University Core Revision
Latest: Revised Core Curriculum Approved
The revised core curriculum proposed by the Core Reconciliation Committee was approved by all relevant bodies across Arts and Sciences, the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, the Gabelli School of Business, and the Board of Trustees in April 2026. The revised core will apply to students entering in the fall of 2028.
Built upon learning goals and objectives established in Phase One of the Core Revision Process, it embodies an integrated approach to educating the whole person, uniting intellectual understanding (Knowing), practical skill application (Doing), and the cultivation of moral character and discernment (Being).
Ultimately, this holistic framework rooted in Fordham’s Catholic, Jesuit mission, ensures students do not just acquire information, but are empowered to navigate their lives with the wisdom and motivation to create a positive, transformative impact on the world by offering:
- Focused Learning: Shifts the focus from a large checklist of specific courses to clear, unifying learning objectives that may be fulfilled by a selection of courses for a deeper experience
- Mission Integration: Engages the Catholic intellectual tradition of faith and reason, and explicitly embeds social justice and ethics as foundational elements of a Jesuit education
- Community and Connection: Encourages community through a first-year cohort experience that introduces Jesuit education, emphasizes effective communications, and initiates engagement with New York City
- Student Success: Provides a flexible, streamlined structure that supports all student populations, including STEM majors and transfer students
- Future-Ready Graduates: Enhances interdisciplinary connections and inquiry, equipping graduates to confront complex global challenges and forming them into transformative leaders of conscience
WATCH: Fordham faculty who served on the core revision committees discuss the revised core curriculum requirements and their alignment with Fordham’s Jesuit, Catholic mission.
About Fordham’s Core Curriculum
At its foundation, Fordham’s core curriculum is a statement of our educational values and a reflection of our Jesuit and Catholic mission.
A 16th-century foundational document, the Ratio Studiorum, standardized the Jesuit educational system, establishing a rigorous, uniform curriculum and pedagogy rooted in the humanities, sciences, and moral formation. Fordham’s core, which assures that every student’s undergraduate education is anchored in those founding principles, contributes to the distinctive nature of a Fordham education.
Our commitment to the core also entails the responsibility of reviewing and renewing this curriculum to prepare today’s students for lives of leadership and service in an ever-evolving global landscape.