1. Graduate Study
The University of Texas at Austin, established in 1883, is a major research institution. It is the largest member of The University of Texas System. The University has grown from one building, two departments, eight faculty members, and 221 students on a forty-acre tract to a campus of more than 350 acres, with more than 110 buildings. The enrollment is about fifty thousand.
The faculty includes Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize winners and members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The University awards one of the largest number of doctoral degrees in the United States and is one of three southwestern members of the Association of American Universities.
The Graduate School was established in 1910 as the Graduate Department, but the first masters degree was awarded in 1886. The first doctoral degree was awarded in 1915. More than eleven thousand graduate students are now enrolled, and more than eight hundred doctoral degrees and twenty-eight hundred masters degrees are awarded each year.
The administration of the Graduate School (which does not include the School of Law) is the responsibility of the vice provost and dean of graduate studies. Graduate degrees are available in about a hundred fields. Each academic area that offers a graduate degree has a Graduate Studies Committee, a group consisting of all the assistant, associate, and full professors who are active in that graduate degree program. The Graduate Studies Committee recommends students for admission to the program, sets program-specific requirements for the graduate degrees in that area, and recommends students for admission to candidacy for degrees. Graduate education is the responsibility of the members of Graduate Studies Committees. One member serves as the graduate adviser to register and advise all graduate students, to maintain records, and to represent the Graduate School in matters pertaining to graduate work in that area.
Statement on Equal Educational Opportunity
The University of Texas at Austin is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. In accordance with federal and state law, the University prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, citizenship, and veteran status. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is also prohibited pursuant to University policy.
Title IX/ADA/504 Coordinators
Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972) and disability (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990). The University has designated the following persons as Coordinators to monitor compliance with these statutes and to resolve complaints of discrimination based on gender or disability.
Disability (Section 504/ADA)
For students and employees:Linda Millstone, Deputy to the Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement and Director of Equal Opportunity Services, NOA 4.302 (101 East 27th Street), (512) 471-1849
Gender (Title IX)
For students:Soncia Reagins-Lilly, Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, SSB 4.104 (100-B West Dean Keeton Street), (512) 471-1201
For employees:Linda Millstone, Deputy to the Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement and Director of Equal Opportunity Services, NOA 4.302 (101 East 27th Street), (512) 471-1849
Accreditation
The University of Texas at Austin is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelors, masters, first-professional, and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of the University of Texas at Austin.
The Nature and Purpose of Graduate Work
Graduate work at the University is divided into disciplines. These are normally associated with departments; they may, however, be broader in scope, involving courses and research in several departments. The candidate for an advanced degree presents work done in a chosen major area, but usually he or she is also expected to have done supporting work on an advanced level (upper-division or graduate) in one or more relevant areas. There are three components of graduate study: coursework, independent study, and independent scholarly research leading to a report, thesis, recital, dissertation, or treatise. In some areas, internships, field studies, and other professional experiences may also be an integral part of the program. The proportion of each type of study varies according to the previous training of the student and the nature of the major area.
The objective of graduate study is to develop the intellectual breadth and to provide the specialized training necessary to a career in teaching, research, the arts, or the professions. Emphasis is placed on the knowledge, methods, and skills needed for scholarly teaching, original research and problem solving, intellectual leadership, creative expression, and other modes of achievement in the students discipline.
Graduate Degrees
The Graduate School offers the following degrees.
