Degree Program Requirements

Undergraduate Admission to a Degree Program

Admission to the University's degree programs is determined by application to the academic unit offering the degree. Before being admitted to a degree program, students must complete:

30 credit hours of the University's core curriculum (including credit by examination and transfer credit) and 30 credit hours at U.T. Arlington (including core credit hours but not including credit by examination)

or

40 credit hours of the University's core curriculum (including credit by examination and transfer hours) and 12 credit hours at U.T. Arlington (including core credit hours but not including credit by examination)

Degree programs may require students to complete additional courses or hours in residence prior to applying for admission.

Degree Plan

Students are responsible for requesting the preparation of a degree plan through their major department advisor during the semester following admission to a degree program. No deviation from a degree plan will be allowed except with the written approval of the department advisor, the chair of the major department and the academic dean. A student should file an application for graduation in the Registrar's Office before the start of the student's final semester of work for a degree. After the student makes application for graduation, the registrar's representative will determine when the graduation requirements have been met.

Minor Field of Study

A minor requires at least 18 semester hours in a given program, including six hours of advanced work. Specific course sequences for a minor are determined by the program offering the minor. Since some undergraduate degree programs do not offer minors, students should consult an advisor in their program of study.

The Core Curriculum

The University of Texas at Arlington is committed to ensuring that students take a common core of courses during their tenure at the institution. These courses are central to any career a student may choose, since they provide basic skills, perspectives and knowledge. The remainder of a student's coursework will focus on the methods, skills and knowledge appropriate to whatever field or discipline he or she chooses. One virtue of a core curriculum, besides the obvious practical one of helping graduates adapt to a rapidly changing economy, is that it provides a common cultural experience. This shared experience facilitates both appreciation and criticism of the values, norms and institutions of one's culture.

The specific aims of U.T. Arlington's core curriculum are to ensure that each graduate: (1) be able to read and write clear, correct English; (2) understand the features and exemplars of the major literary forms; (3) understand the basic principles of critical thinking, argument and mathematical relationships (as well as the relations among these; (4) understand and appreciate the scientific method of problem analysis (as well as the principal results in various fields); (5) comprehend the nature of historical research and the relevance of historical events to contemporary situations; (6) be able to analyze political and economic phenomena, including the functioning of and relations among national, state and local governments; (7) understand various forms of art and aesthetic principles; and (8) have a practical and theoretical knowledge of various human cultures, past and present.

Core Curriculum for a Bachelor's Degree

The University requires the following courses for each degree:

English Composition

Six hours (1301 and 1302 or suitable substitutes).

Literature

Three hours of English or foreign language literature or other approved substitute.

Liberal Arts Elective

Three hours above the freshman level of literature, or social and cultural studies designated as taught in the College of Liberal Arts, or fine arts or philosophy, or technical writing.

U.S. History

Six hours of American history or three hours of American and three hours of Texas history. (This requirement is mandated by state law and cannot be waived.)

U.S. Political Science

Six hours covering U.S. and Texas constitutions. (This requirement is mandated by state law and cannot be waived.)

Mathematics

Six hours (level of college algebra or higher).

Natural Science

Eight hours in a single lab science (biology, chemistry, geology or physics).

Social/Cultural Studies

Three hours*.

Fine Arts

Three hours from art, dance, music, architecture or theatre arts.

* The Social and Cultural Studies requirement will be satisfied by designated courses from such (sub-)disciplines as archaeology, classical studies, communication, economics, history, humanities, linguistics, political science, social or cultural anthropology, social/political/cultural geography, social psychology, sociology and women's studies or other substitutes which have been approved by the Undergraduate Assembly. For a list of approved courses, contact the University Advising Center or the student's major department.

International students whose secondary education was taught in their native tongue (other than English) may meet the foreign language requirement for the Bachelor of Arts degree by successfully completing six additional hours in English beyond the general requirements for a bachelor's degree. The eight additional hours needed to fulfill the total degree requirements must be approved by the student's major department and must be included in the degree plan. The major department has the right to stipulate the foreign language permitted for the bachelor's degree, provided the language is taught at U.T. Arlington.

Competence in Computer Use

Graduating students should be proficient in the use of computers. Proficiency is understood as the ability to use word-processing, database/spreadsheet and representative software of one's major discipline. Each student should be able to tap the communications, analytical and information-retrieval potential of computers to solve research problems and be able to evaluate the results. Students should consult their departmental, school or college advisors to determine the mechanisms by which they can demonstrate proficiency. An examination or completion of a department- or college-designated course may be required.

Competence in Oral Presentations

Students should have proficiency in oral communication skills including interaction in classroom settings to meet the needs of coursework and the use of acceptable grammar and pronunciation in formal presentations. Students should consult their individual department, school or college advisors to determine the mechanisms by which they can demonstrate this competency. A proficiency examination or completion of a department- or college-designated course may be required.

Residency Requirements

The degree requirements for graduation in specific divisions of the University are explained at the beginning of each division in the catalog. In addition:

•Each candidate for a degree must complete and receive credit in residence* for:

(a) 25 percent of the semester credit hours required for a degree

(some colleges or schools may have additional residency require-

ments)

(b) at least 24 of the last 30 semester hours required for a bachelor's degree

(c) at least 18 semester hours of advanced (3000/4000 level) coursework, to include 12 hours of advanced courses in the major subject

•Successful completion of a course of study prescribed by the major department, including a minimum of 36 advanced hours, is required for a degree at U.T. Arlington. Courses numbered with a first digit of 3 or 4 are classified as advanced courses.

•A minimum overall grade point average of 2.0 (C average) is required. In addition, a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in the major is required. Individual units will determine the specific courses to be included in the calculation of the GPA in the major. (The College of Business Administration requires a 2.0 overall grade-point average, 2.0 on all coursework taken in the college, and 2.0 within the major and concentration area for those majors having a concentration.)

•No more than 30 of the semester hours required for any degree may be completed by correspondence and/or extension.

•Only the required four semester hours of exercise and sport activities courses may be counted for graduation. Additional activity courses taken will not be calculated in the student's grade point average.

•Graduate courses (numbered 5000 and above) cannot be used to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements except in programs approved by the Undergraduate Assembly.

•To qualify for a second bachelor's degree, a student must complete all the degree requirements as stated in the catalog for that degree and must complete no fewer than 30 semester hours beyond those of the bachelor's degree program requiring the greater number of hours. The additional hours must be taken in residence at U.T. Arlington.

* The term "in residence" is defined as in residence at the (U.T. System) component which ultimately grants the degree. Residence credit does not include courses taken by extension or correspondence.