Core Curriculum

The Basilian educational tradition emphasizes the critical importance of truth, intellectual freedom, the welfare of every student, and education for justice.

The Fisher Core provides the breadth and depth needed for a lifetime of meaningful learning and critical thinking. - Whitney Rapp, Assistant Dean of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education

The Core at Fisher

The Core Curriculum has been a fundamental part of the undergraduate degree at Fisher since its founding by the Basilian fathers in 1948. The Core at Fisher prepares you with the appropriate breadth and depth to recognize and confront the emerging issues of contemporary life and work. By focusing on the development of skills and competencies, the Core at Fisher prepares you for life immediately after graduation, as well as the life-long journey that lies ahead. 

You will follow the Core throughout your undergraduate career at Fisher, beginning in your first semester with small learning communities designed to introduce you to your class and the disciplines of the liberal arts. The curriculum culminates in the Cardinal Capstone, a senior interdisciplinary course in which you will practice what you’ve learned. During the Cardinal Capstone, you will work with peers from multiple majors to help solve a problem in our community, applying your knowledge to big issues around racial disparities, climate change, poverty, educational inequity, and social justice.