Saint Louis University Undergraduate Core

Ignite Seminar

The Ignite Seminar introduces you to what makes learning at Saint Louis University distinctive and transformative. In these seminars, SLU-Madrid faculty members invite students to join them in exploring the ideas and questions that have sustained and continue to fuel their passion and commitment as individuals and teachers.  

Cura Personalis

Inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, the Cura Personalis sequence focuses on caring for you as a whole person and on developing your ability to foster human flourishing in yourself and others through personal discovery and the creation of meaning. Intentionally sequenced, this three-part series of coursework and experiences grounds you, guides you and supports you:

• Cura Personalis 1: Self in Community places you on a path of self-discovery and deeper meaning-making by exploring fundamental questions of identity, history, and place. Completed in your first year at SLU-Madrid, this course is designed to ground and support you as you join SLU's academic community and navigate its distinctive intellectual and interpersonal opportunities.
• Cura Personalis 2: Self in Contemplation is a non-credit bearing experience that permits you to envision a clearer sense of who you are and how you might contribute to your communities by considering how your values and calling shape your aspirations. These experiences guide you in a structured process of reflection and discernment informed by or in dialogue with the Ignatian tradition. 
• Cura Personalis 3: Self in the World is a one-credit course that asks you to look outward by articulating how your skills, competencies and knowledge transfer to your vocation as a SLU graduate. This course guides you through exploring academic and non-academic options and logistics, preparing career-enhancing tools, and developing practices that will help you move forward with a sense of confidence and purpose, enabling you to find meaning in your life and career.

Theological and Philosophical Foundations 

Philosophy and Theology lie at the intellectual center of the Jesuit educational tradition. Both disciplines raise questions regarding the meaning of human existence and desire for transcendence — questions of faith and the divine, of creation and human destiny, of evil, reconciliation, and the good. 

The University Core introduces you to these disciplines in two introductory courses — PHIL 1700 Ultimate Questions: Philosophy and THEO 1600 God-Talk: Ultimate Questions in Theology — that ask you to reflect critically on your own and others' worldviews by wrestling with ultimate questions in dialogue with the Catholic, Jesuit tradition.

• Ultimate Questions: Philosophy focuses on the nature of reality and our ability to know it, the nature of wisdom and the good life, and the nature and meaning of human existence. This course introduces you to philosophical ways of reasoning about such questions, including philosophical approaches found in the Catholic tradition.
• Ultimate Questions: Theology focuses on the nature of faith; the nature, existence, and personhood of God; the nature and ends of creation and human life; and evil and salvation. This course introduces you to the fundamental texts, teachings, practices and modes of inquiry of one or more major religious traditions, including Catholicism. 

Eloquentia Perfecta

The cultivation of eloquence in speech and writing has been a fundamental part of the Jesuit tradition since the 1599 Ratio Studiorum defined eloquentia perfecta (perfect eloquence) as a central goal of the liberal arts curriculum. The University Core advances this tradition with courses in written, oral and visual communication, and creative expression that foster forms of reasoned discourse essential to academic excellence and action for the common good.

• Eloquentia Perfecta: Written and Visual Communication guides you in learning to write effective expository prose, design effective visual messages and participate in academic discourse. 
• Eloquentia Perfecta: Oral and Visual Communication teaches you how to prepare and deliver effective oral and visual messages, advancing your ability to think critically about oral and visual messages and to reflect on how identity and values shape your own and others' oral and visual communication.
• Eloquentia Perfecta: Creative Expression cultivates critical thinking through engagement with a creative process. These courses foster technical skills that allow you to communicate ideas creatively. They also advance your capacity to become an informed critic of art and media, developing your awareness of how personal and cultural contexts influence creative expression.
• Eloquentia Perfecta: Writing Intensive is an attribute added to one of the courses you take for the Core, for your major or as an elective. These courses will further strengthen their ability to write effective argumentative prose within the context of a specific Core or disciplinary inquiry.

