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Cardinal Directions

Helping you find your pathway to success

Here at North Central, we call our general education curriculum Cardinal Directions because it is about helping you find your pathway to success, regardless of major. All of our faculty who teach as part of Cardinal Directions are dedicated to welcoming you and preparing you for your college experience — and they will be here to guide you all the way to graduation. This is where you will start to form the lasting connections that make North Central College a special place to build your future.

CARD 110: The Cardinal Experience

The journey begins your first semester on campus with CARD 110: The Cardinal Experience — a required, one-credit course designed to help you transition to college life and find your place at North Central. More than just classroom learning, CARD 110 includes mentorship, events and experiences that you and your entire incoming class of peers will share.

In this course, you will learn to:

  • Find your way around campus
  • Identify faculty and staff members to serve as mentors
  • Connect with student peers and organizations
  • Begin thinking about long-term goals
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First Year: Beyond CARD 110

In addition to CARD 110, you will take two additional Cardinal Directions courses your first year — one focused on writing instruction and another focused on oral communication. Together, they will help you strengthen skills that are key to success in any field or discipline: 

  • ENGL 110: Writing for College and Beyond 
  • COMM 110: Introduction to Public Speaking 

After your first year, you will continue along the Cardinal Directions pathway, assuring that throughout your subsequent years, you have ample opportunities to explore, connect and reflect on a broad array of ideas, methods and ways of thinking.

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Subsequent Requirements: Further Exploration

Your academic success coach will help you stay on track toward fulfilling these requirements:

Area Courses

You will take at least one course from four traditional liberal arts areas of study. To ensure you have breadth of knowledge, we ask that these come from at least three different subjects. You will gain broad-based knowledge that will help you think across disciplinary boundaries and make exciting connections.

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Arts

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Humanities

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Social Sciences

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Sciences

Additional Courses

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Mission Courses

These courses will prepare you to be an ethical and purposeful citizen in local, national and global contexts:

  • Ethical Dimensions
  • U.S. Power Structures OR 
    Global Understanding
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Well-Being

This course will cover physical, emotional, spiritual and financial health, taking a holistic view of wellness.

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Quantitative Analysis

You will complete a course that develops your ability to evaluate and draw conclusions from data, which are important skills in every career.

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Writing in a Discipline

This course will sharpen your writing skills relevant to your academic interests and career plans, which will give you further confidence as you prepare to communicate in the professional world.

Experiential Learning Requirements

Now’s the time to apply your knowledge and skills to gain experience — beyond the classroom. With your academic success coach, you will choose an option that aligns with your future plans, interests and schedule:

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Community-Engaged Learning

Complete a course beyond campus in a community service or professional capacity, pursuing work that not only supports your learning but also that addresses the needs of the community.

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Liberal Arts Seminar

Tap into your general education and disciplinary training to help solve a complex problem facing our world today.

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Independent Research

Pursue a research experience such as an independent study, honors thesis, or research practicum. These faculty-mentored research experiences provide students with key skills that prepare them for graduate study and diverse careers.

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Study Away (domestic or international)

Immerse yourself in a new domestic or international setting, whether you study away for a semester or a shorter term. 

Career Readiness Requirement

Your general education is about becoming a prepared thinker, ready to enter the job market. In addition, North Central College is committed to helping every student graduate with at least one meaningful professional experience on their resume. 

Our career readiness requirement ensures that every student is equipped with the skills and experiences they need to translate their classroom learning to the workplace.

North Central College business students

Explore iCons

Students can also choose one of the iCons, or Interdisciplinary Connections, which are a collection of courses that complement your major studies and provide a firm foundation in the liberal arts.