In the culmination of the Core Curriculum students put their experience to work–bridging the gap between theory and practice and giving extra meaning to their academic courses by applying their knowledge, skills, and values to life outside the college campus.
Students fulfill the Experiencing the Liberal Arts in the World (ELAW) requirement by successfully completing one of the following:
- A study tour
- A study abroad program
- A credit bearing internship
- A College-designed service or experiential learning class
For classes and study tours that satisfy the requirements in any given semester, see the courses listed under “CORE ELAW” in the Portal’s Schedule of Classes. For a list of all classes approved to satisfy the requirements, please see the Core Curriculum page of the academic catalog .
Students may also use a four-credit independent study or directed research to fulfill ELAW if it has a significant off-campus component. In such cases, students will work with their instructor to complete the ELAW Learning Contract at the beginning of the semester in which their course takes place.
Experiences equivalent to a four-credit course (160 hours), such as a non-credit bearing internship, can also be used to fulfill ELAW. Students who wish to use such an experience for ELAW must work with a faculty sponsor to ensure that their experience meets the expectations for ELAW.
Such experiences must:
- Take place off-campus
- Include a structured learning component
- Total at least 160 hours
If the experience meets these qualifications, students will work with their faculty sponsors to complete the ELAW Learning Contract at the beginning of the semester in which their experience takes place. This contract registers the students for CORE 350, a 0 credit ELAW course. As part of this course, faculty sponsors will provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their experience. Core 350 is evaluated pass with distinction, pass, or fail.
Students who wish to use an experience that occurred prior to January 1, 2018 must follow past ELAW procedures and petition the Academic Policy Committee for approval using the ELAW Petition Form.
Students whose petitions are approved will work with the Associate Dean of Curriculum to register for Core 350; students will be expected to submit a reflective essay about their experience in order to pass CORE 350. Refer to previous guidelines for ELAW Reflective essays.
We’re here to help: please contact corecurriculum@smcm.edu or talk with your advisor if you have any questions about the Core Curriculum.