UF Curriculum Overview

Course Categories

Boise State Students complete University Foundations courses in the following five categories.

1. UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIONS 100 & 200

Boise State’s UF 100 and UF 200 courses introduce students to university-level inquiry. They foster a diversity of intellectual pursuits, encourage a critical stance toward learning, and deepen analytic and communication skills.

University Foundations 100: Foundations of Intellectual Life. In this challenging three-credit course, students practice critical inquiry by exploring important questions that affect everyone. Students analyze texts, films, and other sources; develop engaging, evidence-based presentations; and build interpersonal communication skills. Students meet in a combination of large general sessions (about 100 students) and small-format discussion group sections (about 25 students).
University Foundations 200: Foundations of Ethics & Diversity. This three-credit sophomore-level course engages students in topics connected to ethics and diversity. We keep the classes small (about 30 students) to support active and experiential learning, meaningful discussion, and connecting the course theme to issues and events in our larger community. Prerequisites: ENGL 102, UF 100, and sophomore standing.

Foundations of Written Communication

2. FOUNDATIONS OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (FW)

English 101: Writing and Rhetoric I and English 102: Writing and Rhetoric II. This two semester, six-credit sequence provides an introduction to the university’s expectations about academic writing and research. Students are placed in appropriate courses based on test scores. The program is coordinated by the English Department’s First-Year Writing Program. Please visit their website for details: First-Year Writing Program website.

Foundations of Oral Communication

3. FOUNDATIONS OF ORAL COMMUNICATION (FC)

Students must successfully complete 2-3 credits of a Foundations of Oral Communication (FC) course. Boise State offers Comm 101: Fundamentals of Oral Communication (most students) or SOC 122 Sociological Communication (limited enrollment) in this category. These courses focus on Boise State’s University Learning Outcomes for Oral Communication, providing an introduction to the university’s expectations for effective speaking and listening.

Foundations of the Discipline

4. FOUNDATIONS OF THE DISCIPLINE (FD)

Boise State’s Foundations of the Discipline (FD) requirements reflect the belief of the faculty and the Idaho State Board of Education that a major purpose of undergraduate education is to prepare graduates to fulfill the responsibilities of a citizen and to understand and appreciate diverse approaches to information and values. Foundations of the Discipline courses help students expand their own tools of inquiry as they explore the methods and frameworks of artists, mathematicians, scientists, social scientists, historians, and others. All students are required to take disciplinary courses in the following categories:

Foundations of Arts (3 credits)
Foundations of Mathematics (3 credits)
Foundations of Natural, Physical and Applied Sciences
(7 credits from two courses in different fields, one with a lab)
Foundations of Social Sciences
(6 credits from two courses in different fields)
Foundations of Humanities (3 credits)

Some departments and programs may require degree seekers to take a specific course within a Foundations of the Discipline category. See your catalog and individual degree box for requirements. A list of current courses can be found on our Foundations of the Discipline page.

Finishing Foundations

5. FINISHING FOUNDATIONS (FF)

Finishing Foundation courses emphasize critical thinking, written and/or oral communication, plus teamwork and innovative thinking. These courses are designed for students close to graduation. Students must successfully complete 1-4 capstone FF credits as designated by their major departments. See your catalog and individual degree box for requirements.