A curriculum to guide every journey forward
Thriving in today’s world requires more than advanced knowledge. As technologies evolve, distances shrink, and information expands, you will need to be able to adapt to new situations, collaborate with people of different backgrounds, and evaluate evidence with a critical eye. JCC can’t teach you everything you will need to know, but the Essentials will give you the tools you need to continue to grow, wherever your journey leads.
Do the Essentials fulfill SUNY requirements? Yes! SUNY requirements are built into the design.
The Essentials are spread across three levels of learning. These same levels form the basis for every degree program at JCC. As you advance along your JCC journey you will inquire, grow, and connect.
Level 1: INQUIRE
Inquire into complex questions with a critical eye for evidence and differing perspectives.
Learning begins with a question. Completed during the first year of study, Level 1 courses examine multi-faceted questions through a critical lens, giving you the opportunity to explore different perspectives and types of sources outside the limits of any one field.
Minimum course requirements:
- INT 1555 Inquire or an approved inquiry-based course (recommended within a year of matriculation in a degree program)
- ENG 1510 College Composition I
Level 2: GROW
Grow the versatile toolkit of skills and knowledge essential to success in the twenty-first century.
Courses in this level expand your knowledge and skills, both within and outside your major. You will be exposed to new intellectual experiences as you build college-level proficiency in a range of areas, including key SUNY categories of learning.
Minimum course requirements:
- ENG 1530 English Composition II
- One SUNY Mathematics (Mathematical Reasoning) course
- One SUNY Natural Sciences (Scientific Reasoning) course
- One SUNY Social Sciences (Scientific Reasoning) course
- One JCC Cultural Understanding course
Individual courses may not be used to fulfill more than one Level 2 requirement, but may be used to fulfill additional requirements in other levels.
Level 3: CONNECT
Connect your learning to the real world and consider the impact of your actions.
Level 3 challenges you to apply your learning to a hands-on project, internship, fieldwork, study abroad or related opportunity. Courses in this level also deepen your worldview and sense of citizenship, reinforcing the importance of community and ethical decision-making.
Minimum course requirements:
- One JCC Global Perspectives course
- One JCC Applied Learning course or experience
- One SUNY Diversity (DEISJ) course incorporating the study of diversity, equity, and social justice
Individual courses may not be used to fulfill more than two Level 3 requirements, but may be used to fulfill additional requirements in other levels.
Additional competencies
In addition to the requirements listed, the college also requires each degree holder to demonstrate several other competencies which are built into each degree program. You don’t need to keep track of courses for these requirements because they are infused across the curriculum. They include:
- Critical Thinking and Reasoning
- Information Literacy
- Technological Competency
- Values & Ethical Awareness