Your Elevated Journey Starts Here
Every Mountie’s path looks different, but it always leads to an Elevated place. College is more than choosing a major or learning a skill. Employers and partners tell us that there are certain qualities that really make Mountie graduates stand out. It’s more than the degree you hold. Can you solve problems? Can you offer creative solutions? Can you communicate? Are you empathetic? Can you lead? Do you see the big picture?
This may sound like a lot, but that’s what our “Ascend” general education experience is all about. By the time you graduate, you’ll be more than job-ready. You’ll be prepared for both career success and personal fulfillment.
Why is the Ascend General Education Curriculum important?
Employers tell us all the time that they’re looking for Mountie graduates because Mounties are curious, excited to learn new things, and capable of thinking critically about the world around them. That’s all because of the liberal arts foundation provided by the gen ed curriculum. Through these courses, you’ll be able to employ a variety of learning styles and reasoning strategies to help you prepare for working in the real world. You’ll also gain an in-depth understanding of your own program and be able to integrate knowledge from other disciplines into your studies.
This is what the path to the top looks like…
1. Base Camp
This is the starting point of your college journey. As you get a feel for Mount Aloysius and start to envision your future, these courses will lay the foundation.
Featured Courses
LIBA 150 – College Success & the Mercy Experience
This course is an introduction to higher education, with an emphasis on connecting a wellness and growth mindset to academic success, understanding learning to increase academic achievement, and developing relationships.
2. Start Your Climb
Now that you’ve got your feet under you, it’s time to climb! This is where your education goes beyond the basic skills and begins to apply real-world, professional lessons.
Featured Courses
CORE 100 – Big Ideas: Effective Reasoning & Communication
This course is all about creative solutions to real-world problems. Engage with your community and learn how to use reason, ethics, and more to find the way.
ENGL 110 – Composition & Rhetoric
Begin your journey by becoming familiar with research and the expectations of college-level writing. Develop your confidence in your written communication skills.
MATH 111 – The Three C’s
Practical math that you’ll use in your everyday life. Calculate percentages like tax and tip, discover useful statistics, and learn the Excel and spreadsheet skills that employers are looking for.
Lower-level courses in Art & Aesthetics and Faith & Reason
3. Trail Exploration
The path to the top is never a straight line. This part of your educational journey focuses on looking at the world differently, exploring what it means to be a well-rounded person, and applying those ideas to enhance your career-readiness.
Featured Courses
CORE 200 – Global Understanding: Strategies for Changemakers I
Become an engaged, active part of your community by exploring and developing your understanding of diversity, self-awareness, and systems within the world.
ENGL 210 – Multi-Genre Writing
Effective communication means being able to clearly get your ideas across in a variety of ways. You’ll explore how to utilize a variety of writing styles and genres to communicate your thoughts.
Courses in World & Society, Quantitative Literacy, and Upper-Level Courses in Art & Aesthetics and Faith & Reason
4. The Summit
The final push has arrived. Your degree is within reach, but these final moments will help you see the big picture and finally bring everything in perspective. Celebrate your success and prepare for an Elevated future!
Featured Courses
CORE 400 – Global Understanding: Strategies for Changemakers II
This is the final step of looking outside of your own norms and assessing, articulating, and addressing the problems across our community and even the world. Incorporate your values and identity as you begin to think, react, and work in imaginative and creative ways.
Technology-Intensive and Capstone Courses
Every major and every industry requires knowledge of very specific technology, approaches, and management. Instead of offering tech and capstone courses that don’t always mesh with your program and interests, we’ve integrated these courses directly into each major’s curriculum. This ensures you are ready with the details and specific knowledge you need to be successful immediately upon graduation.
Classes that Match Your Interests & Schedule
Which Aesthetics, Faith & Reason, World & Society, and Mathematics classes you take is determined by you and your interests! Choose from a list of approved classes to meet your 100-200 and 300-400 level requirements. Approved classes span a variety of subjects and themes, and the diversity of classes means that you can take classes that match your preferences and schedule.
Check out these documents for a general guideline for when you should take your gen ed classes. Your advisor will work with you to determine the best timeframe to take each class that is specific to you and that fits into your schedule.