2. School of Undergraduate Studies

• Paul B. Woodruff, PhD, Dean
• Cale McDowell, MPA, Deputy to the Dean
• Cassandre Alvarado, PhD, Assistant Dean, Learning Communities and Assessment
• Lane Foster Harrell, MA, Assistant Dean, Business Affairs

• http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/

Mission

The School of Undergraduate Studies was established to oversee the education shared by all undergraduates at the University. The mission of the school is

• To develop and maintain a solid core curriculum for all undergraduate majors at the University, working closely with the other colleges and schools, in accordance with decisions of the Faculty Council. To evaluate courses satisfying the core and to promulgate methods for continually improving them.
• To set standards and evaluate courses satisfying campus-wide requirements beyond the core in writing and speaking, leadership and ethics, global cultures, ethnic diversity, quantitative reasoning, and independent inquiry, including undergraduate research. To develop teaching methods and curricula in support of these courses.
• To advise students on matters relating to the core curriculum; to foster and coordinate strategic advising programs for students who are undecided about their college choices or majors or are considering a change.
• To develop and maintain academic experiences, especially for first-year students, in learning communities through seminars, interest groups, residence hall–based encounters with faculty members, signature courses, and other initiatives.
• To initiate and enhance certificate and degree-granting programs, working closely with the other colleges and schools.
• To foster undergraduate research.

Basic Education Requirements

The University strives to enroll exceptionally well-prepared, highly motivated students and to produce self-reliant graduates who will become leaders in both their chosen professions and their communities. The University must not only equip its graduates with occupational skills but also educate them broadly enough to enable them to adapt to and cope with the accelerated process of change occurring in business, professional, and social institutions today. Students must be exposed to a broad spectrum of arts and science, so that they may be educated beyond vocational requirements and thus be prepared for responsible citizenship in an increasingly complex world.

Every graduate of the University is expected to

• be able to express himself or herself clearly and correctly in writing;
• be capable of reasoning effectively from hypotheses to conclusions and of logically analyzing the arguments of others;
• have a critical appreciation for the social framework in which we live and the ways it has evolved through time;
• have experience in thinking about moral and ethical problems;
• have an understanding of some facets of science and the ways in which knowledge of the universe is gained and applied;
• have an understanding of some aspects of mathematics and the application of quantitative skills to problem solving;
• have gained familiarity with a second language;
• have an appreciation for literature and the arts; and
• be competent in the basic use of computers.[1]

To help students in all majors acquire the traits of an educated person, the General Faculty of the University has recently adopted the new core curriculum outlined below. Because each of the University's colleges and schools is at a different stage of implementation, these requirements vary from one degree program to another. For more information, students should consult their advisers and the degree requirements given in chapters 3 through 16 of this catalog. Music performance majors should see the basic education requirements for music performance programs in chapter 8.

Often, courses required by the student's degree program also fulfill the core curriculum requirements listed below. When possible, students should select core courses that also satisfy the specific requirements of their intended degrees.

Core Curriculum

All students pursuing an undergraduate degree at the University must complete the following required coursework. These requirements are consistent with statewide core curriculum guidelines; the area of the statewide core that each requirement meets is given in parentheses in the following table.

