Helping You Reach Your Bigger Goals

Pittsburgh is home to more than 400 bridges, and amid them all, atop the storied Bluff, stands Duquesne University. Our location allows you to to study where possibilities extend in every direction. In fact, our very founding was intended to help people from diverse backgrounds make a difference as leaders and helpers in their communities, and we live that mission today.

No matter your major, our Bridges courses make up approximately one third (more than one year!) of your college curriculum. That’s a big chunk of your undergraduate college experience! At Duquesne University, we want your Bridges experience to prepare you for anything – and to be time well spent.

Grounded in Duquesne's Catholic and Spiritan heritage, and leveraging our historic expertise in the liberal arts and sciences, as well as Duquesne's other academic strengths, our Bridges Common Learning Experience will prepare you to be informed, equipped, inspired and engaged. Through our Bridges Curriculum, you will build knowledge and skills to become a life-long, agile learner who succeeds professionally, acts ethically and contributes to the common good.

Thinking about possible majors?

If you’re considering possible majors and weighing what to choose, we’ve got just the program for you. Our Bridges Common Learning Experience, our commitment to your experience and our distinctive setting are ideal for helping you discover options and your personal direction.

Why is Bridges Better?

It's flexible.

We know that general education courses at most universities are organized around required courses in specific subjects, but our Bridges experience is focused on you and the knowledge and skills in demand by employers. 

Duquesne students in library gathered around laptop

Our Bridges curriculum prepares you for what's next and ensures that you'll never have to narrow your ambitions. The curriculum is designed to overlap with every major at Duquesne so you can maximize progress toward your degree while having the opportunity to discover new interests or pursue additional goals.

You can choose courses that interest you. The curriculum is designed to intersect with your major and to give you room to pursue courses and learning opportunities that excite you.

While other institutions require a pre-determined set of survey courses, we take a choose-your-own-adventure approach. Know exactly where you want to go? We have a map for that. Ready to explore and discover new interests and talents? We have a map for that, too.

It's relevant.

Bridges was designed with career-readiness in mind. We used data from employers and hiring managers to identify and embed skills they prioritize. Bridges courses prepare you to adapt and evolve in a dynamic professional landscape. They connect the specialized work you do in you major to relevant insights from other fields and opportunities for experiential learning, giving you knowledge you can leverage for success. Bridges will inform, equip, inspire and engage you.

It's transfer friendly.

We want to make friends with you and your college credits. Exam credits like AP, College in High School courses, transfer credits from other institutions: bring them with you! Bridges makes it easy to transfer and apply college credit to accelerate your progress to your degree. 

It's distinctive.

Animated by our Catholic and Spiritan heritage, Duquesne is a distinctive place to learn. Since our founding we've offered education as a catalyst for building better futures with our students and our communities. Bridges introduces students to our heritage through courses that explore the riches of the Catholic intellectual tradition, develop skills for ethical reasoning, inspire a love of learning by asking essential questions, and get you engaged in communities, local and global.

A Foundation for Success

Bridges was created by Duquesne students, faculty, and staff through a creative design competition. It provides a foundation for success post-graduation with skills that are in-demand by employers. Explore the four integrated components of our Bridges curriculum.

Duquesne students working in library with faculty member

We're excited to set you up for success and help you make the most of your time at Duquesne. Your journey begins with our online On-ramp module.

Our Bridges Common Learning Experience is designed to enhance and compliment your degree program. To prepare you for a successful experience at Duquesne, we invite you to the Bridges On-ramp. 

The On-ramp is a zero-credit, asynchronous online course designed for undergraduate students who are new to Duquesne. It consists of three units and can be completed in an hour or less. The course will automatically be added to your Duquesne Blackboard site.

Accessing the Bridges On-ramp

  • Log into DORI and under the Quick Links option (top right) click on the Blackboard icon. 
  • Blackboard will open in a new tab. On the left you should see “My Courses: Quick View.” 
  • Click on the Bridges On-ramp link to open the course site and begin the course with the “Getting Started” option. 

Burgh Bucks

By completing On-ramp units you’ll earn Burgh Bucks that can be used at the end of Orientation during the Live Stage Auction or at the Burgh Bucks Store for things like University apparel, gift cards, museum passes, and other cool prizes. 

Strong bridges rest on deep foundations. Several common learning experiences nurture fundamental skills for critical thinking, writing, and analysis.

You can select an Essential Questions seminar on a topic that interests you, and our Introduction to Ethical Reasoning course equips you with vital questions you can apply across your courses, career, and personal life.

