Glossary of terms in the schedule | Summer 2023

» to A thru E | F thru J | K thru O | P thru T | U thru Z

A thru E

Absence for military service

In accordance with Texas education code section 51.9111, a student is excused from attending classes or engaging in other required activities, including exams, if he or she is called to active military service of a reasonably brief duration. The student will be allowed a reasonable time after the absence to complete assignments and take exams. Policies affecting students who withdraw from the University for military service are given in the General Information Catalog.

Access period

The designated time period when a student may access the registration system. A student may access the registration system as many times as necessary during their scheduled and open periods. Consult the access periods printed in this Course Schedule or your online registration information sheet to determine when you are eligible. If a student attempts to access the system at a time when they are not eligible, access will be denied. Students are advised to access the system during the earliest period for which they are eligible. If a session is terminated before transactions are complete, the student may log back in to continue. All transactions completed prior to the termination are saved.

Add/drop

Changes that a student makes to their schedule after they have made payment towards their tuition and fee bill are considered adds and drops, and the period during which they make these changes is referred to as add/drop. The payment deadline for students participating in add/drop may be different from the payment deadline for students who are completing their initial registration.

Adding a class

When a student attempts to add a class, the registration action that results adds this class to a student's schedule. If any of the conditions below prevent you from adding the class, and you do not receive the waitlist option, you will be told. Common error messages include:

• Requested unique number is invalid.
• Requested class is canceled.
• Requested class is filled to closing limit.
• Requested class is reserved to certain majors or individuals.
• Requested class creates a time conflict in your class schedule.
• Requested class is a duplicate.
• Requested class exceeds the registration limit for number of hours:

Maximum number of hours.

Undergraduate	Fall/Spring   17 Summer      14
Graduate	Fall/Spring  15 Summer      12
Law	Fall/Spring  16 Summer      14

• Requested class exceeds the limit of fifteen classes.
• If the requested class is an upper-division course in the Moody College of Communication, you may not meet the upper-division GPA requirement.
• If the requested class is RHE 306, you may be ineligible based on your month of birth. Only students with an even-numbered month of birth may register for RHE 306 in the fall; only students with an odd-numbered month of birth may register in the spring. There are no eligibility requirements based on month of birth in the summer session.
• Student does not meet prerequisites for the requested class.

Advising bar

A restriction placed on the record of a student who is required to consult an academic adviser that prevents the student from accessing the registration system. The bar may only be removed by his or her major department. Also see advising and major codes or consult your registration information sheet to determine if advising is required for you.

Attendance

Regular attendance at all class meetings is expected. Instructors are responsible for implementing attendance policies and must notify students of any special attendance requirements. Special regulations of colleges and schools, required by the unique nature of their programs of study, may be enacted through the normal approval process. These special regulations may not conflict with University regulations on class attendance and absence.

Cancelation of registration

The student's registration will be canceled if payment is not received by the deadline. Once payment has been made, the student must withdraw if they do not wish to continue at the University. (Also see "Withdrawal.")

Classification

The designation freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate. Undergraduates are classified based on the number of semester credit hours passed and transferred, regardless of the hours' applicability toward a degree. Semester hours used to determine classification include coursework completed in residence, transferred credit, and credit by examination, extension, and correspondence. Hours in progress and hours failed are not counted in determining classification.

Classification by semester credit hours.

Freshman	0-29 hours of credit
Sophomore	30-59 hours of credit
Junior	60-89 hours of credit
Senior	more than 89 hours of credit

A graduate student is one who has been accepted to the Graduate School, a graduate program in the Red McCombs School of Business, or the School of Law. Degree-holding but non-degree seeking students are classified as a separate group for registration purposes in access period one.

A student's classification is listed on their registration information sheet. Classification may change as a result of additional credit hours earned at the end of a semester or summer session.

Class meeting time and place

The time and place a class meets is published in the Course Schedule and can change. The student is responsible for checking the time and meeting place of a class prior to the first class meeting.

Also see meeting time for standard meeting times and interval between classes.