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

Core area	Sem hrs
First-year signature course (090, Institutionally designated option)[2] One of the following courses, completed during the student's first year in residence: Undergraduate Studies 302, 303 Tutorial Course 302[3]	3
English composition (010, Communication) One of the following courses: Rhetoric and Writing 306 or 306Q English 603A[3] or Tutorial Course 603A[3]	6[4]
Humanities (040, Humanities) One of the following courses: English 316K English 603B[3] or Tutorial Course 603B[3]	3
American and Texas government (070, Government) Government 310L and 312L Government 105[5]	6
American history (060, History) Six hours are required; three hours may be in Texas history. This coursework also fulfills the legislative requirement given in chapter 1. The following courses may be used: History 314K, 315K, 315L, 317L, 320L, 320P, 320R, 329K, 333L, 333M, 334L, 334M, 336L, 340S, 341N, 345J, 345L, 345M, 351N, 351P, 355F, 355M, 355N, 355P, 355S, 356G, 356K, 356N, 356P, 356R, 357C, 357D, 357F, 357P, 365G, 366R, 366S, 376F, and other courses identified in the Course Schedule	6
Social science (080, Social and behavioral sciences) One of the following courses: Anthropology 302, 305, 307, 309L, 316L, 318L Economics 304K, 304L Geography 305, 306C, 307C, 308, 309, 312, 319 Linguistics 306, 312 Psychology 301 Sociology 302, 308, 308C, 308D, 309, 313K, 318, 319 Social Science 301[3]	3
Mathematics (020, Mathematics) One of the following courses:[6] Mathematics 302, 303D, 403K, 305G, 408C, 408K, 316 Statistics and Scientific Computation 303, 304, 305, 306, 318 Mathematics 310P[3]	3
Natural science, Part I (030, Natural science) Six hours in a single field of study. The following courses may be used: Astronomy 301, 302, 303, or 307; 309; 309L; 309N or 309Q; 309Q or 309R; 309S; 309T Two courses chosen from one of the following series:[7] Biology 301D, 301L, 301M; 311C, 311D; 416K, 416L One of the following series:[7] Chemistry 301, 302; 301H, 302H; 304K, 305; 313N, 314N Geological Sciences 401, 303, or 420H; 302C; 302D; 302E; 302K; 302M; 302P; 404C or 405; 305E; 307 Physical Science 303, 304 One of the following series:[7] Physics 301, 316; 302K, 302L; 303K, 303L; 309K, 309L; 317K, 317L Biology 301E[3] Physics 321[3]	6
Natural science, Part II (031, Additional natural science) Three hours in a field of study different from the field counted toward the preceding requirement. Courses listed under Natural science, Part I, may be counted toward this requirement; the following courses may also be used: Anthropology 301, 304 Biology 301C, 305E, 305F, 406D, 307D, 309D, 309F Computer Sciences 302, 307 Geography 301C, 301K, 304E Mathematics courses at the level of Mathematics 302 or higher, excluding courses used to fulfill the mathematics requirement	3
Visual and performing arts (050, Visual/performing arts) The following courses may be counted toward this requirement:[6] American Studies 330 Architecture 308, 318K, 318L Art History 301, 302, 303, 325, 327J, 327L, 327M, 327N, 327P, 327R, 329J, 329K, 329R, 330G, 331K, 331L, 331M, 332K, 332L, 333K, 333L, 334, 335N, 335P, 337K, 338L, 338M, 339J, 339K, 339L, 339M, 341K, 341L, 346, 347K, 347L, 347M, 359, 360L, 361, 361L, 362, 362R, 363, 364, 365, 366J, 366N, 366P, 367, 370, 372 Classical Civilization 302K, 307D Ensemble 103L, 103P, 105, 106, 107J, 107K, 207L, 107S, 109C, 109K, 109L, 109P Fine Arts 310, 320 Music 201J, 201K, 302L, 302P, 303M, 303N, 303P, 606A, 307, 313, 334 Philosophy 317K, 346 Studio Art 320K, 320L Theatre and Dance 301, 302T, 303, 303C, 317C, 317D	3
total 42

Additional Basic Education Requirements

Skills and Experiences Flags

In the process of fulfilling the core curriculum and other degree requirements, all undergraduates are expected to complete courses with content in the following six areas:

• Writing: three courses beyond Rhetoric and Writing 306 or its equivalent
• Quantitative reasoning: one course
• Global cultures: one course
• Cultural diversity in the United States: one course
• Ethics and leadership: one course
• Independent inquiry: one course

Courses with sufficient content in these areas will be identified in the Course Schedule by the appropriate flags. The School of Undergraduate Studies monitors flagged courses to ensure that they meet the guidelines set by the General Faculty.

Each college or school implements these requirements in its own way. Students should consult their advisers and the degree requirements listed in chapters 3 through 16 of this catalog. Most degree programs have not fully implemented the flag requirements for students following the 2008–2010 catalog.

Foreign Language

In addition to the core curriculum requirements above, undergraduates are expected to have completed two years in a single foreign language in high school. Students without two years of high school foreign language coursework must earn credit for the second college-level course in a foreign language; this credit does not count toward the student's degree.

Admission and Registration

Admission and readmission of undergraduate students to the University is the responsibility of the director of admissions. Because enrollment in some colleges and schools is limited by the availability of academic resources, some students may be admitted to the University but denied admission to their college or school of choice.

