Learn French: Étant donné que le cursus change, nous devons justifier ce choix. - Given that the curriculum is changing, we must justify this choice.

Even though it ends in que, the phrase étant donné que (given that) introduces an objective fact or a known cause, not a doubt, emotion, or wish. Because you are stating a reality—the curriculum is indeed changing—it takes the indicative.

Could I use vu que instead of étant donné que here?

Yes, you could perfectly say Vu que le cursus change... (Seeing that the curriculum is changing...). Both phrases are argumentative cause connectors that take the indicative. Étant donné que just sounds a bit more formal, which fits well with academic words like cursus and justifier.

How is un cursus different from un cours?

Un cursus refers to an entire curriculum, a course of study, or a degree program (like a four-year university track). If you mean a single class, a lecture, or a specific subject lesson, you must use un cours.

How would the sentence change if I just wanted to say "Given the curriculum..." without using the verb change?

You would drop the que and use étant donné directly before the noun: Étant donné le cursus, nous devons justifier ce choix. When used without que, it acts as a preposition meaning "given" or "considering."