Core Curriculum

The University College is the central home for VCU’s core curriculum. The central component of the curriculum is a two-semester sequence of courses, Focused Inquiry I and II, in which all first-years students are enrolled.

The Focused Inquiry courses, which replace English 101, target a small number of specific skill areas, including communication (both written and oral), critical thinking and problem solving, the development of quantitative abilities, information retrieval and evaluation and collaborative work. Sections of the courses are intentionally kept small to allow students to get to know each other and learn in a small setting.

Each semester, the courses are themed, encouraging student engagement in a broad spectrum of disciplines.

For more information on the Focused Inquiry program, please call
Dr. Daphne Rankin at (804) 827-8204 .