According to Columbia College, "The Core Curriculum is the set of common courses required of all undergraduates and considered the necessary general education for students, irrespective of their choice in major." Core courses offer students a broad range of educational experiences meant to strengthen their knowledge base while in school and in the professional world.
Core courses provide educational opportunities for students to improve basic skills in mathematics, writing, reading and communication that are often the foundation of complex and specialized major-focused college courses. For example, La Roche College's core "prepares students to participate intellectually, ethically, creatively, and spiritually within their communities, professions, and world."
For some chosen fields of study, such as elementary education, certain core courses are designed to prepare students for a degree in that field. This type of core course load is the basis for work to be done in that field of study. However, a student with an undeclared major may discover a major while taking a wide variety of core classes.