Detailed information about the admission process is provided in General Information, which also includes information about registration, adding and dropping courses, and transferring from one division of the University to another. The Course Schedule, published before registration each semester, includes registration instructions, advising locations, and the times, places, and instructors of classes. The Course Schedule, General Information, and the academic calendar are available through the registrar's Web site. The printed General Information is available at campus-area bookstores.

Center for Strategic Advising

Beginning in fall 2009, the School of Undergraduate Studies will provide academic advising for students in three categories:

• New students who select the School of Undergraduate Studies so that they may delay their choice of major, college, or school until after a period of exploration
• New students who are admitted to the University but denied admission to their first two choices of major
• Continuing students in transition from one major to another

The Center for Strategic Advising helps students think through their career aspirations and academic interests with the goal of developing a viable and attractive path through the University. After a one- to four-semester period of exploration and strategic advising, students enrolled in the School of Undergraduate Studies choose a major in one of the University's other colleges or schools.

Signature Course Program

The purpose of the first-year signature course program is to provide all first-year students with a course that helps them to mature intellectually from promising high school students to good college students.

Signature courses introduce undergraduates to academic discussion and analysis of issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. The issues discussed in signature courses are sufficiently complex that the lens of a single discipline does not offer an adequate picture; to view such issues completely, students must apply the perspectives of multiple disciplines.

Signature courses are taught in seminar format and large format. All signature courses should

• engage students with an issue of contemporary importance, introduce them to the methods of more than one discipline, and emphasize college-level skills in communication, reasoning, and the interpretation of data;
• help students become familiar with at least one of the University's special resources, such as libraries, museums, and research facilities, either during a scheduled class or as assigned homework;
• incorporate at least one University Lecture, which will help create a common experience for all first-year students; and
• help students acquire a measure of information literacy in disciplines relevant to the class.

The signature course is required for all first-year students in architecture, business, communication, education, geosciences, liberal arts, and nursing. For all other students, the signature course is optional.

First-Year Interest Groups

First-Year Interest Groups (FIGS) are cohorts of twenty to twenty-five students who take three or four courses together during the first semester of their first year. These small groups help students get to know each other and make the transition from high school to college. In addition, every FIG includes a weekly one-hour seminar, led by a trained peer mentor and a professional staff member facilitator. During the seminar, participants are introduced to University resources and have opportunities to explore their intellectual interests and to interact with each other, the mentor, the facilitator, and faculty members.

The Residential First-Year Interest Group program (ResFIG) offers incoming freshmen the opportunity to live as well as take classes together with their cohort.

In a Residential FIG, students will

• be part of a small group that lives and studies together;
• enroll in a FIG together for their first academic year;
• participate in community service projects each semester; and
• have a room in one of the coeducational buildings in Whitis Court or Almetris Duren Hall.

More information about FIGS is provided online by the School of Undergraduate Studies.

Bridging Disciplines Programs

The Bridging Disciplines Programs (BDPs) support students in becoming versatile thinkers with the skills to collaborate across disciplines and cultures. The BDPs are designed to complement a student's major with an interdisciplinary specialization in one of the following areas:

• Children and Society
• Cultural Studies
• Digital Arts and Media
• Environment
• Ethics and Leadership
• Film Studies
• International Studies
• Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofits
• Social Inequality, Health, and Policy

Each BDP is overseen by an interdisciplinary faculty panel that sets policy, approves courses, and selects students. Within each broad area, students choose a specific strand of specialized courses drawn from disciplines across the University. Students are encouraged to use the BDP theme to select courses and integrate degree requirements; to this end, courses taken to fulfill core curriculum requirements, courses fulfilling major requirements, and electives may also be counted toward a BDP. Participation in undergraduate research and internships is also central to the design of the BDPs.

All undergraduates are eligible to apply to BDPs. With careful planning, a BDP can complement most degree plans. However, because the BDPs build on core requirements and electives, students are encouraged to get started early in their University careers. More information about BDPs is provided online by the School of Undergraduate Studies.

Students who complete the requirements for the BDP receive a certificate upon graduation. Students must fulfill the following requirements:

1. At least nineteen semester hours of coursework. The distribution of coursework varies by specialization, but all students must complete the following:

   1. Foundation Courses: One to ten hours in foundation courses that introduce key concepts and methodologies related to the concentration.
   2. Connecting Experiences: Three to nine hours in undergraduate research, internships, and/or independent creative project courses that connect the concentration to the student's major.
   3. Courses in a Strand: Six to twelve hours in courses in a strand within the concentration. The courses in each strand are listed on the BDP Web site.
2. A short integration essay in which students reflect on what they have learned and accomplished through the BDP experience. Essays are reviewed by members of the BDP faculty panel.
3. The requirements of a major.
4. A grade of at least C in each course counted toward BDP requirements. All but one of the courses used to fulfill BDP requirements must be completed on the letter-grade basis.