The time or meeting place of a class may not be changed without notifying the registrar in advance. A class may not meet in a facility that was not assigned to it.

Class roster

An official list of students registered for a course accessible by faculty and staff. 

Faculty Members: If there are students attending your class (except auditors) whose names are not on your official class roster by the twelfth class day for long-session semesters, or fourth class day for summer terms, send them to the registrar's office to obtain official documentation of their registration. A student must be registered for a course to receive credit for it.

If a student is not on your class roster, they should not be allowed to attend until they are on the roster.

Errors in your class roster should be reported to the Office of the Registrar, Registration at 475-7656.

Class title

The class title appears to the right of the course number in the Course Schedule and applies to all of the class sections listed below it. In general, class titles are listed in alphabetical order for each course number except where preceded by a topic number.

Completing registration

In order to secure classes selected during registration, a student must take one of the following actions before the payment deadline to complete the registration process: The student must make a payment if there is an amount due; pay with financial aid if eligible; or confirm attendance if the entire tuition/fee bill is zero. Zero bills can occur when the entire bill is being paid by a grant or a third party such as the Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan. Students must take these actions at My Tuition Bill. If a student fails to complete registration their classes will be dropped.

Continuing student

A student who was enrolled for the previous long session at the University. A student who receives an undergraduate degree from the University and enters the Graduate School is considered a new student. (Also see "New student" and "Readmitted student.")

Course abbreviation

Course abbreviations are listed with the names of the fields of study in the pull down menus on the search page in the Course Schedule. Within a department or program, courses are listed alphabetically by field of study.

Course number

The three to five digit number/letter combination that follows the course abbreviation. (also see Credit value and Letters) Courses with the same abbreviation are listed in numerical order by the last two digits of the course number and then alphabetically by any subsequent letters. For example, a course numbered 679K precedes one numbered 379L. In the summer session, course numbers are prefixed by a letter:

Summer session prefixes.

f	First term
n	Nine-week term
w	Whole session
s	Second term

Summer session courses prefixed by f, n, and w are listed together in numerical order; courses prefixed by s are listed separately in numerical order following the f, n, and w courses.

Credit card transactions

You may charge your tuition and fees to your credit card. A convenience charge is added to all housing, tuition and mandatory fee payments, or tuition loan payments, made by credit card. You may also use a credit card to clear most financial bars to gain access to the registration system. Because this process depends on agencies and technical systems other than those at the University, under some circumstances you may not be able to clear your bars by credit card and will therefore be denied access to the registration system. In most cases, financial bars can be paid at What I Owe or by cash or check at the cashiers in MAI 8.

Questions about credit card transactions should be directed to Student Accounts Receivable, (512) 475-7777.

Credit value

The credit value of courses is expressed in semester credit hours. Most courses are designed to require approximately three hours of work a week throughout the semester for each semester hour of credit given; that is, for each hour a class meets, an average of two additional hours of preparation is expected of the student. The time requirement in the laboratory, field, or studio varies with the nature of the subject and the aims of a course, so there is no fixed ratio of laboratory to class hours.

Most courses meet three hours a week in the fall and spring semesters and have a value of three semester hours. In a six-week summer term, courses meet seven and a half hours a week for three semester hours of credit.

Each field of study is identified by a name and a one-, two-, or three-letter abbreviation. Each course in the field is identified by a number made up of three digits or three digits and a letter. The first digit of a course number indicates the credit value of the course in semester hours. Courses numbered 201 through 299 have a value of two semester hours; 301 through 399, a value of three semester hours; and so on. A zero as the first digit indicates that the course is noncredit. If the course number ends with the letter A, B, X, Y, or Z, see letters below. A course with the single-word title Laboratory or Discussion is also noncredit, regardless of its course number; these sections are always taken concurrently with a credit-bearing lecture course.

Directory information

The following policies are taken from General Information Catalog, Appendix C.

