree, nor the total required hours necessary for any comprehensive majors, regular majors, minor, certificates, or other programs.

It is recommended that students carefully sequence courses from The Northwest Core Requirements during their freshman and sophomore years.

The Northwest Core Substitutions

In general, Northwest Missouri State University does not allow substitution of courses in The Northwest Core.  The integrity and coherency of this program demands that it be completed as designed.

Transfer and dual-credit students, or students in other extraordinary circumstances, may seek to have courses taken at other institutions deemed equivalent to a Northwest Core course through established protocols.  Those protocols include determination by the Registrar's Office and the chair/director of the department/school that houses the course for which the equivalency is to be established.  Courses deemed equivalent must be adjudicated to be of the same academic level and content as the Northwest required course.

All petitions to substitute a non-equivalent course for a Northwest Core course must meet the approval of the Curriculum and Degree Requirements Committee of the Faculty Senate.  Such petitions must include serious reasons that justify the substitution.

Total Credit Hours: 48-52

Interdisciplinary Engagement courses are special offerings which are cross-disciplinary.  Availability of these courses and their disciplinary pairings will be posted online.  Check with your advisor concerning details.  Students cannot take more than three Interdisciplinary Engagement courses to fulfill the requirements of The Northwest Core.

Note: Students who hold an associate of arts degree from a regionally-accredited institution will have satisfied The Northwest Core with the exception of Digital Literacy and Global Experiences groups, and courses required by their specific academic program(s) and the government requirement stated in the Graduation Policies and Requirements section of this catalog.

Students who have completed the 42-hour block at a Missouri college/university will have satisfied The Northwest Core with the exception of the Digital Literacy and Global Experiences groups, and courses required by their specific academic program(s).