Equity and Global Identities 

Many of the courses you take at SLU will help you understand the world so that you can better advocate for justice and act in solidarity with people who are disadvantaged and oppressed. The University Core ensures that you develop your understanding and response to twenty-first-century challenges through taking courses — in your major or as electives — that carry the following three "attributes":  

• Identities in Context courses examine how diverse and intersecting identities shape how people move through and experience the world. In these courses, you will analyze how identities form through interaction with others and within social structures, explore key categories of identity analysis, reflect on your own biases, and connect across difference.
• Global Interdependence courses provide you with the intellectual tools you will need to understand and participate in our interconnected world. In these courses, you will explore the global impact of personal choices and local actions in order to become an engaged and responsible global citizen committed to finding solutions to challenges rooted in global or transnational interdependence.
• Dignity, Ethics, and a Just Society apply concepts of human dignity, well-being, equity and justice to the analysis of existing social systems. You will evaluate those systems as they currently function and use this critical analysis to envision systemic social change that promotes human dignity, equity and justice.

Ways of Thinking

A liberal arts education — in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition — will expose you to a breadth of disciplines and intellectual traditions. The Ways of Thinking distribution in the University Core introduces you to distinct, disciplinary lenses through which to encounter and engage with the world around you. 

• Aesthetics, History and Culture courses advance your ability to understand the meaning and diversity of human experiences both within and beyond your own social and cultural contexts. These courses develop your ability to draw reasoned conclusions about primary sources, including visual art, literature, cinema, historical documents and other cultural products.
• Natural and Applied Sciences courses foster your understanding of modes of inquiry used to study structures and mechanisms of the universe. In these courses, you develop an understanding of scientific laws, principles, and theories as well as methods to test empirical claims.
• Quantitative Reasoning courses introduce you to the ubiquity of quantitative data, theories and applications. In these courses, you will attain a breadth and depth of mathematical and/or statistical skill sets that allow you to assess quantitative information in order to develop rigorous arguments and communicate reasoned conclusions.
• Social and Behavioral Sciences courses develop your ability to systematically study society, culture, individuals, institutions, and/or communication. In these courses, you will consider the diversity of social, political, and civic life. You will also be given the tools to draw reasoned conclusions about the complexity of real-world challenges experienced by individuals or groups, locally, nationally, and globally.

Collaborative Inquiry 

Jesuit education prepares you to explore complex questions without straightforward answers. Your SLU Core experience culminates with your working with other students to apply concepts, methodologies and ways of thinking learned in earlier Core and other coursework to find multidimensional approaches to contemporary societal problems like climate change or racial inequality, or enduring questions concerning topics such as the nature of beauty, effective leadership or the transcendent.

Reflection-in-Action

Curricular and co/extra-curricular experiences — including internships and service work — that encourage you to experience meaningful learning opportunities beyond the university. This requirement also asks you to reflect upon how your community engagement enhances your understanding of acting with and for others.

(Subject to Change)

CORE 1000 Ignite Seminar

(minimum 2 credits; must be taken within the first two semesters) 

Alberto Bosco, A Musical History of Spain
Anne Dewey, Gender & National Identity through Woman's Stories
Carl G. Saluste, The History of Science and its Impact on Society
Cristina Matute, Spanglish: What is it? 
Eduardo Fernández-Cruz, Togetherness in a Changing World
Fabiola Martínez, Behind Monalisa's Smile 
Hamish Binns, Music, Self, and Society 
Jawara Sanford, Philosophy that Makes a Difference 
Olivia Badoi, Fairytales: Then and Now
Ryan Day, Writing Nature
Barah Mikaïl, Planet 3.0: how non-state actors impact the world
Brian Goss, The World Through Film: people and practices
Beth Boronat, Design your Sustainable Way of Life
Bradley Mollman, The Urban History of Madrid
Philip Porter, The Theology of Death

'Locked' Ignite Seminars
Life on Mars (Engineering)
Human Development across the Lifespan (Nursing)

Theological & Philosophical Foundations (6 credits)

Ultimate Questions: Theology (3 credits) 

THEO 1600 God-Talk: Ultimate Questions in Theology
HCE 1600 Ultimate Questions Theology: Death, Disability, Disease, and the Meaning of Life

Ultimate Questions: Philosophy (3 credits) 

PHIL 1700 The Examined Life: Ultimate Questions

Eloquentia Perfecta Sequence (8 credits and 1 attributed course)

ENGL 1900/1920 Written & Visual Communication (3 credits)

ENGL 1900 Advanced Strategies of Rhetoric and Research
ENGL 1920 Advanced Writing for Professionals

Oral & Visual Communication (3 credits) 