Sec. 9-201. Directory information

(a) “Directory information” for a student is defined as the following:

• name
• local and permanent addresses
• electronic mail addresses
• public username (UT EID)
• telephone listing
• place of birth
• major field(s) of study
• participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• weight and height if a member of an athletic team
• dates of attendance
• enrollment status
• degrees
• awards and honors received (including selection criteria)
• most recent previous educational institution attended
• classification and expected date of graduation
• student parking permit information
• job title and dates of employment when employed by UT in a position that requires student status

(b) Directory information is public information and will be made available to the public unless the student has restricted it as described in subsection 9–201(c).

(c) A currently enrolled student may restrict access to all or some of their directory information or may remove all or some of their information from public directories through Restrict My Info during the first twelve class days of any semester or the first four class days of any summer term. A request to restrict information will remain in effect until revoked by the student.

eBilling

Students who register during Period 1 will receive an electronic billing notification for tuition and fees. No paper bills will be mailed. Students are responsible for keeping their e-mail address current. Notices are sent to the e-mail address on the student's record as verified at the time of registration. Electronic billing notifications are also sent for tuition and emergency cash loans.

eCheck

An online payment that functions like a traditional paper check. It does not require an upgraded EID and can be used by anyone acting as an eProxy. Transactions that are returned to the University, regardless of reason, will be treated as returned checks.

Electronic funds transfer

An electronic withdrawal of funds from your bank account using pre-established authorization. Account information is stored and can be used for money in (refunds, financial aid) or money out (payments). An upgraded EID is required. Transactions that are returned to the University, regardless of reason, will be treated as returned checks.

Emergency Contact Information

Per The University of Texas' Emergency Notification Policy in the General Information Catalog, at least one emergency contact person must be listed for each enrolled student. Additionally, a student's cell phone number is collected so that the University has the ability to contact that student about critical incidents on campus via text messaging technology. Information gathered remains confidential to the extent allowed by law.  

You must:

• designate a Primary Emergency Contact and provide the contact's name, daytime phone number, and complete US address.
  • if under 18, list a parent or legal guardian as the primary emergency contact.
• provide your cell phone number and provider OR indicate that you have no cell phone or would like to opt out of receiving campus text alerts via cell phone.

Each student must designate either or both of their emergency contacts as a missing persons contact. If a student is identified as missing, Student Emergency Services will notify the designated emergency contact within twenty-four hours of receiving the report.

This information must be reviewed annually. Even if there are no changes to your emergency contacts, you must indicate that this information is still correct.

Update Emergency Contact Information here. 

» to A thru E | F thru J | K thru O | P thru T | U thru Z

F thru J

Fees

Some classes will have lab, supplemental, or incidental fees associated with them. The pdf version of the Course Schedule will display the fee if there is one.

Financial bar

A restriction placed on the record of a student to deny access to the registration system because of a delinquent debt to the University. Bars incurred after your registration information sheet is created may be placed on your record prior to your access period(s). In most cases, financial bars may be paid at What I Owe or by check or cash at the cashiers in MAI 8. Some financial bars must be resolved in person at the administrative office that imposed the bar. Returned check bars cannot be paid by eCheck or electronic funds transfer.

If a student clears a bar by check and the check is returned to the University, the student's registration will be incomplete. If payment is not received within ten calendar days of the returned check notice, the student's registration will be canceled.

Headnote

A notation in the Course Schedule that lists the administrative personnel for the area, along with their office addresses, phone numbers, and web sites. In many cases, important information about course prerequisites, descriptions, and registration reservations is given in the headnote.

In absentia registration

A candidate for a degree who has completed the requirements for graduation and needs to register only for the purpose of having a degree conferred may register in absentia.

• Undergraduate students must initiate in absentia requests through their academic dean by the deadline. There is no fee for undergraduate students to register in absentia.
• Graduate students may only register in absentia in the fall semester. Graduate students must pay a fee. If payment is received by the deadline, the in absentia registration is complete.

Instructor

A faculty member designated to a particular course. When academic units update the instructor of record, and if space allows, the instructor's last name and first initial are shown to the right of the meeting location.