  • Information Literacy (BRDG 100/BRDG 103)
  • First-Year Writing (BRDG 101 & BRDG 102)
  • Essential Questions (Seminar EQ XXX 104)
  • Introduction to Ethical Reasoning (BRDG 105)

Bridges take different shapes, but their varied structures depend on dynamic interaction among their materials, design, and environment. Just so, the basic structures that make up the Bridges Common Learning Experience include six skill sets—we call them competencies—as well as further writing enrichment and courses in Philosophy and Theology that acquaint you with important ideas and achievements in Catholic intellectual tradition.

The interaction among your Bridges competencies, your major, and other academic interests you might pursue give you a chance to customize Bridges for your academic goals.

Competencies

  • Communication and Creative Expression
  • Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning
  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
  • Ethical Reasoning and Moral Responsibility
  • Social and Historical Reasoning
  • Cultural Fluency and Responsiveness Mission and Heritage Writing Enrichment

Catholic Intellectual Tradition

You will complete one Theology and one Philosophy course as part of Bridges. These can be taken as part of your Competency courses, as an Essential Questions Seminar, or as stand-alone courses.

  • Theology (THEO XXX)
  • Philosophy (PHIL XXX)

Writing Enrichment

You will bolster writing skills in in a career-oriented fashion by completing three W courses, at least one which will be in your major.

Where will Bridges take you? You'll have opportunities to learn by doing, whether in labs, study abroad, internships, or engaging our local communities. As you near graduation, a capstone experience lets you look back on where you've been and prepares you for where you're going.

Benefits of Bridges

Bridges will encourage you to become a lifelong, agile learner who succeeds professionally, acts ethically and contributes to the common good.

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DU students talking at fountain in front of Canevin Hall.

Be Informed.

Become an agile learner and integrative thinker. Develop the ability to learn across contexts and integrate information from diverse fields, disciplines and perspectives. Learn to evaluate information, think critically, integrate and transfer knowledge, persevere and adapt, and demonstrate curiosity.

Duquesne student in a one-to-one conversation.

Be Equipped.

Become a skilled professional and versatile leader. Engage deeply with your peers and community members to develop unique solutions to problems and concerns. Learn to communicate effectively and collaborate with others. Recognize, define and creatively solve problems, using appropriate methods of research, technological tools and soft skills that are essential to professional and civic efficacy.

Duquesne science student in the lab

Be Inspired.

Cultivate a life of purpose and creativity. Become inspired to contribute to the human search for truth and make original contributions to your profession and community. Grapple with essential questions and grow in wisdom. Stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone. Generate ideas and motivate others by your example. Formed within Duquesne's Catholic and Spiritan environment, Duquesne students, like our founders, extend our mission across the globe.

Duquesne students working in the garden on campus.

Be Engaged.

Become an agent for the common good. Harness your knowledge of local and global communities in order to foster conditions that create respect for human dignity and social justice. Learn how to be a culturally competent citizen who appreciates and fosters diversity. Understand local and global systems. Exercise ethical judgment and navigate moral diversity with confidence. As a professional and as a citizen, learn how to build equitable and inclusive communities.

Sample Course Schedules

Our Bridges curriculum is designed to overlap with every major at Duquesne so you can maximize progress toward your degree while having the opportunity to discover new interests or pursue additional goals. Through these sample four-year course schedules, explore how Bridges is built into your entire college experience.

If you are considering becoming a business major, explore below how Bridges courses (bolded below) can be built into your four-year schedule.

First Year

Fall

BUAD 103/103L Innovation Experience
ISYS 184 Business Info Systems
BRDG 101 Writing & Analysis
MATH 101 College Algebra*
COMM 202W Business & Prof Comm *^
BRDG 100 Research & Info Skills

Spring

BLAW 251 Business Law
ISYS 284 Data for Decision Making
BUAD 110 Internship Prep Practicum
BRDG 102 Writing & Literature
MATH 111 Calc for Non-Science*
EQ-XXX Essential Questions Seminar#

Second Year

Fall

STAT 285 Business Statistics  
ACCT 214 Financial Accounting
ECON 201 Prin of Microeconomics* 
MGMT 261 Mgmt & Org Behavior
BUAD 210 Career Prep Practicum
PHIL/PHL XXX  Choice of Philosophy course**

Spring

MKTG 271 Marketing & Business Dev
ACCT 215 Managerial Accounting
ECON 202 Prin of Macroeconomics
SCMG 267 Supply Chain Operations
BRDG 105H/P/T Intro to Ethical Reasoning

Third Year

Fall

Major - Required course
Major - Required course
FINC 313 Business Finance
Bridges: choice of Cultural Fluency course*
Elective

Spring

Major - Required course
Major - Required course
MGMT Global Insights
THEO-XXX choice of Theology course**^
Elective

Fourth Year

Fall

Major - Required course
Major - Required course
MGMT 368W Business Ethics*
Elective

Spring

Major - Required course
Major - Required course
MGMT 499W Strategic Mgmt^
Elective

* fulfills a Bridges competency

** curriculum requirement and satisfies a Bridges competency and thereby creates space for additional electives or courses towards a certificate, minor, second major, etc.

