To provide a solid foundation of a college education and to facilitate transfer between colleges and universities, Texas public colleges and universities have adopted a core curriculum of 42 credit hours. By completing these core curriculum courses, you achieve college-level competence in general education skills that are fundamental to all disciplines of learning. Austin Community College (ACC) has defined six general education skills that are necessary for all degrees and are addressed in core curriculum courses. These are:

• Communication Skills
  Develop, interpret, and express ideas and information through written, oral, and visual communication that is adapted to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.
• Critical Thinking
  Gather, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and apply information for the purposes of innovation, inquiry, and creative thinking.
• Empirical and Quantitative Skills
  Apply mathematical, logical, and scientific principles and methods through the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions.
• Personal Responsibility
  Identify and apply ethical principles and practices to decision-making by connecting choices, actions, and consequences.
• Social Responsibility (Civic and Cultural Awareness)
  Analyze differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.
• Teamwork
  Consider different points of view to work collaboratively and effectively in pursuit of a shared purpose or goal.