Overview of CORE 42

The Missouri Higher Education Core Transfer Curriculum is a recommended lower-division core curriculum of at least forty-two semester credit hours. All public colleges and universities have adopted the Core Transfer Curriculum, which is commonly known as CORE 42. 

CORE 42 is a statewide general education course of study intended to ensure that all graduates possess a common core of college-level skills and knowledge, and facilitate the transfer of those credits among Missouri’s public institutions of higher education.

CORE 42 specifies the basic competencies and knowledge areas that all students completing degrees at a Missouri public institution of higher education must complete. CORE 42 is comprised of dozens of courses distributed across five knowledge areas. These courses are designated with a Missouri Transfer (MOTR) course number, which guarantees the one-to-one transfer of these courses among all Missouri public institutions of higher education. 

Students who complete the CORE 42 at any public institution shall be considered as having completed all lower-division general education requirements at a receiving institution. Students shall receive full credit for all MOTR courses transferred, including any prerequisites or requirements in the major. The receiving institution cannot require the student take any additional lower-division general education courses. The student may, however, have to take additional lower-division courses to fulfill program or institutional requirements.

For additional information please see MDHE CORE 42.

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