CMM 1200 Public Speaking
LLC 1255 Modern Languages and Intercultural Competence
SPAN 3020 Eloquent Communication in Spanish

Creative Expression (minimum 2 credits) 

ART 2000 Drawing I
ART 2100 Design
ART 2150 Color Theory
ART 2200 Painting I
ART 2300 Printmaking
ART 2450 Sculpture I
CMM 2550 Photojournalism
CSCI 1050 Intro to Computer Science: Multimedia
DANC 2650 Spanish Dance
DANC 2660 Latin Rhythms and Dance
DANC 2670 The New Flamenco Experience
ENGL 3060 Creating Writing: Fiction
ENGL 3100 Topics in Creative Writing
MUSC 2090 Reflection Seminar: Applied Music
MUSC 3400 Reflection Seminar: Ensemble
THR 2510 Acting I: Fundamentals

Eloquentia Perfecta Writing Intensive (WI) (attributed course) 

CMM 2100 Journalism: News Writing
ENGL 3140 Poetry
ENGL 3220 Film and Literature
ENGL 3240 Reading the Female Bildungsroman 
ENGL 3260 British Literary Traditions after 1800
ENGL 3470 Introduction to Shakespeare 
ENGL 3875 Conflict Writing
ENGL 4000 Professional Writing
SPAN 3030 Refining Spanish Expression: Grammar & Composition
THEO 3375 Women in the Bible

Ways of Thinking Series (12 credits)

Aesthetics, History and Culture (3 credits) 

ARTH 1010 History of Western Art
ARTH 1080 Masterpieces in Art
ARTH 2500 Renaissance Art Survey
CMM 3460 International Cinema
CMM 3840 Analysis of Popular Culture
ENGL 2250 Conflict, Social Justice and Literature
ENGL 2350 Faith, Doubt and Literature
ENGL 2450 Nature, Ecology and Literature
ENGL 2550 Gender, Identity and Literature
ENGL 2650 Technology, Media and Literature
ENGL 2750 Film, Culture and Literature
ENGL 2850 Nation, Identity and Literature
ENGL 3220 Film and Literature
ENGL 3240 Reading the Female Bildungsroman
ENGL 3260 British Literary Traditions after 1800
HIST 1120 Origins of the Modern World (1500 to Present)
HIST 1600 History of the U.S. to 1865
HIST 1610 History of the United States Since 1865
HIST 3090 The Age of the Renaissance
HIST 3720 Cultural Encounters
MUSC 1170 World Music
SPAN 4200 Introduction to Hispanic Literatures
THEO 3375 Women in the Bible

Natural and Applied Science (3 credits) 

BIOL 1240 General Biology: Information Flow and Evolution
BIOL 1340 Diversity of Life
BIOL 1460 Exercise and Health
CHEM 1110 General Chemistry 1
EAS 1420 Introduction to Atmospheric Science
EAS 2700 Sustainable Development in Latin America
EAS 1030 Earth's Dynamic Environment II
EAS 1450 Introduction to Oceanography

Quantitative Reasoning (3 credits) 

CSCI 1060 Introduction to Computer Science: Scientific Programming
MATH 1220 Finite Mathematics
MATH 1250 Math Thinking in the Real World
MATH 1270 Math Media: Reading News with Mathematical Eyes
MATH 1320 Survey of Calculus
MATH 1400 Pre-Calculus
MATH 1510 Calculus I
MATH 1520 Calculus II
MATH 2530 Calculus III
MATH 2660 Principles of Mathematics
POLS 2000 Methods in Political Science
PSY 2050 Foundations of Research Methods and Statistics
STAT 1100 Introduction to Statistics

Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 credits) 

ANTH 2200 Cultural Anthropology
CMM 1000 Human Communication and Culture
CMM 2400 Media and Society
CMM 3000 Interpersonal Communication
CMM 3300 Intercultural Communication
CMM 4460 Global Media
ECON 1900 Principles of Economics
ENGL 4110 Introduction to Linguistics 
POLS 1100 Introduction to American Government 
POLS 1150 American Political Systems
POLS 1600 Introduction to International Politics
POLS 2640 International Terrorism
PSY 1010 General Psychology
PSY 3120 Cognitive Psychology
PSY 3210 Developmental Psychology: Child
PSY 3300 Social Psychology
PSY 3460 Abnormal Psychology
SPAN 4020 Spanish in the World
SPAN 4030 Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
WGST 2201 Cultural Anthropology
WGST 2930 Special Topics: Social Justice
WGST 3300 Intercultural Communication

