According to our Mission Statement, Northwest Nazarene University offers an undergraduate curriculum that “is designed to instill a habit of mind that enables each student to become God’s creative and redemptive agent in today’s world.” This curriculum provides both depth (the student’s major field of study) and breadth (the General Education Program) to nurture our students’ highest intellectual, physical, and spiritual development.

The General Education Program is the foundation of all undergraduate education at Northwest Nazarene University. It purposely expresses through curriculum the mission of the university as a Christian liberal arts institution in the Wesleyan heritage. The objective of the General Education Program is to provide a common experience for the personal and intellectual growth of each student. Students are brought into contact with the great persons, ideas, movements, and traditions of humanity and the Christian faith. The curriculum is intellectually challenging and designed to set the tone for all courses at the university.

To complete the General Education Program at Northwest Nazarene University, the student must take 55 semester credits of courses distributed in three categories. The categories with the number of credits required in each are:

I. Abilities (17 credits)

All courses in this category must be passed with a grade of C- (1.700) or higher.

ENGL1020. English Composition (3)

To be completed by end of first year of residence

ENGL2020. Research Writing and Critical Thinking (3)

To be completed by end of second year of residence

COMM1210. Introduction to Public Speaking (2)

Or:  COMM3210. Advanced Public Speaking (3)

KINE1000. Fundamentals of Wellness (1)

KINE Activity Courses - Two different courses (2)

One must be a heart healthy activity

KINE1020. Heart Healthy Activities (1)

KINE1030. Lifetime Sport Activities (1)

The following courses count for General Education KINE activity requirements:

KINE1010, KINE1020, KINE1030, KINE1240, KINE2500, KINE2640 (KINE majors only) 

Mathematics Competency (3)

MATH1100. Liberal Arts Mathematics (3); or, a higher level mathematics course; or, one of the following quantitative courses approved by the General Education Council.

BSNS2330. Math for Business and Finance (3);

BSNS3330. Mathematics for Business and Finance (3);

KINE4520. Tests and Measurements in Physical Education (3); 

PSYC3640. Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis I (3)

Prerequisite: A student must have an ACT mathematics score of 21 or above, an SAT score of 550 or above, or have successfully completed MATH0900 or the equivalent.

HUMN1010. Cornerstone (3)

To be successfully completed by the end of the first year in residence

II. Contextual Disciplines (15 credits)

BIBL1100. Introduction to Biblical Studies (3)

To be completed during first 3 semesters of residence, must be completed with a grade of C- or better.

THEO2100. Introduction to Christian Theology (3)

To be completed by the end of the fifth semester in residence, must be completed with a grade of C- or better. 

Students transferring to Northwest Nazarene University as juniors (60 credits) must complete 6 semester credits in biblical and theological studies which will include THEO2100 and a BIBL or THEO elective. Students transferring as seniors (90 credits) must complete only THEO2100.

Philosophy elective (3)

Select one course from:

PHIL2010. Introduction to Philosophy (3)

PHIL2020. Ethics (3)

PHIL3010. History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (3)

PHIL3020. History of Modern Philosophy
(3)

PHIL3600. Clinical Ethics (3)

History Electives (one U. S. and one non-U. S.) (6)

Select one U.S. history option from:

HIST2030. Conflict and Consensus: American History to 1877 (3)

HIST2040. Conflict and Consensus: American History from 1877 (3)

HIST3250. History of American Culture (3)

HIST3390. Recent America (3)

Select one non-U.S. history option from:

HIST1030. The World and the West I (3)

HIST1040. The World and the West II (3)

HIST3480. Modern Europe (1800-Present) (3)

Cross-Cultural Experience

One experience from Tier I; or,

Two experiences from Tier II; or,

One experience from Tier II and two from Tier III; or,

Four experiences from Tier III

Tier I Experiences:

Participation in one face-to-face Cross-Cultural Awareness Seminar (4 hrs, no credit) prior to participating in a cross-cultural experience; and

Approved travel (e.g., cross-cultural semester abroad, 2 week mission trip); and

A ten page paper reflecting on the cross-cultural experience; or

Students who have lived overseas for at least 1 year.

