Core Curriculum Requirements

The General Degree requirements for all transfer degrees at Del Mar College are prescribed by the core curriculum guidelines set forth by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Texas law requires that each public college and university identify and requires a core curriculum of 42 credits for its degrees designed to transfer. In addition, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has prescribed eight (8) Foundational Component Areas and a Component Area Option, with a specified number of credits for each.

A student who completes 42-hour core curriculum at Del Mar College may transfer the block of courses to any other Texas public college. That college must count it for their core curriculum. Students who do not complete the entire 42-hour core, but complete the requirements for one or more Foundational Component Areas, may transfer those courses and will receive credit for each of the courses transferred. Students should consult with their advisors to ensure that the core curriculum courses they take are correct for their degree plan and for the major at the college or university to which they intend to transfer.

The core curriculum supports the General Education Competencies of Del Mar College as it is structured to develop competencies in critical thinking, communication, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility. The core curriculum is further designed to give students breadth of knowledge in the Liberal Arts (Multidisciplinary Studies) and to promote critical thinking skills that are fundamental to higher education.

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.

NOTE: Core courses that have a four digit course number beginning with a number “2” are sophomore-level courses.