The three main parts of a Guilford education are the critical bases (or general education), a major area of study, and the Integrative Experience.  Ideally, all three parts are integrated into the students academic experience, allow them to expand their knowledge, foster the building of skills, and lead to the identification and pursuit of their own interests.

i. General Education (Critical Bases + Integrative Experience)

All students, regardless of their intended major, need to complete curriculum requirements (pictured in the previous section) in order to successfully graduate from Guilford College. First year students should begin fulfilling these requirements as early as possible. All students will also have room in their schedules for electives along the way since 124 credits are required for graduation.

Information on the Critical Bases in the catalog can be found here. 

Information on the Integrative Experience in the catalog can be found here.  

Integrative Experience & Career, Academic, and Personal Exploration 

The Integrative Experience is a hallmark component of a student’s Guilford education. It consists of a series of inquiry-based courses and experiences that provide space for curiosity, exploration, and reflection. The program offers a unique opportunity for students to merge academic and personal inquiry into an individual or cooperative project through collaboration with fellow students, faculty and staff, and/or members of broader local or global communities. As a result of the reflective and integrative experience, we hope that students will develop an ongoing, self-motivated pursuit of knowledge. (for full description of the IE, see the Guilford College Curriculum section College Catalog) 

Through the Integrative Experience, students will

• Develop an awareness of who they are as a learner and in the academic community of Guilford.

• Engage in continuous reflection on their academic growth as it relates to their curiosity and future goals.

• Produce a project (the Contribution) that integrates their learning, insights, values, and questions. 

• Develop skills in collaborating with others to achieve group and individual goals.

• Develop skills for communicating their work in small groups and with larger audiences. 

**NOTE: Reflection Seminar 2 and Reflection Seminar 3 (from the 2019-2023 College Catalogs) are no longer offered.  Beginning Fall  2023, students take Junior Seminar instead of RS3.  If additional adjustments are needed students should contact the General Education Curriculum Coordinator or the Associate Academic Dean

Explore Courses
Students are required to take at least two courses of personal interest (a total of six-eight credits) that relate to their intellectual curiosities and support their path to the Contribution. There are no pre-designated courses to fulfill the Explore requirement. Each student identifies these courses in consultation with their advising team and Junior Seminar instructor.  As a requirement for successful completion of Junior Seminar, students log their Explore courses and explain the courses’ relevance to their academic journey (for example, the interest a particular course sparked, the way a course connects to their personal or professional goals, the relevant research they conducted or ideas they encountered, etc.). 

IE 401 Senior Seminar
Senior Seminar  is the last course in the IE and is worth four credits. Students typically take Senior Seminar  during their senior year (IE 401 Senior Seminar or an approved designated option).  Students produce a contribution project in this course and present it to the public. The focus of Senior Seminar is completing the Contribution project and reflecting on the IE as a whole.
Contribution Project
The Contribution requires students nearing the end of their degree program to complete a project addressing a question or problem that applies what they’ve learned and reflected on through their entire educational experience. The project might be a research paper, a performance, a portfolio of “signature work,” an exhibition of artwork, significant community service, or a project of similar scope. Students do not develop their Contribution in a silo, but with groundwork that is firmly rooted in the exchanges that occurred in a collaborative community with fellow students, faculty and staff, and/or members of broader local or global communities. 

Additional Resources for Academic Advisors:

• Integrative Experience  section of the College Catalog.  

• Integrative Experience Canvas course (available to all faculty).  

• IE Advising Guidance beginning Fall 2023 (including links to approved IE course designations)

• For students on a previous catalog (2019-2023): CQ Advising Guidance through Spring 2023 (including links to approved CQ course designations).

Contact Stephanie Hudson, cq@guilford.edu if you have questions.

ii. Academic Programs and Major Advising

Guilford College has over 45 academic programs to choose from. Each of these majors is detailed in the catalog with graduation requirements (credit hours, internships, specific core courses to take, prerequisites, etc.).

Information on each program can be found here. 

iii. Degree Maps for Majors

Degree maps help advisers and students understand what courses are required for general education, as well as for their specific major of choice. These are being developed in Career, Academic and Personal Exploration with consultation from each  department. Here is a template of what each degree map will look like: Degree Map Template.  Faculty should notify cape@guilford.edu with any necessary updates.

These degree maps are also publicly available on our Intranet page.