» to A thru E | F thru J | K thru O | P thru T | U thru Z

K thru O

Letters

Two courses that have the same abbreviation and the same last two digits may not both be counted for credit unless the digits are followed by different letters. For example, Mechanical Engineering (M E) 136N and 236N may not both be counted; however English (E) 325 and 325K may both be counted.

The letter A following a course number designates the first half of the course; B, the second half. For example, Music (M) 612A is the first half of Music 612; Music 612B, the second half. The letter X following a course number designates the first third of the course: Y, the second third; and Z, the last third. For example, Law 621XY means that the first two-thirds of the six-hour course, Law 621, is being given during one semester. Credit value for course numbers ending in A, B, X, Y, or Z is reduced accordingly. MUS 612B, for example, has a value of three semester hours rather than six.

Meeting place

The building and room or other meeting location is given after the meeting time. Buildings are identified by three-letter abbreviations, which can be interpreted using the list of buildings printed with the campus map.

Meeting time

The class meeting time is printed to the right of the unique number in the Course Schedule. Days of the week are listed by their initial letters:

• M – Monday
• T – Tuesday
• W – Wednesday
• TH – Thursday
• F – Friday

The designation MWF, for instance, means that the class meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday throughout the semester. Occasionally, a note under the title indicates that the course meets on additional days, or that the course meets only on specific dates or for a part of the semester. Following the abbreviation for the day(s) of the week is the class meeting time. Standard meeting times are as follows:

Standard class meeting times.

Fall/Spring	MWF 8-9am, 9-10am, 10-11am, 11-12noon, 12-1pm, 1-2pm, 2-3pm, 3-4pm, 4-5pm (50 minutes with a ten-minute interval at the end of class) TTH 8-9:30am, 9:30-11am, 11-12:30pm, 12:30-2pm, 2-3:30pm, 3:30-5pm (75 minutes with a fifteen-minute interval at the end of class)
Summer	MTWTHF 8:30-10am, 10-11:30am, 11:30-1pm, 1-2:30pm, 2:30-4pm (75 minutes with a fifteen-minute interval at the end of class)

Some classes have more than one meeting time that students must incorporate into their schedules. These additional times are printed immediately below the first meeting time.

My Tuition Bill

Secure site at www.utexas.edu/business/accounting/sar where students can pay tuition, defer to Financial Aid, or confirm attendance. Tuition and fee bills are not mailed; students receive an electronic billing notification. Pay your tuition/fee bill using eCheck, credit card or by electronic funds transfer. UT EID and password are required. Because this process depends on agencies and technical systems other than those at the University, under some circumstances you may not be able to pay by credit card.

New student

A student who has not previously attended the University, or a student enrolling in the Graduate School for the first time.

Nonfinancial bar

A restriction placed on the record of a student to deny access to the registration system because a requirement of an administrative office has not been satisfied. A nonfinancial bar must be resolved in person at the administrative office that imposed the bar. Bars incurred after your Registration Information Sheet is created may be placed on your record prior to your access period(s). 

Notelines

The text that appears below a class title in the detailed view of a class in the online Course Schedule. They may include a description, prerequisites, reservations, and cross-listed courses. Prerequisites and descriptions for all courses are given in the undergraduate, graduate, and law school catalogs.

Optional fee changes

You will purchase the individual optional fees from each department; if you wish to change a selection, you will need to contact the department.

» to A thru E | F thru J | K thru O | P thru T | U thru Z

P thru T

Prerequisite

A department may require that a student complete specific coursework before registering for a course. Course prerequisites listed in the Course Schedule and/or University Catalogs are checked during registration. Students may be allowed to enroll in these courses but are advised that it is still their responsibility to ensure that they meet the prerequisites, since these may be enforced at any time by the department offering the course.

Rank

Except in the School of Law and the College of Pharmacy, the last two digits of the course number indicate the rank of the course. If 01 through 19, the course is of lower-division rank; if 20 through 79, of upper-division rank; if 80 through 99, of graduate rank.