Office of Undergraduate Research

Every undergraduate at the University has the opportunity to become a researcher and to take part in the vibrant intellectual work of the University. Undergraduates often bring enthusiasm and fresh ideas to the research process and therefore are valuable contributors to this work. The Office of Undergraduate Research connects students to research opportunities and resources, raises awareness of undergraduate research in all disciplines, and provides support to faculty members and advisers who work with undergraduates.

Services offered through the Office of Undergraduate Research include weekly information sessions on getting involved in research, individual advising sessions, and workshops on a variety of topics tailored to the needs of student groups and advisers. The office also offers a workshop series that guides students through the process of submitting an abstract and presenting their work at a national conference.

To facilitate involvement in undergraduate research, the School of Undergraduate Studies offers two courses that students may take to receive credit for research experiences with University faculty members: Undergraduate Studies 310 and 320. Enrollment in these courses is coordinated through the Office of Undergraduate Research.

The Office of Undergraduate Research also oversees EUREKA, a Web site devoted to undergraduate research resources and opportunities at the University. The site provides a searchable database of more than two thousand faculty research profiles, a list of faculty projects with opportunities for undergraduates, a research guide with information on getting started, and spotlights on successful faculty/student collaborations.

More information on the Office of Undergraduate Research is available online or by phone at (512) 232-7564.

University Honors Center

The Honors Center in the School of Undergraduate Studies is a focal point for interdisciplinary honors activities at the University. The center offers a variety of enrichment programs for undergraduate honors students and support to the campus activities of several national honor societies.

More information about the Honors Center and campus honors programs and societies is published online by the School of Undergraduate Studies.

Honor Societies for Freshmen

Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma are national honor societies that recognize scholastic achievement during the freshman year. Members are chosen each fall and spring. Membership is offered to students who earn a grade point average of at least 3.50 during the first semester of their freshman year while completing at least twelve semester hours of coursework. Students who do not qualify during the first semester may become eligible by earning a grade point average of at least 3.50 for the first two semesters of work combined.

Phi Beta Kappa

Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest honorary society in America, was founded by students at the College of William and Mary in 1776. The Alpha of Texas chapter was organized at the University in 1904–1905. Eligibility is limited to upper-division students who achieve distinguished scholastic records in disciplines that Phi Beta Kappa designates as liberal arts and sciences. The student must have completed at least sixty semester hours of coursework at the University.

Elections to Phi Beta Kappa are held in the fall, spring, and summer each year. Alumni members are occasionally selected from among graduates of at least five years' standing who have won appropriate distinction since graduation; honorary members are selected for special merit.

Phi Kappa Phi

Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest, largest, and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines. The University chapter was established in 1962. Members are traditionally chosen once a year. Upper-division and graduate students are eligible for membership if they have completed at least seventy-two semester hours of coursework at the University and have the required grade point average. The University chapter typically invites to membership fewer than 7.5 percent of undergraduates and fewer than 10 percent of graduate students.

Mortar Board

Mortar Board is a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for distinguished ability and achievement in scholarship, leadership, and service. The national network includes more than two hundred chapters; more than 180,000 students have been inducted since Mortar Board was founded in 1918. Membership is a nationally recognized distinction earned by outstanding students across the country. Members are chosen each spring.

Longhorn Scholars Program

The Longhorn Scholars Program is designed for students who graduate in the top 10 percent from selected Texas high schools whose graduates have historically been underrepresented at the University.

Throughout their four years at the University, Longhorn Scholars benefit from advising support, peer mentoring, program events, a curriculum taught by outstanding faculty members, and opportunities to develop leadership skills, participate in faculty research, and make connections across disciplines that integrate classroom, research, and internship experiences.

Participation in the Longhorn Scholars Program is by invitation. To be eligible, a student must graduate from a participating Texas high school and be the recipient of a Longhorn Opportunity Scholarship, Presidential Achievement Scholarship, Terry Scholarship, or other qualifying scholarship.

More information about the Longhorn Scholars Program is available online.