“The University prides itself on being an environment of teaching and learning which fosters the development in its students of those disciplined habits of mind, body and spirit which characterize educated, skilled and free human beings.”             
– Mission Statement of the University of Notre Dame –

Central to undergraduate education at Notre Dame is the core curriculum, a set of required courses intended to provide every undergraduate with a common foundation in learning.  The University of Notre Dame seeks to develop students who:

• Pursue knowledge and evaluate its consequences
• Think critically, abstractly and logically to evaluate and solve problems
• Integrate new information to formulate principles and theories and display an openness to different viewpoints
• Share the desire for intellectual creativity and the acquisition of knowledge
• Communicate clearly and effectively in both written and oral forms
• Demonstrate knowledge and abilities in chosen areas of study
• Develop an understanding of resources and procedures of fields and the ability to use them.
• Possess an appropriate core of knowledge in chosen fields
• Appreciate their social and moral responsibilities
• Reflect upon the spiritual, moral, and ethical dimensions of life
• Display the moral dimensions of their decisions and actions
• Contribute to society as an active member.

Because the core curriculum as a whole does not fall under the purview of any single department or college, a system of focused and periodic reviews has been established.  Committees composed of faculty from multiple departments are responsible for ensuring that the courses designated as fulfilling a particular core curriculum requirement are aligned with the rationale articulated for that requirement.