All students must successfully complete the Forester Fundamental Curriculum (FFC) as a requirement for graduation. The requirements are designed to ensure that all students achieve specific college-wide learning goals.
Transfer students from Illinois community colleges who have completed the Associate of Arts degree or Associate of Science degree, with grades in all courses no less than a C-, will have automatically fulfilled all 5 areas of the Distribution Requirement (see below).
The FFC requirements in their entirety are available in the College Catalog.
1. First Year Studies/First Year Writing
These courses have as their principal aim the development of basic skills in writing, critical reading, analysis, and oral communication. The First Year Studies course is waived for all transfer students coming in with 7.0 or more Lake Forest credits (27.0 or more semester hours). A First Year Writing course may be required for students with fewer than 7.0 credits and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. A First Year Studies course is required for all incoming first-year students, including those with transfer credit. Transfer students who have fewer than 4.0 transferrable credits will be required to take First Year Studies.
2. Distribution Requirement
Students must complete one course in each of the five areas listed below. Each course must come from a different department or interdisciplinary area (i.e. the requirement must be fulfilled with five courses with five different course prefixes).
Distribution Requirement |
Course Examples |
| Creative and Performing Arts (C/PA) | Drawing I, Creative Writing, Graphic Design, Jazz Ensemble, Principles of Acting |
| Humanities (HUM) | Art History I, Beginning Chinese, Introduction to Poetry, History of the Middle Ages |
| Natural Sciences (NS) | General College Biology, Organic Chemistry, Physical Geology, College Physics |
| Quantitative Reasoning (QR) | Calculus, Statistics, General Education Mathematics, Introduction to Programming, Computer Science I |
| Social Sciences (SS) | Introduction to Anthropology, Principles of Microeconomics, American Government, Adolescent Psychology |
3. Cultural Diversity Requirement
Students must complete one course in each of the two areas listed below. US Domestic Pluralism courses examine diversity issues within the United States, while Global Perspectives courses study diversity and cultures of other nations and regions. Foreign Language courses at the Intermediate level or above can qualify as Global Perspectives courses.
Cultural Diversity Requirement |
Course Examples |
| US Domestic Pluralism (DP) | Multicultural Literature in the US, History of Native Americans, Introduction to Gender Studies, Introduction to African-American Studies |
| Global Perspectives (GP) | Cultural Anthropology, Non-Western Art, Intermediate French, History of Latin America, Eastern Philosophies |
4. Skills Requirement
Students must complete at least one course in each of the three component areas. Foreign Language courses may qualify as a Speaking-Intensive course if the course content is focused on the spoken language.
Skills Requirement |
Course Examples |
| Writing-Intensive (W) | English Composition II, Introduction to Screenwriting, Advanced Composition |
| Speaking-Intensive (S) | Fundamentals of Speech Communication, Argumentation and Debate, Conversational German |
| Technology-Intensive (T) I | Introduction to Programming Concepts, Computer Science I, Introduction to Video Production, Geographic Information Systems I |
5. Experiential Learning Requirement
The goal of this requirement is to ensure that students integrate their traditional classroom learning with experientially-based work. By connecting theory and practice, students develop new skills and extend their knowledge and training to unfamiliar tasks and situations beyond the classroom environment. Experiential Learning activities include approved off-campus study programs, for-credit internships, senior theses, and independent research. In general, this requirement cannot be fulfilled with transfer credit.
6. Senior Studies Requirement
A senior studies course, also known as a senior “capstone,” is a culminating experience in the student’s major. The course emphasizes writing and speaking and encourages integration of the methods and content explored in the major. This requirement cannot be fulfilled with transfer credit
FFC Transfer Credit Guides
The following documents detail which courses at local community colleges fulfill specific FFC requirements.
If your college is not listed here, it does not mean that courses you have taken there will not fulfill our requirements.