Overarching Goals, Values, and Assumptions of Integrated Curriculum Design

The integration of one's curriculum is an approach to education that ignores subject-matter lines of delineation, thus allowing faculty to bring together the separate pieces of a curriculum into a coherent whole that facilitates meaningful associations across subject matter. Before taking on the challenge of curriculum integration, faculty must give serious thought to the ramifications of the change. This article addresses many of the considerations that must be made including the principles of integrated curriculums, models of integrated curriculums, approaches to integrated core curriculums in higher education, and challenges and opportunities associated with the development of an integrated core curriculum. Evidence suggests that the goals and values inherent in an integrated curriculum are worthy and something that most educators would support if the proper foundation is laid for their implementation.