# may satisfy the Theology or Philosophy requirement

^ Writing enriched course (Complete three, at least one of which is in your major)

Majors like nursing are highly structured, and for good reason! Whichever major you choose, our Bridges courses (bolded below) are designed to work efficiently with you to help you complete your degree on time. View how Bridges can be built into your course schedule if you are a nursing major.

First Year

Fall

UPNS 103 Nutrition for Wellness
UPNS 121 Comm Engaged Prof Nurse
BIOL 101/L Intro to Life Processes*
BRDG 101 Writing & Analysis
EQ-XXX Essential Questions Seminar#
BRDG 103 IPE Health Research Skills

Spring

UPNS 113 Human Dev & Health Promotion
MATH 125 Fund of Statistics*
BIOL 203/4 Intro to Microbiology*
BRDG 102 Writing & Literature
BRDG 105 H/T/P Intro to Ethical Reasoning

Second Year

Fall

UPNS 200 Fund of Nursing Practice
UPNS 218/L Health Assessment
BIOL 207/8 Anatomy & Physiology
Bridges Crit Think & Prob/PHIL course*^

Spring

BIOL 209/10 Anatomy & Physiology
UPNS 239 Pharmacology I
UPNS 232 Adult Health and Illness I
UPNS 339 Genetics in Nursing and Health
UPNS 224 Career Mgmt and Prof Dev
Bridges choice of Social & Hist. course*^

Third Year

Fall

UPNS 325 Pharmacology II
UPNS 349 Adult Health & Illness II
UPNS 326 Pathophysiology
UPNS 324 Cultural Applications in Clinical Practice**
MLSP 280 Spanish for Health Care Prof**

Spring

UPNS 364 Clinical Immersion in Prof Nursing**
UPNS 352 Leadership & Mgmt Theory**

Fourth Year

Fall

UPNS 348 Maternal Child Health
UPNS 355 Behavioral Health
UPNS 431 Enhancing Quality and Safety
UPNS 344 Nursing for Children's Health
UPNS 357 Population Health
UPNS 445 Synthesis for Nursing Practice                                  

Spring

UPNS 400 Critically Ill Adult
UPNS 411W Nur Ethics Across Lifespan*^
UPNS 453R Transition to Professional Practice Recitation
THEO-XXX choice of Theology course** 

* fulfills a Bridges competency

** curriculum requirement and satisfies a Bridges competency and thereby creates space for additional electives or courses towards a certificate, minor, second major, etc.

# may satisfy the Theology or Philosophy requirement

^ Writing enriched course (Complete three, at least one of which is in your major.)

Some majors provide plenty of room for exploration. Add the flexibility of Bridges courses (bolded below), and you can easily customize your academic pathway to include additional credentials such as a certificate, minor or second major. Check out the many opportunities below in the sample Psychology major course schedule. 

First Year

Fall

BRDG 101 Writing & Analysis
BRDG 100 Research & Info Skills
PSYC 101 Intro to Psychology*
MATH 125 Fundamentals of Statistics*

Spring

BRDG 102 Writing & Literature
EQ-XXX Essential Questions Seminar#
PSYC 102 Orientation to Psych Major

BRDG 105T/H/P. Intro to Ethical Reasoning
Minor - Required course**

Second Year

Fall

PSYC 203 Intro to Psych as Human Science
PSYC 220 Brain, Behavior, & Cognition
Bridges choice of Comm & Creative Exp course*
PHIL/PHL XXX  Choice of Philosophy course**
College Distribution selection**

Spring

PSYC 201 Research Methods in Psych
Major - Required course
THEO-XXX choice of Theology course**
College Distribution selection**
Minor - Required course**

Third Year

Fall

Major - Required course^
Major - Required course Bridges choice of Cultural Fluency course*
College Distribution selection**
Minor - Required course**

Spring

Major - Required course
Major - Required course
Major - Required course
College Distribution selection**^
Minor - Required course**

Fourth Year

Fall

PSYC 399 Prof Prep Psych Majors
Bridges choice of Ethical Reasoning course*
College Distribution selection**
College Distribution selection**   
College Distribution selection**                                    

Spring

PSYC 480 Psych & Social Engagement   
Bridges choice of Crit Think & Prob course*
College Distribution selection**^
College Distribution selection**
College Distribution selection**                             

* fulfills a Bridges competency

** curriculum requirement and satisfies a Bridges competency and thereby creates space for additional electives or courses towards a certificate, minor, second major, etc.

