Lifelong Learning and Liberal Arts Core Curriculum
The degree programs of DePaul University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies are built around a Lifelong Learning and Liberal Arts core curriculum that is designed to equip adult and non-traditional students with essential, transferable skills that are applicable in academic pursuits as well as professional, community, and personal realms. In this interdisciplinary, liberal arts-based learning environment, students gain discipline-specific knowledge and integrative skills while learning to value diverse perspectives presented in their studies.
Students fulfill their core liberal learning requirements by taking courses in the areas of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. This core liberal arts curriculum is bookended by introductory and advanced courses, and supported by ongoing development of writing, critical thinking, and research skills. Opportunities to learn from experience and make meaning from them are integrated throughout the College’s core program. Students may apply their prior learning for evaluation to earn college credit through a process known as Prior Learning Assessment. For more detailed information, view the College Core Requirements section.
The School of Continuing and Professional Studies’ Lifelong Learning and Liberal Arts core curriculum is rooted in the six university learning goals: 1) Mastery of Content, 2) Intellectual and Creative Skills, 3) Personal and Social Responsibility, 4) Intercultural and Global Understanding, 5) Integration of Learning, and 6) Preparation for Career and Beyond.
This goal embraces the breadth and depth of ideas, theories, approaches, and information which DePaul students encounter through and beyond their studies.
Outcomes: DePaul graduates will demonstrate and be able to apply:
- general knowledge of cultures, religions, science, the arts, history, and computational reasoning.
- specialized knowledge and skills from within a specific discipline or field.
In order to fully engage with knowledge, whether for a specific purpose or for its own sake, DePaul students are encouraged to develop the ability to think critically and imaginatively, formulate their own understanding, and effectively communicate their ideas. This goal articulates specific skills that comprise these broader abilities.
Outcomes: DePaul graduates will be able to:
- systematically access, analyze and evaluate information and ideas from multiple sources in order to identify underlying assumptions, and formulate conclusions.
- solve quantitative problems.
- create and support arguments using a variety of approaches.
- use existing knowledge to generate and synthesize ideas in original ways.
- communicate clearly in speech and writing.
This goal honors the notion that knowledge reflects and contributes to the values of individuals and communities. DePaul students, in particular, are challenged to consider their own values in light of the university’s mission.
Outcomes: DePaul graduates will be able to:
- articulate their own beliefs and convictions, as well as others’ beliefs, about what it means to be human and to create a just society.
- articulate what is entailed in becoming a self-directed ethical decision-maker and living a life of personal integrity.
- evaluate ethical issues from multiple perspectives and employ those considerations to chart coherent and justifiable courses of action.
- benefit their communities through socially responsible engagement and leadership.
This goal speaks to the likelihood that, in our diverse and increasingly interdependent world, the future depends on individuals being able to learn from each other and make the best use of finite resources.
Outcomes: DePaul graduates will demonstrate:
- respect for learning from the perspectives of others different from themselves.
- knowledge of global interconnectedness and interdependies.
- knowledge to become a steward of global resources for a sustainable future.
Given the wide range of learning opportunities at DePaul, students must to develop the ability to make meaning from aspects of their education and experience.
Outcomes: DePaul graduates will be able to:
- relate their learning – curricular and co-curricular – to multiple fields and realms of experience.
- make connections among ideas and experiences in order to synthesize and transfer learning to daily practice.
- design, develop, and execute a significant intellectual project.
This final learning goal builds on all the rest and calls on students to be ready to apply their knowledge and skills to the changing world that awaits them.
Outcomes: DePaul graduates will be able to effectively:
- set goals for future work that are the result of realistic self-appraisal and reflection.
- articulate their skills and knowledge and represent themselves to external audiences.
- work toward goals independently and in collaboratively with others.
- employ technology to create, communicate, and synthesize ideas.
- set priorities and allocate resources.
- apply strategies for a practice of life-long learning.
College Core Requirements
Students fulfill their Core Requirements by completing 32 credits of Lifelong Learning courses and 46 credits of Liberal Learning courses. Specific core requirements may vary by degree.
Undergraduate Majors
Engage. Learn. Transform.
Grounded in adult learning best practices, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies offers majors from in-demand career fields including business, healthcare and technology. Our programs combine liberal arts studies with applied learning in market-relevant majors.
You’ll find a flexible design to support adult learners; most programs can be completed entirely online, with some programs offering on-campus evening options.
In our programs, you’ll learn from expert faculty who are practitioners in their fields, with an emphasis on applied, transformative learning.
Undergraduate Admission
- Create a new account and select School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
- Send all transcripts from previously attended colleges and universities to:
DePaul University
Office of Admission
1 E. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL USA 60604
- Electronic transcripts and test scores may be sent to electronictranscripts@depaul.edu. If submitting transcripts via SCRIP-SAFE, please be sure to connect with the DePaul University Undergraduate Admissions account.
- Questions? Email
admission@depaul.edu or call (312) 362-8300 to meet with an admissions counselor.
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