How does Columbia University's Core Curriculum work for undergraduates?

Columbia’s Core Curriculum is a set of required courses and academic requirements that most Columbia College students complete alongside their major. In practice, it means a meaningful part of your undergraduate schedule is shared with other students, regardless of major, through classes centered on classic texts, big ideas, science, writing, and global perspectives.

The best-known Core classes are Literature Humanities and Contemporary Civilization. Students also take University Writing, Frontiers of Science, a global core requirement, an art humanities course, a music humanities course, and science and language requirements.

A big part of how the Core works is that many of these are small discussion-based classes rather than large lectures. That shapes student life because a lot of undergrads end up reading some of the same books and debating similar questions, which creates a shared academic culture.

In terms of schedule space, the Core is substantial but it does not replace your major. You still have room for your major, electives, and possibly a minor, but Columbia is less open-curriculum than schools where you build almost everything yourself.