The Essentials Curriculum

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.

General education requirements have been around for eons at colleges to ensure that students get a well-rounded education, but they often turn into a laundry list of courses that don’t seem to connect to students’ goals.

JCC’s Essentials are different. They forge a path for lifelong learning that promotes innovative thinking and prepares you to make a positive difference in our diverse and changing world.

The Essentials are carefully designed to:  

  • Eliminate the disconnect between “gen ed” and your major. You will cover at least one of the Essentials in every course you take at JCC.
  • Give you hands-on practice. From Semester One onward, JCC will challenge you to apply your learning to the real world.
  • Defy academic boundaries. Real-world questions don’t neatly align within academic subjects, so why should all of your courses? Interdisciplinary courses allow you to explore innovative connections across fields.
  • Tie your courses together under a simple but meaningful framework.

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
  • 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 college-level mathematics (MAT) course
  • One course in the SUNY Natural Sciences 
  • One course in the SUNY Social Sciences
  • One JCC Cultural Understanding course

Individual courses may not be used to fulfill more than one Level 2 requirement.

  • ANT 1510 Human Evolution and Prehistory*
  • ANT 1520 Intro to Cultural Anthropology*
  • ANT/REL 1530 Comparative Religion*
  • ANT 2510 Indigenous Peoples of North America*
  • ANT 2520 Peoples and Cultures of the World*
  • ANT 2560 Intro to Forensic Anthropology*
  • ANT/SOC 2590 Sex, Sexuality, and Gender*
  • ARA 1510 Introductory Arabic I*
  • ARA 1520 Introductory Arabic II*
  • ASL 1510 Introductory Sign Language I*
  • ASL 1520 Introductory Sign Language II*
  • BUS 1650 Global Business
  • CHI 1510 Introductory Mandarin I*
  • ENG 2660 Literature Goes to Hell*
  • ENG 2730 World Mythology*
  • FRE 1510 Introductory French I*
  • FRE 1520 Introductory French II*
  • FRE 2510 Intermediate French I*
  • FRE 2520 Intermediate French II*
  • GEO 1520 World Regional Geography*
  • GLS 1500 Introduction to Global Studies*
  • HIS 1510 World History Before 1500*
  • HIS 1520 World History Since 1500*
  • HIS 1530 U.S. History Before 1865*
  • HIS 1540 U.S. History Since 1865*
  • HIS 2610 Intro to U.S. Women’s History*
  • PSY 2500 Psychology of Personality*
  • PSY 2510 Lifespan Development*
  • PSY 2520 Child Development*
  • PSY 2530 Social Psychology*
  • PSY 2550 Psychology of Adolescence*
  • PSY 2560 Abnormal Behavior*
  • PSY 2600 Psychology of Intimate Relationships*
  • PSY 2710 Transpersonal Psychology*
  • REL 2580 Survey of Islamic Studies*
  • RUS 1510 Introductory Russian I*
  • RUS 2560 Russian Civilization and Culture*
  • SOC 1510 Introduction to Sociology*
  • SOC 2510 Marriage and the Family*
  • SOC 2520 Social Problems*
  • SOC 2540 Deviant Behavior*
  • SOC 2560 Criminology*
  • SOC 2580 Race and Ethnicity*
  • SOC 2600 Popular Culture
  • SPA 1510 Introductory Spanish I*
  • SPA 1520 Introductory Spanish II*
  • SPA 1601 Globalize Your Mind I (Travel)
  • SPA 2010 Spanish Internship 
  • SPA 2510 Intermediate Spanish I*
  • SPA 2520 Intermediate Spanish II*
  • SPA 2550 Spanish Conversation & Composition* 
  • SPA 2560 Latin American Civilization and Culture* 
  • SPA 2601 Globalize Your Mind II (Travel)

* Equivalent courses transferred to JCC from another institution may be used to fulfill the Cultural Understanding requirement.

