General Education and CORE 42 Frequently Asked Questions

To graduate from Missouri State, you must fulfill a general education curriculum. There are different ways to do so, as follows:

• Complete the Missouri State general education requirements, either entirely through MSU coursework or through a combination of MSU coursework and transfer credit.
• Complete the CORE 42 requirements defined by the Missouri Department of Higher Education, either at another CORE 42 institution or through a combination of MSU coursework and transfer credit.
• Complete an Associate of Arts degree at another institution.
• Complete the Missouri 42 hour block that preceded CORE 42.
• Complete a bachelor’s degree at another institution (i.e., for students seeking a second degree)

If you are a transfer student and have not already completed one of the above then you must fulfill your requirement at Missouri State.

How will I know whether to follow Missouri State general education or CORE 42?

Your initial placement into a requirement will be based on when and how you began at Missouri State. You will be placed under CORE 42 if:

• Your first enrollment as a degree-seeking student is spring 2019 or later; AND,
• You have earned 12 or more hours of transferrable credit at a CORE 42* participating institution after you graduated from high school.

*This currently includes all Missouri public two- and four-year institutions.

If you are not in the above category, you will be placed under Missouri State general education requirements.

Can I change from one to the other?

The Office of Student Development and Public Affairs considers requests from students who wish to change.

If you were placed under CORE 42 but wish instead to follow Missouri State general education requirements, you may do so by simply requesting the change on the change from CORE 42 form.

If you are under Missouri State general education requirements but wish to follow CORE 42 instead, you may request a change using the change from general education form and must provide justification for the change. This is generally done only for students who first enrolled at Missouri State during or after the fall 2018 semester.

How do I decide which might be best for me?

A special feature is available in the degree audit system that will allow you to compare how the courses you have completed or are currently taking will apply to each of the two requirements. Please see these degree audit instructions for how to use this feature.

If you have questions after using the degree audit tool, please contact your advisor.

How do I know if my transfer courses are CORE 42 courses?

If you were admitted for the spring 2019 semester or a future semester, then your transfer credit evaluation (which you can view on My Missouri State) should have a notation (the letter M followed by three numbers) beside any course that is applicable to the CORE 42 requirement.

If you were admitted for the fall 2018 semester or a previous semester but want to check to see if your courses were approved for CORE 42, you can access the CORE 42 website to view a master list of all CORE 42-approved courses in the state.

At this time, only courses from Missouri public colleges and universities are approved for CORE 42.

I took a CORE 42 course at a Missouri community college that I thought would transfer one way but that now transfers as something different. What can I do about that?

The transfer equivalencies for some courses at other institutions were changed upon implementation of CORE 42. If you have credit for such a course but the previous equivalency applies to your degree program, you may request a change for that course by sending an email to CORE42@missouristate.edu.

Why do some courses apply to one requirement and not the other?

The Missouri State general education requirements were established by Missouri State faculty. CORE 42 requirements were established by the Missouri Department of Higher Education. While there are many similarities, there are some differences. Once you are placed under one of the requirements, be sure to use your degree audit and/or confer with your advisor as needed to ensure that you are taking the correct courses.

Can I appeal to have a CORE 42 course applied to Missouri State general education requirements (or vice versa)?

If you took a course at another institution that does not have a specific MSU equivalency but that you believe should apply to MSU general education, then you may request a change to your evaluation through the Transfer Credit Reevaluation and Preapproval system on the Student tab of My Missouri State under the My Transfer Info heading.

Courses that do not have the CORE 42 designation may not be used to apply to the CORE 42 requirement. Missouri State courses that are approved for CORE 42 are identified with this symbol in the Missouri State catalog.

I still have questions. Who can help me?

Your advisor is the best place to begin. You may also send your question(s) to CORE42@missouristate.edu.

For general questions about CORE 42, see the Missouri Department of Higher Education FAQ web page. (Updated April 27, 2018)

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