2022-2023 Core Requirements (Effective Fall 2022)

All students pursuing an undergraduate degree at the university must complete the 42-hour statewide Core Curriculum. Entering students may submit a Core Curriculum petition to substitute transferred coursework for specific Texas Core Curriculum requirements. Entering students who are Core Complete or who have previously completed a bachelor’s degree are not required to take additional coursework to satisfy the Core Curriculum.

View a printable copy of the 2022-2023 core list. 

View a printable copy of the 2022-2023 core list with course level Flags.

A single course may not be counted toward more than one core component 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 303C or Tutorial Course 303C.

AND

A three-hour course with a Writing Flag 

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

Humanities (Texas core code 040)
The following course:

  • English 316L, 316M, 316N, 316P
  • Students in the Plan II Honors Program may complete this requirement by taking English 303D or Tutorial Course 303D.

US (American) and Texas Government (Texas core code 070)
Six hours are required. This coursework partially fulfills the legislative requirement. ROTC courses may not be substituted for the Core Curriculum coursework in government.

Rules prescribing the combination of in-residence and transferred government coursework that will fulfill the legislative requirement are very strict. In order to ensure coursework combinations are consistent with the legislative requirement, students should view acceptable course combinations or consult the Office of Admissions website for transfer guidance in choosing course pairing combinations to complete this core component area requirement. Students with either GOV 3US or GOV 3TX on their records should follow the pairing recommendations of the course numbers that replaced them. See below.

US Government: GOV 305C1 is equivalent to Texas Common Course number GOVT 2305. Effective fall 2022, coursework previously evaluated as GOV 3US, including GOVT 2305 and coursework taken at out-of-state or private institutions, will be evaluated as GOV 305C. The one-hour variant of US government offered through University Extension is GOV 105C.

Texas Government: GOV 306C2 is equivalent to Texas Common Course number GOVT 2306. Effective fall 2021, instances of GOVT 2306 in transfer are evaluated as *GOV 306C rather than GOV 3TX. The course number for the one-hour variant of Texas government offered through University Extension changed from GOV 105 to GOV 106C.

US 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:

  • African and African Diaspora Studies 320C*
  • History 314K, 315G, 315K, 315L, 317L, 320E*, 320F*, 320T*, 333L, 333M, 334L, 340S, 345J, 345L, 350R, 351P, 355F, 355M, 355N, 355P, 355S, 356G, 356K, 356P, 356R, 356S, 357C, 357D, 365G, 376F 

    *Courses marked with an asterisk focus on Texas history.

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

  • Advertising 319
  • African and African Diaspora Studies 303, 324E
  • Anthropology 302, 305, 307, 318L
  • Core Texts and Ideas 302, 365
  • Curriculum and Instruction (EDC) 319
  • Economics 301, 304K, 304L
  • Geography 305, 306C, 319
  • Health and Society 301
  • History 329U
  • Human Development and Family Sciences 304, 304H
  • Human Dimensions of Organizations 301
  • Kinesiology 311K
  • Linguistics 306, 312D, 312E
  • Mexican American Studies 301, 309
  • Psychology 301, 306
  • Radio-Television-Film 303C
  • Religious Studies 310
  • Social Sciences 302C, 302D, 302E, 302F
  • Sociology 302, 307C, 307D, 307E, 307F, 307G, 307J, 307K, 307L, 307P, 307Q, 307S, 307T, 308D, 308G, 308J, 308K, 308L, 308M, 308N, 309C, 312S, 313K, 318, 319
  • Special Education 303

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

  • Advertising 309R/P R 309
  • African and African Diaspora Studies 302M, 350
  • Educational Psychology 308
  • Mathematics 302, 305G, 408C, 408K, 408N, 408Q, 408R
  • Philosophy 313
  • Psychology 317L
  • Sociology 317L
  • Statistics and Data Sciences 301, 302F, 320E, 320H, 325H
  • Students in the Plan II Honors Program may complete this requirement by taking Mathematics 310P.

Natural Science & Technology, Part I (Texas core code 030)
Choose any two of the following courses from any field of study listed below.

  • Astronomy 301, 307, 309C, 309G, 309L, 309N, 309R, 309S 
       Only one of the following may be counted: Astronomy 301 or 307*
  • Anthropology 301, 304, 304T
  • Biology 301E, 302D, 302E, 302F, 302G, 311C, 311D, 315H, 325H, 326M, 446L, 365S 
       Only one of the following may be counted: BIO 301L (now retired) and 311C* 
       Only one of the following may be counted: BIO 301L (now retired) and 311D* 
       Only one of the following may be counted: BIO 301L (now retired) and 301E* 
       Only one of the following may be counted: BIO 301M (now retired) and 311D* 
       Only one of the following may be counted: BIO 301M (now retired) and 301E*
  • Chemistry 301, 301C, 301H, 301N, 302, 302C, 302H, 302N 
       Only one of the following may be counted: CH 301, 301C, 301H, or 301N* 
       Only one of the following may be counted: CH 302, 302C, 302H, or 302N*
  • Geography 401C, 301K, 304E/404E
  • Geological Sciences 302C, 302D, 302E, 302G, 302J, 302M, 302N, 302P, 302Q, 303, 303C, 303E, 401, 405 
       Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 401 or 303*
  • Marine Science 307, 308
  • Nutrition 306
  • Physical Science 303, 304; Physics 301, 302K, 302L, 303K, 303L, 309K, 309L, 316, 317K, 317L, 321 
       Only one of the following may be counted: PHY 301, 302K, 303K, 309K, 317K, or P S 303* 
       Only one of the following may be counted: PHY 302L, 303L, 309L, 316, 317L, P S 304*
  • Science 365
  • UTeach Natural Sciences (UTS) 306J, 306K, 306L, 306M

*Due to content overlap, these courses cannot both be counted toward a degree (including the Core Curriculum).

Natural Science & Technology, Part II (Texas core code 093)
Choose an additional course from the Part I list above OR choose one of the following courses:

  • Computer Science 302, 303E, 312, 314H
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering 302, 302H
  • Engineering Studies 301

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

  • African and African Diaspora Studies 311C, 356C, 356D, 356E
  • American Studies 330
  • Architecture 308, 312C, 318K, 318L, 342C
  • Arts & Entertainment Technologies 304, 308C, 336C
  • Art History 301, 302, 303, 325, 327N, 327R, 327S, 328J, 329J, 329N, 329R, 329T, 330G, 330J, 331J, 331K, 331P, 331S, 332K, 332L, 333L, 335J, 337K, 338J, 338L, 338M, 338V, 339J, 339K, 339L, 339M, 339N, 339P, 339R, 341K, 341L, 342J, 345J, 346K, 346L, 347J, 347K, 347L, 347M, 347N, 348N
  • Classical Civilization 301, 302, 303, 307C, 307D
  • Core Texts and Ideas 350, 351
  • Design 308
  • English 310F, 310S, 321P, 379P
  • Fine Arts 308, 313C
  • Journalism 308S
  • Mexican American Studies 315
  • Music 302L, 303C, 303D, 303E, 303M, 303N, 306M, 307, 312C, 334
  • Philosophy 317K, 346K
  • Religious Studies 346M
  • Radio-Television-Film 306
  • Theatre and Dance 301, 307K, 308K, 309K, 317C, 317D

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