The CORE curriculum seeks to prepare students to live responsibly, productively, and meaningfully in a global society. To achieve these aims, the CORE curriculum encourages students to further their knowledge in a broad array of scholarly disciplines and to develop enhanced skills in critical thinking, effective communication, and quatitative reasoning.

Entering freshmen must enroll in Introduction to the Liberal Arts within their first two semesters at Ouachita, and until they have successfully completed the course, they must continue to enroll in it each semester thereafter. This requirements is waived for transfer students who have been enrolled full-time for two semesters at another college or university. All students must complete Composition I and II (or approved course substitutions) within their first four semesters at Ouachita or must remain enrolled in the sequence thereafter until they have successfully completed both courses.

*Upon approval by the Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies, participation in either the European Study Program or the Beijing Summer Study Program earns 3 hours of generic Fine Arts credit.