| Master of Arts | MA |
| Master of Architecture | MArch |
| Master of Business Administration | MBA |
| Master of Education | MEd |
| Master of Fine Arts | MFA |
| Master of Global Policy Studies | MGlobalPolStds |
| Master of Landscape Architecture | MLA |
| Master of Music | MMusic |
| Master in Professional Accounting | MPA |
| Master of Public Affairs | MPAff |
| Master of Science in Accounting | MSAcc |
| Master of Science in Applied Physics | MSApplPhy |
| Master of Science in Architectural Studies | MSArchSt |
| Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning | MSCRP |
| Master of Science in Computational and Applied Mathematics | MSCAM |
| Master of Science in Computer Sciences | MSCS |
| Master of Science in Economics | MSEcon |
| Master of Science in Engineering | MSE |
| Master of Science in Finance | MSFin |
| Master of Science in Geological Sciences | MSGeoSci |
| Master of Science in Historic Preservation | MSHP |
| Master of Science in Information, Risk, and Operations Management | MSIROM |
| Master of Science in Information Studies | MSInfoStds |
| Master of Science in Management | MSMan |
| Master of Science in Marine Science | MSMarineSci |
| Master of Science in Marketing | MSMkt |
| Master of Science in Neuroscience | MSNeurosci |
| Master of Science in Nursing | MSN |
| Master of Science in Pharmacy | MSPhr |
| Master of Science in Science and Technology Commercialization | MSSTC |
| Master of Science in Social Work | MSSW |
| Master of Science in Statistics | MSStat |
| Master of Science in Sustainable Design | MSSD |
| Master of Science in Textile and Apparel Technology | MSTAT |
| Master of Science in Urban Design | MSUD |
| Doctor of Audiology | AuD |
| Doctor of Education | EdD |
| Doctor of Musical Arts | DMA |
| Doctor of Philosophy | PhD |
Fields of Study
Graduate degrees are offered in the following fields. A complete list of fields in which graduate courses are taught is given in the appendix.
School of Architecture
| Architecture | MArch, PhD |
| Architectural history | MA |
| Architectural studies | MSArchSt |
| Community and regional planning | MSCRP, PhD |
| Historic preservation | MSHP |
| Landscape architecture | MLA |
| Sustainable design | MSSD |
| Urban design | MSUD |
Red McCombs School of Business
| Business administration | MBA |
| Accounting | MPA, MSAcc, PhD |
| Finance | MSFin, PhD |
| Information, risk, and operations management | MSIROM, PhD |
| Management | MSMan, PhD |
| Marketing | MSMkt, PhD |
College of Communication
| Advertising | MA, PhD |
| Communication sciences and disorders | MA, AuD, PhD |
| Communication studies | MA, PhD |
| Journalism | MA, PhD |
| Radio-television-film | MA, MFA, PhD |
College of Education
| Curriculum and instruction | MA, MEd, EdD, PhD |
| Educational administration | MEd, EdD, PhD |
| Educational psychology | MA, MEd, PhD |
| Foreign language education | MA, PhD |
| Health education | MA, MEd, EdD, PhD |
| Kinesiology | MA, MEd, EdD, PhD |
| Mathematics education | MA, MEd, PhD |
| Science education | MA, MEd, PhD |
| Special education | MA, MEd, EdD, PhD |
College of Engineering
| Aerospace engineering | MSE, PhD |
| Architectural engineering | MSE |
| Biomedical engineering | MSE, PhD |
| Chemical engineering | MSE, PhD |
| Civil engineering | MSE, PhD |
| Electrical and computer engineering | MSE, PhD |
| Engineering management | MSE |
| Engineering mechanics | MSE, PhD |
| Environmental and water resources engineering | MSE |
| Materials science and engineering | MSE, PhD |
| Mechanical engineering | MSE, PhD |
| Operations research and industrial engineering | MSE, PhD |
| Petroleum engineering | MSE, PhD |
