Concordia University Irvine is a private, liberal arts university located in Irvine, California and affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. It offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in six colleges and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Founded in 1976 as Christ College, Irvine, it had an enrollment of 1749 students in the 2004-2005 academic year. It is a member of the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).Concordia is proud to announce the launch of its new Core Curriculum for all new incoming students this fall for the 2010-2011 academic year. After three years of planning, this is the first substantial change to Concordia's General Education program in nearly two decades.Concordia's Core places it among a unique group of universities that offer a common, coherent liberal arts curriculum. Grounded in the liberal arts, the Core engages and challenges students with life's foundational questions, concepts, habits, and abilities.Concordia's Core is composed of four linked pairs of courses: biology and theology, math and philosophy, and two history and literature pairings. Key features of the Core are small class sizes and an emphasis on reading great works, critical thinking and writing, interdisciplinary investigation, and the interaction of faith and academics.