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 program core course addressing Values and Ethics

Courses within this level may also be used to fulfill other requirements.

  • ANT 2010 Anthropology Internship 
  • ANT 2020 Anthropology Internship II
  • ANT 2510 Indigenous Peoples of North America
  • ANT 2560 Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
  • ANT/SOC 2590 Sex, Sexuality, and Gender
  • BIO 1550 Intro to Environmental Science
  • BIO 1570 Principles of Biology I
  • BIO 2560 Genetics
  • BIO 2800 Cell and Molecular Biology
  • BIO 2810 Biotechnology Research
  • BIO 2840 Immunology
  • BUS 1430 Entrepreneurship I
  • BUS 1520 Principles of Managerial Accounting
  • BUS 2420 Professional Development/Internship
  • CED 1050 Cooperative Education
  • CED 1060 Cooperative Education
  • CED 2050 Cooperative Education
  • CED 2060 Cooperative Education
  • CHE 2540 Organic Chemistry II
  • CMM 1610 Public Speaking (pending approval of SLO modification)
  • CMM 2560-2565 Media Arts Internship (pending approval of SLO modification)
  • CRI 1420 Report Writing
  • CRI 1510 Intro to Criminal Justice
  • CSC 2450 CIT Capstone
  • CSC 2510 Introduction to Networks
  • EDU 1290 Intro to Early Education/Childcare
  • EDU 1510 Foundations of Education
  • HIS 2610 Intro to U.S. Women’s History
  • MCT 2220 Automation and Robotics
  • MUS 1710 Intro to Sound Recording
  • MUS 1730 Music and Digital Studio
  • NUR 1510 Foundations of Nursing
  • NUR 1520 Health Restoration
  • NUR 2510 Health Restoration/Maintenance
  • NUR 2520 Health Restoration/Maintenance II
  • PSY 2530 Social Psychology
  • PSY 2540 Group Dynamics
  • SOC 2510 Marriage and the Family
  • SOC 2520 Social Problems
  • SOC 2540 Deviant Behavior
  • SOC 2560 Criminology
  • SOC 2580 Race and Ethnicity
  • SOC 2600 Popular Culture
  • SPA 2010 Spanish Internship
  • SPT 1300 Introduction to Sport Management
  • ANT 1510 Human Evolution and Prehistory*
  • ANT 1520 Intro to Cultural Anthropology*
  • ANT/REL 1530 Comparative Religion*
  • ANT 2510 Indigenous Peoples of North America*
  • ANT 2520 Peoples and Cultures of the World*
  • ANT 2560 Intro to Forensic Anthropology*
  • ANT/SOC 2590 Sex, Sexuality, and Gender*
  • BIO 1550 Intro to Environmental Science
  • BIO 2550 Conservation Biology*
  • BIO/PHL 2570 Environmental Issues & Ethics*
  • BUS 1650 Global Business
  • CMM 2610 Mass Communication/Media Literacy
  • ECO 1530 Contemporary Economic Problems
  • ECO 2610 Macroeconomic Principles
  • EDU 2460 Exceptional Children Field Placement
  • GEO 1520 World Regional Geography* 
  • GLS 1500 Introduction to Global Studies*
  • HIS 1510 World History Before 1500*
  • HIS 1520 World History Since 1500*
  • NUR 2520 Health Restoration and Maintenance II
  • PHL 2630 Contemporary Moral Problems* 
  • RUS 2560 Russian Civilization and Culture 
  • SOC 1510 Introduction to Sociology
  • SOC 2510 Marriage and the Family
  • SOC 2520 Social Problems
  • SOC 2540 Deviant Behavior
  • SOC 2560 Criminology
  • SOC 2580 Race and Ethnicity
  • SOC 2600 Popular Culture
  • SPA 2550 Spanish Conversation & Composition
  • SPA 2560 Latin American Civilization and Culture 

* Equivalent courses transferred to JCC from another institution may be used to fulfill the Global Perspectives requirement.