Curriculum

Core Curriculum

The University of Texas at Dallas requires that all students complete a general education Core Curriculum of 42 semester credit hours that serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. These requirements must be met by every student pursuing a baccalaureate degree at The University of Texas at Dallas, regardless of their major. Specific approved courses must be used to satisfy each Core requirement (see the Schedule of Classes). In accordance with the Texas Education Code, Chapter 61, Subchapter S, a student who successfully completes the entirety of a Core Curriculum at another Texas public institution of higher education before matriculating at UT Dallas may transfer that block of courses to UT Dallas where it will be substituted for the UT Dallas Core Curriculum. If a student does not complete all of the Core Curriculum at another Texas public institution of higher education before matriculating at UT Dallas, the student will receive credit for the portion completed and then be required to complete additional courses from the UT Dallas Core Curriculum.

Communications (Chart 010) 6 hours

The goal of the communications component of the Core Curriculum is to develop students' mastery in writing. Students must complete one course that requires them to learn to communicate effectively in clear and correct prose and to master several modes of writing, including descriptive, expository, narrative and self-expressive. Students must also complete a second writing-intensive course that may require them to master specific forms of writing tailored to the professional standards in their major field of study. All such courses require that students write, receive detailed feedback about, and revise at least 15 double-spaced pages.

Component Learning Objectives:

1. Students will be able to write effectively using appropriate organization, mechanics, and style.
2. Students will be able to construct effective written arguments.
3. Students will be able to gather, incorporate, and interpret source material in their writing.
4. Students will be able to write in different ways for different audiences.

Mathematics (Chart 020) 6 hours

The goal of the mathematical component of the Core Curriculum is to develop quantitatively literate citizens, capable of applying mathematical tools in the solution of real world problems. Familiarity with mathematical concepts and tools will enable persons to better cope with the complex financial, business, investing, and daily living problems encountered in the modern world. Students must master the formal principles of a college-level math (algebra or calculus at a higher level than high school algebra II) and one advanced field of mathematics beyond college math (logical reasoning and inference; the application of mathematical concepts; statistical methods; or formal principles of calculus or advanced algebra).

Component Learning Objectives:

1. Students will be able to apply basic mathematical methods to modeling and solving real-world problems.
2. Students will be able to formulate and interpret basic mathematical information, numerically, graphically, and symbolically.
3. Students will be able to identify and explain the limits of mathematical models.

Natural Science (Chart 030) 9 hours

The goal of the natural science component of the Core Curriculum is to develop an appreciation of the intricacies of the natural world and to be able to describe and explain some of the basic principles of how the natural world functions. A more scientifically literate population will better cope with understanding and acting on issues of a scientific nature that affect their lives. Each student must complete 9 credit hours of science courses, one of which must have a laboratory component.

Component Learning Objectives:

1. Students will be able to describe laws, theories or findings basic to the science discipline.
2. Students will be able to apply scientific laws and principles of the discipline to arrive at problem solutions.
3. Students will be able to explain how experiments or observations validate or test scientific concepts.

Humanities (Chart 040) 3 hours

The goal of the humanities component of the Core Curriculum is to examine a variety of literary, philosophical, and/or historical works drawn from the humanities and presented in an established context as examples of expressions of individual and human values. Students will develop proficiency in research, critical thinking, and writing through a series of assignments in which they will demonstrate analytical processes of thought as well as intellectual responses to designated materials. Students must complete at least one course that is representative of literature, philosophy, cultural studies.

Component Learning Objectives:

1. Students will be able to examine and analyze a variety of works from the humanities, particularly those connected to literature and philosophy.
2. Students will be able to analyze and critically evaluate such works in the context of culture, society, and values as well as be able to compare and contrast the works with each other.
3. Students will be able to apply considered analysis and respond to works in the humanities as examples of human expression and aesthetic and philosophical principles.

Fine Arts (Chart 050) 3 hours

The goal of the fine arts component of the Core Curriculum is to expose and illuminate at least one and possibly multiple forms of artistic expression, including, but not exclusive to, the traditional areas of the performing and visual arts. Through a series of discussions and examinations or reports and/or papers, students will demonstrate their critical awareness of the fine arts, a knowledge of the scope and variety of forms within specific artistic expressions, and an appreciation for the aesthetic principles that guide the creation and evaluation of art on both an individual and cultural level. Students must complete at least one course that is representative of one or more of the visual or performing arts.

Component Learning Objectives:

1. Students will be able to examine and respond critically to a variety of artistic forms in at least one and possibly multiple forms of expression drawn from either the visual or performing arts or some combination thereof.
2. Students will be able to demonstrate an appreciation for artistic expression and ability to analyze specific works of art within a cultural or social context.
3. Students will be able to develop a critical approach to a given form or forms of art and will be able to articulate a response in an intelligent and informed manner.

American and Texas History (Chart 060) 6 hours

The goal of the American and Texas history component of the Core Curriculum is to develop students' comprehension of the scope of the American and Texas historical development through an examination of social, institutional, political, and cultural evolution over specified periods of time in the history of the United States and the State of Texas. Students must complete two courses that address the history of the United States and/or the State of Texas.

Component Learning Objectives:

1. Students will be able to identify, explain, and give examples of significant developments in American and/or Texas history over a defined span of time.
2. Students will be able to examine and analyze historical development through knowledge of institutional, social, cultural, and political evolution and change over a defined span of time.
3. Students will be able to interpret and evaluate the acceptability of historical evidence.

Government (Chart 070) 6 hours

The objective of the government component is to increase students' comprehension of the history and evolution of political institutions, and the interrelationship between institutions such as executive and legislative; the role that political institutions play in the lives of citizens, and to demonstrate the relationship between citizens and political institutions including activities such as voting and interest group activity that provides awareness for citizen influence. This knowledge is designed to equip students to be better informed citizens capable of making important decisions in various political contexts. Students must complete two courses that include consideration of the Constitution of the United States and the constitutions of the states, with special emphasis on the Texas Constitution.

Component Learning Objectives:

1. Students will be able to provide examples of and apply important theoretical and scholarly approaches to understanding state and national institutional behavior, citizen involvement and interaction between citizens and institutions of government.
2. Students will be able to analyze and appreciate historical trends in development of government institutions and their constitutional foundations.
3. Students will be able to identify, describe, and analyze various mechanisms of citizen political involvement.

Social and Behavioral Science (Chart 080) 3 hours

The goal of the social and behavioral science component of the Core Curriculum is to increase students' knowledge of how social and behavioral scientists describe, explain, and critically analyze the behaviors and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, cultures, events and ideas. Such knowledge will better equip students to understand themselves and the roles they play in addressing the issues facing humanity. Students must complete at least one course that is representative of the following social and behavioral sciences: anthropology, economics, geography, psychology, sociology, or women's studies.

Component Learning Objectives:

1. Students will be able to describe major theoretical and scholarly approaches, empirical findings, and historical trends in the social/behavioral science discipline.
2. Students will be able to describe and apply basic research methods in the social/behavioral science discipline.
3. Students will be able to apply modes of critical thinking used in the social/behavioral science discipline.