Equity and Global Identities (attributed courses; students need all three areas)

Identities in Context (IIC) 

ANTH 1210 Introduction to Anthropology
CMM 3300 Intercultural Communication
ENGL 2550 Gender, Identity & Literature
ENGL 3330 World Literary Traditions III
HCE 1600 Ultimate Questions Theology: Death, Disability, Disease, and the Meaning of Life
HIST 1600 History of the U.S. to 1865
HIST 1610 History of the United States Since 1865
HIST 3750 Cultural Encounters 1500-1700
IPE 2100 Interprofessional Collaboration and Healthcare in Global Context
PHIL 4810 Philosophy of Feminism
POLS 2590 Politics of the Middle East and North Africa
SPAN 4020 Spanish in the World
THEO 2710 Religions of the World
WGST 2550 Gender, Identity & Literature
WGST 3300 Intercultural Communication
WGST 4810 Philosophy of Feminism

Global Interdependence (GI) 

ANTH 2200 Cultural Anthropology
ARTH 1010 History of Western Art
CMM 4460 Global Media
ENGL 3330 World Literary Traditions III
ENGL 3500 Literature of the Postcolonial World
HIST 1120 Origins of the Modern World (1500 to Present)
IB 2000 Introduction to International Business
IPE 2100 Interprofessional Collaboration and Healthcare in Global Context
POLS 1600 Introduction to International Politics
POLS 2590 Politics of the Middle East and North Africa
THEO 2710 Religions of the World
WGST 2201 Cultural Anthropology (María Belen Molinuevo)
WGST 2930 Special Topics: Social Justice (Melanie Mitchell)

Dignity, Ethics, and a Just Society (DEJS) 

BME 2200 Applied Physiology for Engineers
CSCI 3050 Computer Ethics
ENGL 2250 Conflict, Social Justice and Literature
ENGL 3240 Reading the Female Bildungsroman
ENGL 3500 Literature of the Postcolonial World
ENGL 3720 U.S. Law and Literature: Equality Since Brown v. Board of Education
PHIL 2050 Ethics
PHIL 4810 Philosophy of Feminism
POLS 1500 Introduction to Comparative Politics
POLS 2590 Politics of the Middle East and North Africa
POLS 2691 The Theory and Practice of Human Rights
POLS 3567 Political Development in Contemporary Spain
WGST 1900 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies

Collaborative Inquiry (minimum 2 credits) Pre-requisites: CORE 1000; CORE 1500; 60 earned credits, including 21 credits from Core.

ARTH 3770 Art and Politics: From Goya to the Cold War
ENGL 3720 U.S. Law and Literature: Equality Since Brown v. Board of Education
MGT 3200 Managing Ideas in Entrepreneurial Firms
MGT 3201 Social Entrepreneurship
POLS 3800 The Structure of Poverty: Globally and Locally
SPAN 4150 Spanish for the Health Professions

Reflection-in-Action (RIA) (attributed experience)

Community ESL (Madrid) (co-curricular)
School Outreach Program (Madrid) (co-curricular)
Fundación Sanders (Madrid) (co-curricular)
Volunteering While Abroad (Sharrad Belin)
Sports (César Rioja)
All Internships

Cura Personalis Sequence (2 credits; two courses plus one experiential requirement)

CORE 1500 Self in Community (1 credit course; must be completed during the first 36 credits at SLU.)

CORE 2500 Self in Contemplation (attributed course or experience)

Ignatian Pilgrimage Retreat to Loyola (Madrid) (co-curricular)
Book Club "CURA in the Library" (co-curricular)
Convivium (Ryan Day)
Madrid Sports Program (César Rioja)
Looking Inward: A Day for Self-reflection and Mental Health (Carla Aparicio)
THEO 2110 Introduction to the Old Testament
THEO 2210 Introduction to the New Testament
HR 4810 Honors Teaching Assistantship

CORE 3500 Self in the World (1 credit course; could be added to a capstone)

CORE 3500: CP III: Self in the World
BIZ 3000 Career Foundations
ARTH 2000 Art History Seminar