General Education offered by Missouri Western State University consists of a common core of curriculum offerings necessary to equip students for successful and fulfilled lives as educated and active citizens. Effective Fall 2021 General Studies offered by MWSU is based on the common core of curriculum that was established through Missouri Senate Bill 997, the Higher Education Core Transfer Curriculum Act (Sections 178.785-789 RSMo). This curriculum, called CORE 42, is designed for students to obtain the basic competencies of Valuing, Managing Information, Communicating, and Higher-Order Thinking. CORE 42 is completed through a minimum of 42-semester hours distributed across courses in five knowledge areas.

  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Written and Oral Communication
  • Natural Sciences
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences
  • Humanities and Fine Arts

New and Transfer Students

New incoming freshmen and transfer students from another college or university will automatically be placed on the new CORE 42 general education curriculum.

Returning Students

A student who is returning to Missouri Western after a one or more semester layout will be assigned a general education curriculum dependent on if they re-enter the institution with a previously declared major.

  • A returning student who will be declaring a new major at Missouri Western will automatically be placed on the new CORE 42 general education curriculum.
  • A returning student who chooses to continue with the same declared major they were pursuing when last at Missouri Western will continue on their previous general education curriculum. Those who are not already opted-in to the CORE 42 general education curriculum can choose to do so now. Students are strongly encouraged to complete a “What-If” audit through Griffon GPS to help identify if CORE 42 is their best path.

To complete a “What-If” audit through Griffon GPS use following information: What If; Catalog Year=current; Program=General Education.  Questions should be directed to a student’s academic advisor or to the Registrar’s Office. If a returning student would like to opt-in to CORE 42 please contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@missouriwestern.edu from your MWSU email address.

Current Students

Current students who have not officially declared their major will automatically be placed on the CORE42 general education curriculum. Current students who have previously declared their major and GPS does not indicate a CORE 42 general education curriculum should strongly consider updating their record. A “What-If” audit through Griffon GPS can indicate how general education requirements are met using CORE42.

To complete a “What-If” audit through Griffon GPS use following information: What If; Catalog Year=current; Program=General Education.  Questions should be directed to a student’s academic advisor or to the Registrar’s Office. If a current student would like to change to CORE 42 please contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@missouriwestern.edu from your MWSU email address.

CORE 42 & Griffon GPS

Once students have selected or been placed into the CORE 42 general education curriculum, their student record on Griffon GPS will reflect the CORE 42 general education curriculum. Courses taken at Missouri Western or in transfer will show as meeting the various requirements, as applicable. When CORE 42 general education courses have all been completed (and the last class in the curriculum was earned at Missouri Western), a “General Education Met” statement will be placed on the student’s MWSU transcript.

Missouri Western’s General Education Curriculum (CORE 42)

Missouri Western’s general studies (CORE 42) courses are distributed across five knowledge areas.

  1. Mathematical Sciences
  2. Written and Oral Communications
  3. Natural Sciences
  4. Social & Behavioral Sciences
  5. Humanities and Fine Arts

As determined by the Higher Education Core Transfer Curriculum Act (Sections 178.785-789 RSMo) general studies courses approved by the state from Missouri schools are designated with a Missouri Transfer (MOTR) course number. This guarantees a one-to-one transfer among all Missouri public institutions of higher education.

  • Missouri Western MOTR courses are identified within the course description in the university catalog and within the semester schedule missouriwestern.edu/schedule.
  • MOTR courses from other Missouri schools can be found at https://dhe.mo.gov/core42.php
  • Non-Missouri transfer coursework will also have MOTR designations placed on them dependent on the equivalency determined during the initial transfer evaluation process.
  • Missouri Western also has some identified courses that do not have a MOTR course number, but will count as a Missouri Western general studies course.  The courses will not, however, count within CORE 42 at another Missouri institution unless the student completes the entire general education curriculum at Missouri Western. These specific courses are notated in within the general studies curriculum.

Missouri Western will make every effort to apply transfer courses appropriately within the CORE 42 Knowledge Areas. Students who have questions about transfer coursework as applied to their general education curriculum should contact:

Transfer Evaluation Coordinator
Admissions Office
tmillis@missouriwestern.edu
(816) 271-4307

Further appeals may be made to the Assistant Director of Admissions – Operations, or the Admissions & Graduation Committee through the Registrar’s Office.

CORE 42 Additional Information and Resources

Admissions Office at (816) 271-4266, Eder Hall 101
Registrar’s Office at (816) 271-4211, Eder Hall 102