Readmitted student

A former student at the University who has applied for readmission and has been accepted for the next semester.

Registration by proxy

For registration transactions that must be completed in person, a student may designate another person to act on his or her behalf. However, federal law (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) and University regulations do not permit the release of confidential information without written authorization. To designate someone to act as a proxy, the student must give a release to that person. The release must state the name of the proxy and what the proxy is authorized to do. It must also be signed and dated by the student. The release and the proxy's photo ID must be presented for each transaction. Note: The proxy may not sign a promissory note on the student's behalf.

Registration information sheet

Secure web site at Registration Information Sheet that lists personal information, advising information, access times, and financial and nonfinancial bar information. An EID and password are required to access the site.

Religious holy days

A student who misses classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day should inform the instructor as far in advance of the absence as possible, so that arrangements can be made to complete an assignment within a reasonable time after the absence.

Retroactive withdrawal

Students are expected to follow the normal withdrawal procedure whenever possible. Requests to withdraw after the semester has ended are considered only if the student had urgent, substantiated, nonacademic reasons and was unable to withdraw by the deadline. Requests for retroactive withdrawal must be submitted to the student's dean before the end of the next long-session semester.

Syllabus

Faculty members are required to provide a syllabus to students by the first meeting day of the class and it must contain the following items:

• course name and number
• faculty member name
• faculty member office location and office hours
• TA name, office location and office hours if course has a TA
• overview of course, including course prerequisites
• grading policy for course, including whether class attendance is used in determining the grade
• dates during semester for examinations and assignments that count 20% or more of the total course grade
• final exam date and time
• required materials for the course (textbooks, supplies, packets, etc.)
• course web site
• and this statement:
  
  "The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6529, 471-6441 TTY."

» to A thru E | F thru J | K thru O | P thru T | U thru Z

U thru Z

Unique number

The five-digit number associated with a specific section of a course in a particular semester. The unique number is listed below each title in the Course Schedule and its associated information identifies each section of the course. This number is required to complete registration transactions.

UT EID

An electronic identifier that allows a student to use secure services online. A student, guest, or parent may activate a UT EID and choose a password at www.utexas.edu/eid.

Waitlists

Students use online waitlists to indicate that they wish to be added to a class if a seat becomes available. Academic departments use online waitlists to manage registration in some classes. The online waitlist system adds eligible students to classes on a first-come, first-served basis. Students use their UT EIDs to access their Waitlists.

Web-based class sites

Password-protected class sites such as Canvas and CLIPs are associated with many University classes. Syllabi, handouts, assignments, and other resources may be available within these sites. Site activities may include exchanging e-mail, engaging in class discussions and chats, and exchanging files. In addition, electronic class rosters are a component of the sites. Students who do not want their names included in these electronic class rosters must restrict their directory information in the Office of the Registrar, MAI 16 or online.

For information on restricting directory information, see directory information.

What I Owe

Secure site at www.utexas.edu/business/accounting/sar. Pay most departmental charges and clear financial bars using eCheck, credit card or by electronic funds transfer. UT EID and password are required. Because this process depends on agencies and technical systems other than those at the University, under some circumstances you may not be able to pay by credit card.

Withdrawal

To resign from the University as a student for the current semester. A student cannot withdraw from the University simply by not going to class or dropping all classes; he or she must follow the withdrawal procedure.



After tuition and fees have been paid, a student must apply to his or her dean for permission to withdraw. Refunds are processed according to the refund schedule on the Withdrawal Petition and Refund Request form. Students who withdraw prior to the first day of classes will receive a 100% refund of tuition and required fees, less a $15 matriculation fee. This is referred to as a cancelation. Refunds for students withdrawing after choosing the three-payment plan (not available during summer sessions) are based on the total tuition and fees, not the installment amount paid. Withdrawals for medical reasons must be approved by the associate director for clinical services of University Health Services, who will instruct the registrar to withdraw the student under specified conditions. The refund, if any, will be determined by the effective date on the withdrawal petition form.