The First Year Program in the Common Core is made up of the Chicago Quarter (Discover or Explore Chicago), the Focal Point Seminar, First Year Writing, and Quantitative Reasoning.
The First Year experience begins when incoming students in autumn take a Chicago Quarter (CQ) course. From over a hundred different topic offerings, students select either Discover Chicago, which includes an intensive immersion week experience prior to the start of fall classes, or Explore Chicago, which meets during the regular fall term. Regardless of type, CQ instructors use both traditional and experiential pedagogies to teach students not only relevant course content, but also information about the city's people, communities, institutions, and system of public transportation. All CQ classes further include a co-curricular component called the Common Hour, which is designed to facilitate students' transition to the college experience, and give them initial exposure to DePaul's distinctive mission.
Students take additional Common Core courses during their first year. The WRD 103-WRD 104 sequence introduces different conventions of writing, and instructs students on how to analyze readings, write for different audiences, and take a rhetorical stance. Some students may be required to take preparatory writing classes before being eligible to enroll in WRD 103.
Offered during winter and spring quarters, each Focal Point Seminar employs a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate a significant person, place, event, text, or idea. As with the Chicago Quarter, students may choose from an array of more than 100 course offerings taught by faculty from throughout the university. Focal Point courses stress seminar behavior: active learning through critical questioning, speaking, listening and discussion driven by ideas gleaned from readings that include original works, primary sources and secondary literature. Writing and revision further sharpen the academic skills needed to succeed in and get the most out of college.
Lastly, first-year students take Quantitative Reasoning (MAT 120) designed to teach them how to critically evaluate real-world issues and problems by applying quantitative reasoning and analyzing quantitative information. Some students may be required to take preparatory math classes before being eligible to enroll in MAT 120, while other students may have this course met by AP scores, transfer credit, or proficiency tests. Not all majors require MAT 120.
Courses
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HON 110 | HONORS DISCOVER CHICAGO | 4 |
| HON 111 | HONORS EXPLORE CHICAGO | 4 |
| LSP 110 | DISCOVER CHICAGO | 4 |
| LSP 111 | EXPLORE CHICAGO | 4 |
| LSP 112 | FOCAL POINT SEMINAR | 4 |
| MAT 120 | QUANTITATIVE REASONING | 4 |
| WRD 103 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I | 4 |
| WRD 103X | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I (FOR NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS) | 4 |
| WRD 104 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II | 4 |
| WRD 104X | COMPOSITION & RHETORIC II (FOR NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS) | 4 |