College of Fine Arts
| Art education | MA |
| Art history | MA, PhD |
| Dance | MFA |
| Design | MFA |
| Music | MMusic, DMA, PhD |
| Studio art | MFA |
| Theatre | MA, MFA, PhD |
John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences
| Energy and earth resources | MA |
| Geological sciences | MA, MSGeoSci, PhD |
School of Information
| Information studies | MSInfoStds, PhD |
College of Liberal Arts
| American studies | MA, PhD |
| Anthropology | MA, PhD |
| Arabic studies | MA, PhD |
| Asian cultures and languages | MA, PhD |
| Asian studies | MA |
| Classics | MA, PhD |
| Comparative literature | MA, PhD |
| Economics | MA, MSEcon, PhD |
| English | MA, PhD |
| French | MA, PhD |
| Geography | MA, PhD |
| Germanic studies | MA, PhD |
| Government | MA, PhD |
| Hebrew studies | MA, PhD |
| History | MA, PhD |
| Italian studies | MA, PhD [2] |
| Latin American studies | MA, PhD |
| Linguistics | MA, PhD |
| Mexican American studies | MA |
| Middle Eastern studies | MA |
| Persian studies | MA, PhD |
| Philosophy | MA, PhD |
| Portuguese | MA, PhD |
| Psychology | MA, PhD |
| Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies | MA |
| Slavic languages and literatures | MA, PhD |
| Sociology | MA, PhD |
| Spanish | MA, PhD |
| Womens and gender studies | MA |
College of Natural Sciences
| Astronomy | MA, PhD |
| Biochemistry | MA, PhD |
| Cell and molecular biology | MA, PhD |
| Chemistry | MA, PhD |
| Computer sciences | MA, MSCS, PhD |
| Ecology, evolution, and behavior | MA, PhD |
| Human development and family sciences | MA, PhD |
| Marine science | MSMarineSci, PhD |
| Mathematics | MA, PhD |
| Microbiology | MA, PhD |
| Nutritional sciences | MA, PhD |
| Physics | MA, MSApplPhy, PhD |
| Plant biology | MA, PhD |
| Statistics | MSStat |
| Textile and apparel technology | MSTAT |
School of Nursing
| Nursing | MSN, PhD |
College of Pharmacy
| Pharmacy | MSPhr, PhD |
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
| Global policy studies | MGlobalPolStds |
| Public affairs | MPAff |
| Public policy | PhD |
School of Social Work
| Social work | MSSW, PhD |
Intercollegial Programs
| Computational and applied mathematics | MSCAM, PhD |
| Medieval studies | PhD |
| Neuroscience | MSNeurosci, PhD |
| Science and technology commercialization | MSSTC |
| Writing | MFA |
Ad Hoc Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program
In addition to established interdisciplinary academic programs, students may propose to construct an ad hoc interdisciplinary doctoral program that draws on the intellectual resources of several graduate programs and involves faculty members from more than one college or school. This procedure allows students who have been admitted to a graduate program to design a course of study that does not fit into an existing degree plan. Each program must be approved by the graduate dean.
Students interested in the ad hoc interdisciplinary doctoral program should consult the graduate adviser of the program to which they are admitted or to which they plan to apply. Additional information is available from the Office of Graduate Studies.
Dual Degree Programs
Dual degree programs are structured so that a student can pursue graduate work at the University in two fields and fulfill the requirements of two degrees; in programs leading to two masters degrees, the degrees are awarded simultaneously. To enter a dual program, the student must be accepted by both of the individual programs. Students who wish to enter a dual program that involves the JD degree should contact the Admissions Office in the School of Law first. Dual programs are offered in the following fields.