# may satisfy the Theology or Philosophy requirement

^ Writing enriched course (Complete three, at least one of which is in your major)

BRDG 105 Introduction to Ethical Reasoning

Bridges will prepare you to reason ethically, exercise good moral judgement and demonstrate personal integrity. Our Introduction to Ethical Reasoning 105 course introduces students to the practice of ethical reasoning, exemplifying the profound concern for moral and spiritual values at the heart of Duquesne's mission and contributing to the personal development of our students.

A central feature across all sections of the course is a common framework for ethical reasoning which provides students a shared vocabulary, a common foundation for future ethics education at Duquesne and a digestible and portable tool to use in their professional, personal and civic lives.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of Introduction to Ethical Reasoning, you will learn to:

  1. Navigate moral diversity and disagreements
  2. Engage moral arguments with increasing confidence and rigor
  3. Think deeply and critically about moral beliefs, values and sources
  4. Reflect on personal moral growth

As part of the Bridges CLE you will reinforce, expand and apply what you learned in an advanced course for the Bridges Ethical Reasoning and Moral Responsibility competency.

Questions for Ethical Reasoning

  1. Consequences: Which choices promote the best outcomes for the common good
  2. Responsibility: What are my duties and obligations?
  3. Flourishing: What does human flourishing involve?
  4. Justice: Which choices respect the moral equality of persons?
  5. Freedom: How do we respect others' freedom?
  6. Context: What are the morally relevant features of the situation?
  7. Expertise: What do relevant experts, authorities, and exemplars have to say?
  8. Commitments: What beliefs and values guide my choice?
  9. Character: Which choices lead us to become the persons and communities we aspire to be?
Duquesne students gathered around assignment outside on campus.

What's Your EQ?

Learn about our Essential Questions (EQ) courses, a signature feature of the Bridges experience.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

At Duquesne, you will pursue Experiential Learning Opportunities (ELOs). In many majors, an Experiential Learning Opportunity is already embedded in academic requirements for the major. Your Student Success Coach can confirm this. 

Other majors offer a variety of options for Experiential Learning. These include Study Abroad and Community-engaged courses, as well as options that are specific to individual majors. Your Student Success Coach can confirm this, too.

Experiential learning happens outside of classes as well. Whether you do an internship, student research, or have a leadership role on campus, you can work with Duquesne faculty and staff to have this recognized as a form of experiential learning. All Duquesne undergraduates can propose an Individual ELO. For Individual ELOs, you and your ELO Director provide strategies for achievement of the learning outcomes and an assessment plan.

Capstone Experience

As part of Bridges, you will undertake a Capstone experience while at Duquesne. Most majors have Capstones embedded in them, but all students have the option to seek approval of an Individual Capstone project.

If you have a Capstone embedded in your major, an Individual Capstone will enrich your learning and enhance your resume or graduate school applications. Other majors provide a variety of options for students, including the opportunity to develop an Individual Capstone project.

Your Student Success Coach can confirm whether a Capstone is included in requirements you already meet through your major, or whether your major provides a range of opportunities for completing a Capstone.

DU students at computer

Learning Together

Our Student Success Coaches will work with you to navigate a successful campus life.

Student Testimonials About Bridges

Samiya Henry headshot

"My favorite class at Duquesne so far was the Honors EQ course 'Why Do Feelings Matter?' Dr. St. Hilaire is an excellent professor who structures the class to help students learn to identify what emotions look like in the world and within themselves."

Samiya Henry '26 Physics major (3+ 2 Binary Engineering Degree Program) and Catholic Studies minor
Explore Bridges EQ courses
Braden Niles headshot

“The Honors EQ Course ‘What Good is Democracy?’ was so interesting because we explored how democracy has evolved over time. Being able to read texts critically and form your own opinions is such an important skill, and I am so lucky to have done this during my first semester at Duquesne."

Braden Niles '25 Political Science, Sociology, and Catholic Studies triple major
Explore Bridges EQ courses
Payton Miller headshot with city in background

“I really enjoyed the ‘What is Gender?’ Bridges EQ course. It was cool learning about different philosophers and their ideas on gender. The course expanded my knowledge on gender and feminism in ways I never would have thought!”

Payton Miller '25 Education major
Explore Bridges EQ courses