Tier II Experiences:

Participation in one face-to-face Cross-Cultural Awareness Seminar (4 hrs, no credit) prior to participating in a cross cultural experience; and

Approved travel (e.g., United States, Canada); and

A five page paper reflecting on the cross-cultural experience; or

Participation in one on-line Cross Cultural Awareness Seminar; and

One of the following approved courses (which includes 10-15 contact hours and a 5 page paper):

EDUC3310. Teaching the Bilingual/Bicultural Child (1)

EDUC3410. Content Literacy in Secondary Classrooms (3)

FREN1020. Elementary French (4)

FREN2010. Intermediate French (4)

FREN2020. Intermediate French (4)

FREN3010. Advanced Conversational French (3)

NURS2000. Health Assessment and the Promotion of Family Health (5)

NURS3020. Family Mental Health (3)

NURS4010. The Family Within the Community (4)

PRTH3750. Compassionate Ministries (2)

SOGY3180. Race, Class and Ethnicity (3)

SPAN1020. Elementary Spanish (4)

SPAN2010. Intermediate Spanish (4)

SPAN2020. Intermediate Spanish (4)

SPAN3010. Advanced Conversation and Composition (3)

Tier III Experiences:

Participation in one on-line Cross-Cultural Awareness Seminar prior to 10 hours of approved cross-cultural contact experience; and

A five page paper reflecting on the cross-cultural experience; or

Participation in one on-line Cross Cultural Awareness Seminar; and

One of the following approved courses (which includes 5-10 contact hours and a 5 page paper):

FREN1010. Elementary French (4)

KINE3630. Corrective and Adaptive Physical Education (2)

REST3560. World Religions: Asian Traditions (2)

REST3570. World Religions: Western Traditions (2)

SOGY2030. Cultural Anthropology I (2)

SOGY2040. Cultural Anthropology II (2)

SPAN1010. Elementary Spanish (4)

SOWK2851. Human Behavior and the Social Environment II (2)

III. Explorations (23 credits)

Humanities Electives (one course must be taken from each area) (6)

Art History/Music Literature Elective

ARDE1010. A Survey of Art and Music (3)

ARDE1190. Introduction to the Visual Arts (3)

ARDE3250. Art History 1 (3)

ARDE3340. Design History (3)

ARDE3750. Art History 2 (3)

ARDE4250. Contemporary Art History (3)

MUSC1010. A Survey of Art and Music (3)

MUSC3260. Music History: Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque (3)

MUSC3270. Music History: Classic, Romantic and Modern (3)

MUSC3750. Symphonic Literature (1)

Literature Elective

ENGL2210. American Literature: Colonial Period to the Civil War (3)

ENGL2220. American Literature: Civil War to the Present (3)

ENGL2310. British Literature: Beowulf through the Age of Reason (3)

ENGL2320. British Literature: The Romantic Age to the Present (3)

ENGL2410. Major Literature of the Western World (3)

ENGL2420. World Literature: The Ancient World to the Renaissance (3)

ENGL2430. World Literature: The Enlightenment to the Modern Era (3)

ENGL3210. Major Authors in American Literature (3)

ENGL3240. Studies in American Literature (3)

ENGL3250. The American Novel (3)

ENGL3310. Major Authors in British Literature (3)

ENGL3320. Shakespeare (3)

ENGL3350. The British Novel (3)

ENGL3410. Greek and Roman Classics (3)

ENGL3420. Foreign Literature in Translation (3)

ENGL3440. Studies in World Literature (3)

ENGL3510. Twentieth Century Poetry (3)

ENGL3520. Twentieth Century Drama (3)

ENGL3740. Children's Literature (3)

ENGL4270. Minority Voices in American Literature (3)

ENGL4340. Major Romantics and Victorians (3)

ENGL4350. British Poetry Before 1700 (3)

Upper-division Bible Literature or Theology (3)

(BIBL, THEO prefixed courses) 

Science Electives with one lab requirement (7)

Science (BIOL, CHEM, NSCI, PHYS prefixed courses) 

Social Science (6)

Select two areas from the following:

Economics (ECON prefixed courses)

Geography (GEOG prefixed courses)

Political Science (POLS prefixed courses)

Psychology (PSYC prefixed courses)

Sociology (SOGY prefixed courses)

COMM2030. Interpersonal Communication (3)

 HUMN4011. Capstone (1)