Curriculum
Academic Degree Requirements
An undergraduate education at The University of Texas at Dallas is designed with several goals in mind. First, students will acquire a foundation of knowledge to support the development of expertise in the humanities, social sciences, the physical and natural world, and innovative, high-quality science, engineering, and business education and research. Therefore, all students are required to complete a Core Curriculum consisting of 42 semester credit hours. Secondly, students are expected to acquire depth in a field of study. To this end, students must fulfill the major and related requirements of a specified number of semester credit hours for their major. Thirdly, students are encouraged to take courses outside of their major and related field and beyond the Core Curriculum to explore intellectual domains beyond their area of specialization and beyond the core requirements.
In order to graduate with a baccalaureate degree from UT Dallas, students must complete and receive credit for all graduation requirements stated in Graduation Requirements.
Students are responsible for fulfilling their degree requirements and enrolling in courses appropriate to their degree programs. Students should, at the lower division, complete all freshman and sophomore prerequisites for the degree program. These requirements are set by the degree program and are listed under the program heading in the catalog; the number of semester credit hours may vary according to degree program. Certain options may exceed minimum requirements for degree. Students who are Texas residents should be aware that state law limits the number of semester credit hours that an undergraduate Texas resident may complete while paying tuition at the rate provided for Texas residents. The State of Texas limits the number of semester credit hours and course attempts. See additional information in the following policies: Excessive Undergraduate Hours, Dropping and Withdrawing Limitations, and Repeating Coursework.
Field of Study
Per Texas Education Code section 61.823, if a student successfully completes a field of study curriculum approved by The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, that block of courses may be transferred to The University of Texas at Dallas and substituted for appropriate lower-division requirements of the appropriate degree. Following receipt of credit for these courses, students may be required to satisfy further requirements in the field of study curriculum for that degree at UT Dallas.
Major and Related Areas of Study
Courses taken to satisfy requirements for the student's major field of study may include major and related courses. Some of these may be outside the courses with the major's designation; such courses are related to the major and required for its satisfaction. Other requirements may be satisfied by courses from lists of guided electives within the major and related courses. Finally, some requirements may be courses preparatory to the major; they are not considered major-core or major-related courses.
Electives
The degree requirements of every major include the opportunity for elective courses, that is, courses exploring subjects not directly related to a student's major.
Minors
Some academic units designate a set of classes that constitute a minor in that academic unit. The requirements of the minor are set by the faculty of the academic unit offering the minor, not by the academic unit of the student's major field of study. When an academic unit offers a minor in a field of study, it is open to all students in the University regardless of school of origin. Students who take a minor will be expected to meet the normal prerequisites in courses making up the minor, and should maintain a minimum GPA of 2.000 on a 4.000 scale (C average) in courses making up the minor. Minors consist of a minimum of 18 semester credit hours, of which at least 9 must be upper-division semester credit hours, although individual academic units may require more semester credit hours at their sole discretion. Major or certificate required semester credit hours and courses may not be used to satisfy minor requirements; however, free elective or major preparatory semester credit hours and courses may be used to satisfy the minor if these are not a part of the certificate requirements. At least one-third of the semester credit hours for a minor must be taken at The University of Texas at Dallas. Students should consult with an advisor in their major field of study as they select and plan minors.
Concentrations
Some academic units designate a set of courses or a concentration that focus on an in-depth study centering on a discipline or field of study. The term concentration is often used interchangeably with other similar terms, such as designation, emphasis, option, pathway, specialization, or track. The concentration allows students to pursue a program of interdisciplinary specialization in addition to the major they are pursuing. Concentrations are available only to students enrolled in the major under which the concentration is listed.
The concentration's requirements and the specific upper-division semester credit hours are established by the individual academic units. Undergraduate students should check with their undergraduate advisor about these requirements outlined within the undergraduate program. (See "Undergraduate Programs" for additional information.)