Core Requirements
Through the Texas Core Curriculum, students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world, and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning.
Core Objectives
- Critical Thinking Skills (CT) - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information.
- Communication Skills (COM) - to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication.
- Empirical and Quantitative Skills (EQS) - to include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions.
- Teamwork (TW) - to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.
- Social Responsibility (SR) - to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.
- Personal Responsibility (PR) - to include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.
Core Curriculum and Transfer
Under the Core Curriculum transfer rules and regulations, all Texas public colleges and universities must accept transfer of credit for successfully completed courses from ACC’s Core Curriculum. (Note: Some universities may deny the transfer of credit in courses with a grade of “D.”) A student’s transcript will indicate core completion.
Core Completers
Core completers will receive credit for each course transferred. Students will not be required to pass additional core curriculum courses at the transferred public institution unless the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has approved an expanded core curriculum at that institution.
Incomplete Core
Students who do not complete the core curriculum may still transfer any credits earned. Students are then required to complete core requirements at the transferred institution.
Resolution of Transfer Disputes
The following procedures shall be followed by public institutions of higher education in the resolution of credit transfer disputes involving lower-division courses:
- If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a student at another institution, the receiving institution shall give written notice to the student and to the sending institution that transfer of the course credit is denied.
- The two institutions and the student shall attempt to resolve the transfer of the course credit in accordance with Coordinating Board rules and/or guidelines.
- If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the sending institution within 45 days after the date the student received written notice of denial, the institution whose credit is denied for transfer shall notify the Commissioner of the denial.
The Commissioner of Higher Education or the Commissioner’s designee shall make the final determination about the dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and institution.
Field of Study Curriculum
A “field of study curriculum,” is used to satisfy the lower division requirements for a bachelor’s degree in a specific academic area at a post-secondary institution.
Field of study curriculums are available at Alvin Community College for the following departments:
- Biology
- Business Administration and Management
- Criminal Justice
- Mexican-American Studies
- Music
- Nursing
- Social Work
Core Objectives (x = Required and O = Optional)
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Foundational Component Area |
SCH |
CT |
COM |
EQS |
TW |
SR |
PR |
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Communication: Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively. Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience. |
6 |
X |
X |
O |
X |
O |
X |
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Mathematics: Courses in this category focus on quantitative literacy in logic, patterns, and relationships. Courses involve the understanding of key mathematical concepts and the application of appropriate quantitative tools to everyday experience. |
3 |
X |
X |
X |
O |
O |
O |
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Life and Physical Sciences: Courses in this category focus on describing, explaining, and predicting natural phenomena using the scientific method. Courses involve the understanding of interactions among natural phenomena and the implications of scientific principles on the physical world and on human experiences. |
6 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
O |
O |
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Language, Philosophy and Culture: Courses in this category focus on how ideas, values, beliefs, and other aspects of culture express and affect human experience. Courses involve the exploration of ideas that foster aesthetic and intellectual creation in order to understand the human condition across cultures. |
3 |
X |
X |
O |
O |
X |
X |
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Creative Arts: Courses in this category focus on the appreciation and analysis of creative artifacts and works of the human imagination. Courses involve the synthesis and interpretation of artistic expression and enable critical, creative, and innovative communication about works of art. |
3 |
X |
X |
O |
X |
X |
O |
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American History: Courses in this category focus on the consideration of past events and ideas relative to the United States, with the option of including Texas History for a portion of this component area. Courses involve the interaction among individuals, communities, states, the nation, and the world, considering how these interactions have contributed to the development of the United States and its global role. |
6 |
X |
X |
O |
O |
X |
X |
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Government/Political Science: Courses in this category focus on consideration of the Constitution of the United States and the constitutions of the states, with special emphasis on that of Texas. Courses involve the analysis of governmental institutions, political behavior, civic engagement, and their political and philosophical foundations. |
6 |
X |
X |
O |
O |
X |
X |
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Social and Behavioral Sciences: Courses in this category focus on the application of empirical and scientific methods that contribute to the understanding of what makes us human. Courses involve the exploration of behavior and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, and events, examining their impact on the individual, society, and culture. |
3 |
X |
X |
X |
O |
X |
O |
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Component Area Option:
a. A minimum of 3 SCH must meet the definition and corresponding Core Objectives specified in one of the foundational component areas
b. As an option for up to 3 semester credit hours of the Component Area Option, an institution may select course(s) that:
(i) Meet(s) the definition specified for one or more of the foundational component areas; and
(ii) Include(s) a minimum of three Core Objectives, including Critical Thinking Skills, Communication
Skills, and one of the remaining Core Objectives of the institution’s choice.
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6 |
X |
X |
O |
O |
O |
O |
Core Curriculum
Core Curriculum
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