<p>Oh, I see what’s going on. Thanks for clarifying. Maybe you’ve already realized this by now, but here’s an explanation for your question about the “extra categories” and whether all majors must fulfill all Core Curriculum requirements …</p>
<p>All categories of the Core Curriculum are “useable” and all entering students must meet all of the Core Curriculum requirements. But here is the rub: this magic sentence from the Undergraduate Course Catalog general section (my senior son’s, and your son’s, and many others’ before them) – “Individual degree programs many require that specific courses from the Core Curriculum be used to satisfy Core Curriculum requirements.” </p>
<p>And so, for instance, in your son’s major (and in my son’s major as well), their “individual degree programs” require that the Language, Philosophy, and Culture category be satisfied with ENGR 482 Ethics and Engineering. (My son’s catalog requires this course from the old Humanities category, whereas your son’s catalog requires it from the new Language, Philosophy, and Culture category.) Our kids are still required to fulfill that area of the Core Curriculum, but their degree programs dictate which course will be used to fill it. </p>
<p>As for the Communications category, the one you’re asking about, your son’s individual degree program dictates that his 6 credit hours of the Communications Core must be fulfilled by ENGL 104 and one of three other courses: ENGL 210, COMM 205, or COMM 243. On his degree plan “sketch,” he takes ENGL 104 during the fall semester of his freshman year, and he fulfills the other 3 credit hours in the fall semester of his sophomore year. It’s on his Computer Engineering-Computer Science Track degree plan labeled as “Communication elective - 3 Cr” with the subnote 4 beside it. The little 4 beside it tells us that he is restricted to one of those 3 courses to fulfill that particular Core Curriculum requirement. </p>
<p>(As a transfer student, I know your son’s degree plan will probably look quite different than the plan they have in his course catalog as he plugs his courses into different places over his first few years.)</p>
<p>Your son will be fulfilling all of the other Core Curriculum categories automatically by taking the required courses for his major.</p>
<p>Life & Physical Sciences: CHEM 107 & 117, PHYS 218 & 208. He will exceed the requirement in that category.</p>
<p>Mathematics: MATH 151 & 152.</p>
<p>And so on. </p>
<p>I hope this helps! Unfortunately for you, you are probably correct! Aw! 
Unless your son’s Dual Credit ENGL course is ENGL 210, COMM 205, or COMM 243, he will probably not be able to claim it. But don’t feel too bad about it. A lot of kids cannot claim all of their AP credits, dual credits, or whatever. It’s all good. I agree that he should definitely ask about it, just in case there’s a place to squeeze it in. (There are a few ENGL courses under the Creative Arts category. I assume you already looked there.)</p>
<p>Best of luck to your son (and to you)! </p>
Can you please expound?</p>