No feature of Columbia is more talked about — or more polarizing — than the Core Curriculum. Before applying, you should understand exactly what it involves and whether it matches how you like to learn.
What the Core Actually Involves
Literature Humanities (Lit Hum): Two semesters reading foundational Western literary texts — Homer, Sappho, Aeschylus, Plato, Virgil, Augustine, Dante, Boccaccio, Montaigne, Shakespeare, Goethe, Dostoevsky, Woolf, and others. Small seminar (22 students), same professor both semesters, discussion-based.
Contemporary Civilization (CC): Two semesters of political philosophy and ethics — Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Marx, Mill, Nietzsche, Freud, and contemporary thinkers. Same small seminar format.
Art Humanities and Music Humanities: One semester each, examining masterworks in visual art and music through close analysis and discussion.
Frontiers of Science: One semester examining cutting-edge scientific questions across disciplines.
Writing: University Writing, a required writing course taken in the first year.
What Students Actually Think
Students who thrive in the Core describe it as the most intellectually formative experience of their college years — the source of lasting friendships, shared references, and a genuinely broad education. Students who struggle with it describe it as too time-consuming, too Eurocentric, and misaligned with their technical or professional focus.
Is It Right for You?
If you find yourself genuinely curious about the questions — What is justice? What makes a life meaningful? What is the relationship between art and its historical moment? — the Core will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your education. If your primary goal is to specialize immediately in computer science, pre-med, or engineering, the Core will add significant workload and may feel like an obstacle.