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2012-2014 Core Requirements

All students pursuing an undergraduate degree at the university under the 2012-2014 Undergraduate Catalog must complete the following required coursework. These requirements are consistent with statewide guidelines; the area of the statewide core that each requirement meets is given in parentheses.

A single course may not be counted toward more than one core area.

Requirements

First-Year Signature Course (Texas core code 090)
One of the following courses, completed during the first year in residence:

  • Undergraduate Studies 302 or 303
  • Students in the Plan II Honors Program may complete this requirement by taking Tutorial Course 302.

English Composition (Texas core code 010)
Six hours are required.
One of the following courses:

  • Rhetoric and Writing 306
  • Nonnative speakers of English may complete this requirement by taking Rhetoric and Writing 306Q.
  • Students in the Plan II Honors Program may complete this requirement by taking English 603A or Tutorial Course 603A.

AND

  • A three-hour course with a Writing Flag

Note that the Writing flagged course counted toward this area of the core may also be used to satisfy other Flag and major requirements outside the core, but may not be used to satisfy any other requirement of the core.

Humanities (Texas core code 040)
The following course:

  • English 316K
  • Students in the Plan II Honors Program may complete this requirement by taking English 603B or Tutorial Course 603B.

American and Texas Government (Texas core code 070)
Six hours are required.

  • Government 310L is required for all students.
  • Government 312L, 312P, or 312R may be used to satisfy the second half of this requirement.
  • Transfer students with five or more hours in American government may complete this requirement of the core by taking Government 105, which includes Texas government content consistent with the legislative requirement.

American History (Texas core code 060)
Six hours are required; three hours may be in Texas history. This coursework partially fulfills the legislative requirement. The following courses may be counted toward this requirement:

  • History 314K, 315G, 315K, 315L, 317L, 320L, 320P, 320R, 333L, 333M, 334L, 336L, 340S, 345J, 345L, 345M, 350R, 351N, 351P, 355F, 355M, 355N, 355P, 355S, 356G, 356K, 356N, 356P, 356R, 357C, 357D, 357F, 357P, 365G, 373C, 376F

Social & Behavioral Sciences (Texas core code 080)
One of the following courses:

  • Anthropology 302, 305, 307, 318L
  • Core Texts and Ideas 302, 365
  • Economics 301, 304K, 304L
  • Geography 305, 306C, 307C, 308, 309, 312, 319
  • History 329U
  • Human Development and Family Sciences 304
  • Linguistics 306, 312
  • Psychology 301
  • Religious Studies 310
  • Sociology 302, 308, 308C, 308D, 309, 313K, 318, 319
  • Students in the Plan II Honors Program may complete this requirement by taking Social Science 301.

Mathematics (Texas core code 020)
One of the following courses:

  • Mathematics 302, 303D, 403K, 305G, 408C, 408K, 408N, 408R, 316
  • Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318
  • Students in the Plan II Honors Program may complete this requirement by taking Mathematics 310P.

Science & Technology, Part I (Texas core code 030)
Six hours in a single field of study. The following courses may be counted:

  • Astronomy 301, 302, 303, 307, 309, 309L, 309N, 309Q, 309R, 309S, 309T
    Only one of the following may be counted: Astronomy 301, 302, 303, 307. Astronomy 309Q may not be paired with 309N or 309R.
  • Biology 301D, 301L, 301M, 311C, 311D, 315H, 325H, 326M, 446L, 365S
    It is recommended that students complete two courses chosen from Biology 301D, 301L, and 301M; or one of the following pairs of courses: Biology 311C and 311D, Biology 311C and 326M, Biology 311C and 446L, Biology 311C and 365S, Biology 315H and 325H.
  • Chemistry 301, 302, 301H, 302H, 304K, 305, 314N
    It is recommended that students complete one of the following pairs of courses: Chemistry 301 and 302, 301H and 302H, 304K and 305.
  • Geological Sciences 401, 302C, 302D, 302E, 302K, 302M, 302P, 303, 303C, 404C, 405, 305E, 307, 420H
    Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 401, 303, 420H. Geological Sciences 404C may not be paired with 405.
  • Marine Science 307, 308
  • Natural Sciences 306J, 306K, 306L, and 306M1
  • Physical Science 303, 304; Physics 301, 302K, 302L, 303K, 303L, 309K, 309L, 316, 317K, 317L
    Physical Science 303 may not be counted with Physics 301, 302K, 303K, 309K, and 317K to complete Science and Technology Part I. Physical Science 304 may not be counted with Physics 302L, 303L, 309L, 316, and 317L to complete Science and Technology Part I. It is recommended that students complete one of the following pairs of courses: Physics 301 and 316; 302K and 302L; 303K and 303L; 309K and 309L; and 317K and 317L; Physical Science 303 and 304.
  • Students in the Plan II Honors Program may count Biology 301E or Physics 321 toward this requirement. To complete the six-hours required in this area, Biology 301E may be paired with Biology 301D or 311C, or Physics 321 may be paired with any physics course listed above. Biology 301E or Physics 321, if not counted toward this area of the core, may be used by Plan II students to fulfill the Science & Technology Part II requirement, below.

Science & Technology, Part II (Texas core code 031)
Three hours in a field of study different from the field counted toward the preceding requirement. View a pairing chart to help choosing courses for Part II. Courses listed under Science & Technology, Part I, may be counted toward this requirement; the following courses may also be counted:

  • Anthropology 301, 304
  • Biology 301C, 305E, 305F, 406D, 307D, 309D, 309F
  • Computer Sciences 302, 307, 312
  • Electrical Engineering 302, 306
  • Geography 301C, 301K, 304E
  • Natural Sciences 306J, 306K, 306L, and 306M1
    Students who take the NSC 306J and K sequence to complete science and Technology Part I may not use physical science or physics coursework to satisfy Science and Technology Part II. Students who take NSC 306J to complete Science and Technology Part II may not use physical science or physics coursework to satisfy Science and Technology Part I.

Visual and Performing Arts (Texas core code 050)
One of the following courses:

  • American Studies 330
  • Architecture 308, 318K, 318L
  • Art History 301, 302, 303
    The following courses may also be counted: Art History 325, 327N, 327R, 329J, 329R, 330G, 331K, 331L, 332K, 332L, 333K, 333L, 335P, 337K, 338L, 339J, 339K, 339L, 339M, 341K, 341L, 347K, 347L, 347M, 359, 361, 361L, 362, 362R, 363, 364, 365, 366J, 366N, 366P, 367, 370, 372.
  • Classical Civilization 301, 302, 303, 307C, 307D, 317
  • Core Texts and Ideas 350, 351
  • Fine Arts 308, 310
  • Music 302L, 302P, 303M, 303N, 303P, 606A or 306M2, 307, 313, 334
  • Philosophy 317K, 346
  • Radio-Television-Film 305, 314, 316
  • Studio Art 320K, 320L
  • Theatre and Dance 301, 302T, 303, 317C, 317D
  • Visual Art Studies 320

Note that while no single course may be used to fulfill two core areas simultaneously, in most cases students may satisfy both a core requirement and a major requirement with a single course.

Students graduating under the 2008-2010 Catalog should consult that catalog’s published core requirements. Students graduating under the 2010-2012 Catalog should consult that catalog’s published core requirements.

1 Students may use NSC 306J and NSC 306K and either NSC 306L or NSC 306M to fulfill the requirements for science and technology, part I, and science and technology, part II.

2 The course number for MUS 606A changed to MUS 306M beginning in Fall 2013.