Advising - Advisor Resources

In order for a student to be able to graduate from the University, they must meet the following requirements:

• 120 total credits to graduate​

  • Average of 30 a year, or 15 a semester​

  • Plan for 4-5 classes each semester

  • Students must be enrolled in at least 12 credits a semester to be a full-time 

  • Students can take up to 18 credits a semester​ (beyond that, they pay extra tuition per credit)

• 40 of those credits must be Upper Division (300 or 400 level)​

  • These can be any classes; most will come from major and Core​ requirements

• Complete a Major and the Core (General Education Curriculum)​

• Maintain at least a 2.0 GPA​ (some majors require a higher GPA)

The CORE curriculum is the liberal arts, general education core, which all students at Saint Martin's must complete. This curriculum is for all students who started FALL 2019 and beyond. 

Details of the CORE curriculum can be found in both the Academic Catalog and the Schedule planning and registration guide. Below are FAQ's related to the CORE as well as useful tracking forms (these forms can also be found in the Advising File drive and should be in student's advising files).

CORE FAQ's:

Who is eligible to take COR120(writing)?

• New students without transfer credit for English will take the English placement evaluation. If they place into ENG100, they need to take that as soon as possible before taking COR120. If placed into COR120, it should be completed in their first year.

• Students with transfer credit for ENG101 only still need to take COR120. Students with transfer credit for both ENG101 & 102 have fulfilled the requirement.

Which CORE classes can overlap/double dip with major courses?

• COR130, COR230, and COR400 are the only areas where Core classes can overlap with classes taken for an academic major.

• COR130 (Math): If a student will take a math course numbered MTH121-MTH201 as part of their major or minor, it will fulfill the COR130 requirement. If a student transfers in a math class numbered MTH110 or above, the COR130 requirement is fulfilled. IF no math is needed for the major, students can enroll in COR130.

• COR230 (lab science): If a lab science is a required part of a major or minor, or is transferred in, it will fulfill the COR230 requirement. If no lab science is need in the major, students can take one of the COR230 courses offered.

Who needs to take COR140 (language)?

• COR140 is only required for students earning a BA degree. If students transfer in language courses through the 102 level, or place into a 200 level language, the COR140 requirement is fulfilled.

What if a COR 200 level course is the same topic as a student's major or minor?

• Students should not take a 200 level Core class which is the same topic as their major or minor, they should take a different topic offered in the same category. Example: If majoring in commination studies, a student should not take COR220C, instead they can take COR220P (psychology).

Can you explain more about Writing Intensive of "W" courses?

• Students need to complete a writing intensive course at both the 200 level and the 300 level. These classes will have a “W” at the end of the course number and will be 4 credits rather than 3. COR120 should be completed prior to enrolling in a “W” course.
• All 200 level CORE course with the exception of COR230 (science) will have "W" options
• If a student completes all five 200 level, or both 300 level courses and does not have  "W" course, they will need to take an extra course that fulfills the writing intensive option

How do transfer credits apply to CORE?

• If students have transferred in credits, they may be able to be applied to Core. Please refer to the Transfer course Equivalency List (below) to see how transfer courses can be applied to and fulfill Core requirements. ideally, this will be determined by the Advising Center when students are admitted to Saint Martin's.

• If a transferred class fulfills a major requirement, it should be applied to the major rather than to Core (Example: if a student has transfer credit for PSY101 and plan to major in Psychology, PSY101 will count for the major, and the student will still need to take a COR220 course). The only exception to this are the three courses which can overlap with the major (COR130, COR230, and COR400).

What do students need to take if they start with an AA degree already completed?

• If a student has an AA degree prior to starting at Saint Martin’s, they still must complete COR110, COR340W, and COR400.

Can non-CORE classes fulfill CORE requirements?

• Non-Core classes can be applied to fulfill Core requirements only if they are transfer courses. Once a student starts at Saint Martin’s, they must take Core classes to fulfill Core requirements
• COR130, COR230, and COR400 are the exceptions (see FAQ above)

CORE Resources and Forms: