The “Motto courses” requirement is rooted in the University’s identity and values, drawing from social sciences and humanities, honoring our Christian principles, and is aimed at promoting the success of all students. 

The learning outcomes for the Motto courses requirement are structured around Community Awareness (learning), Engagement (theorizing commitment strategies), and Action (proactive problem-solving); this shifts the focus to communities, and resonates well with La Sierra University’s mission statement: to seek truth, enlarging human understanding through scholarship; to know God, ourselves, and the world through reflection, instruction, and mentoring; to serve others, contributing to the good of our local and global communities. 

It also provides a bridge to the University’s service-learning program and to the notion that skills-based education must increasingly complement a traditional knowledge-based approach. 

Motto Courses Requirement (8 units) 

Students must take 8 units of “MOTTO” Courses. Please refer to lasierra.edu/general-education/ to compare offered courses from both designations (Social Sciences and Arts & Humanities) outlined in this section to confirm whether or not they may also satisfy the MOTTO course requirement.