| Advertising/Business administration | MA/MBA |
| Advertising/Public affairs | MA/MPAff |
| Asian studies/Public affairs | MA/MPAff |
| Asian studies/Business administration | MA/MBA |
| Communication studies/Business administration | MA/MBA |
| Communication studies/Latin American studies | MA/MA |
| Communication studies/Public affairs | MA/MPAff |
| Community and regional planning/Geography | MSCRP/PhD |
| Journalism/Business administration | MA/MBA |
| Journalism/Latin American studies | MA/MA |
| Journalism/Middle Eastern studies | MA/MA |
| Journalism/Public affairs | MA/MPAff |
| Latin American studies/Community and regional planning | MA/MSCRP |
| Latin American studies/Public affairs | MA/MPAff |
| Latin American studies/Business administration | MA/MBA |
| Latin American studies/Law | MA/JD |
| Law/Business administration | JD/MBA |
| Law/Middle Eastern studies | JD/MA |
| Law/Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies | JD/MA |
| Law/Public affairs | JD/MPAff |
| Law/Community and regional planning | JD/MSCRP |
| Mechanical engineering/Business administration | MSE/MBA |
| Middle Eastern studies/Business administration | MA/MBA |
| Middle Eastern studies/Information studies | MA/MSInfoStds |
| Middle Eastern studies/Public affairs | MA/MPAff |
| Nursing/Business administration | MSN/MBA |
| Public affairs/Business administration | MPAff/MBA |
| Public affairs/Community and regional planning | MPAff/MSCRP |
| Public affairs/Energy and earth resources | MPAff/MA |
| Public affairs/Engineering | MPAff/MSE |
| Radio-television-film/Business administration | MA/MBA |
| Radio-television-film/Latin American studies | MA/MA |
| Radio-television-film/Middle Eastern studies | MA/MA |
| Radio-television-film/Public affairs | MA/MPAff |
| Radio-television-film/Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies | MA/MA |
| Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies/Business administration | MA/MBA |
| Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies/Public affairs | MA/MPAff |
| Womens and gender studies/Information studies | MA/MSInfoStds |
Dual degree programs with other institutions.The dual degree programs listed above lead to two University degrees; in other programs, students pursue degrees from the University and from another school at the same time. Dual degree programs in biomedical engineering, chemistry, biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and neuroscience allow students to pursue both a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. A dual degree program in business administration allows students to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree from the University and the degree of Masters of Administration from Tecnolgico de Monterrey-Campus Sante Fe. A dual degree program between the Universitys School of Social Work and the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary allows students to earn the Master of Science in Social Work and the Master of Divinity simultaneously.
Combined JD/PhD Programs
The School of Law and the Graduate School offer programs leading to the Doctor of Jurisprudence and the Doctor of Philosophy with a major in government or philosophy. These programs are designed to prepare students for academic careers in law or the cognate discipline or both. By counting law courses toward the PhD and courses in the cognate discipline toward the JD, students can save up to a year of coursework. The law school provides financial aid to students at the dissertation stage of the program. More information on the JD/PhD in government is available at (512) 471-5121; more information is also available on the JD/PhD in philosophy.
Graduate Portfolio Programs
The goal of graduate portfolio programs is to recognize and encourage cross-disciplinary research and scholarly activity. A portfolio program usually consists of four thematically related graduate courses and a research paper, presentation, or practical experience. The portfolio must include courses offered by at least two graduate programs other than the students major program. Portfolio programs are approved by the Graduate School. Although the certification requirements of each program are independent of the requirements for graduate degrees, courses included in the Program of Work may, with appropriate approval, be counted toward certification. Upon completion of both degree and portfolio program requirements, the students University record reflects portfolio certification.
Graduate portfolio programs are available in the following areas.
- African and African American studies
- Cellular and molecular imaging for diagnostics and therapeutics
- Communication, information, and cultural policy
- Cultural studies
- Dispute resolution
- Gerontology
- Imaging science
- Integrated watershed science
- Interdisciplinary European studies
- Mexican American studies
- Museum studies
- Nanoscience and nanotechnology
- Nonprofit studies
- Societal impacts of science and technology
- The study of religion
- Sustainability
- Womens and gender studies
Information about portfolio programs is available from the Office of Graduate Studies.
Professional Development and Community Engagement
The Professional Development and Community Engagement Program (PDCE) in the Office of Graduate Studies is dedicated to ensuring that graduate students succeed at the University and in their careers. In a number of ways, PDCE encourages and supports graduate students who seek to become innovators and leaders. PDCE provides graduate courses, workshops, internships, and other structured opportunities for students to bring their expertise to bear on important community issues. The program serves as a clearinghouse, directing students to resources both on- and off-campus. PDCE also consults with graduate programs and departments, providing customized programs or help in developing resources and programs for their students.
Graduate School (GRS) courses that support PDCE are described in chapter 4. A complete description of PDCE initiatives is available from the Office of Graduate Studies.