Courses in the core curriculum must comply with the following requirements:

-The course must fulfill one of the component areas defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).

  • Communication
  • Mathematics
  • Life and Physical Sciences
  • Language, Philosophy and Culture
  • Creative Arts
  • American History
  • Government/Political Science
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences

-The course must be a 1000- or 2000-level course and must be currently in the course inventory or be approved by the University Curriculum Committee for addition to the course inventory.

-The course must be designed for a student to take as part of his or her general university education (as opposed to courses designed primarily for a major or specialization).  Courses which tailor  general content to a more limited audience, e.g. Professional and Technical Communication for Science and Engineering or Nursing Microbiology, are acceptable.

-Core courses may constitute part of a major/minor program, but they must meet the core curriculum requirements.

-The course must not have any pre-requisites within the same core component the course is meant to fulfill (unless there is a clear sequence of courses in the category, such as BIOL 1441 and BIOL 1442).

-The course must address  all required  component area objectives specified by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for that component area.

-Course syllabi must include an  assessment strategy for each Student Learning Outcome.

  • If a communal assessment has been selected, then a detailed description of the “signature” assignments must clearly state how the assignments address the core objectives for the course. 
  • If the department chooses the individual assessment model, assessment strategies must be provided that determine the extent to which students have attained the objectives and outcomes that are specified in the course proposal.

-No course may satisfy more than one foundational component area or optional component area in an individual student’s degree plan.

-Course must be approved by the UTA Core Curriculum Committee. Proposals are typically accepted in fall. Reference the Core Calendar for exact dates.

All proposals must include the following :

Completed online submission form. Be prepared to include the following information on the online form:

  • Catalog details of the course (course number, name, number of sections planned, number of students expected, etc.)
  • Details regarding how the proposed course aligns with one of THECB defined component areas. 
  • Details about how assignments meet the required student learning outcomes for the component area.
  • Details about your assessment strategy (if individual assessment is selected) or signature assignments (if communal assessment is selected)
Submit Form here

Sample syllabus. In addition to the syllabus elements required by the University, the submitted syllabus must include the following:

  • A course purpose statement which clearly specifies that the course fulfills the requirements for the selected core component area.
  • Course content and assignments that fulfill the requirements of the selected component area.
  • Student learning outcomes required by THECB for the selected component stated verbatim in the list of objectives for the course
  • Relevant learning outcomes clearly listed for each assignment
  • If the communal assessment model is proposed, clearly identified signature assignments and their related student learning outcomes
  • If the individual assessment model is proposed, descriptions of appropriate and valid assessment strategies for each learning outcome

Core Course Proposal submission form

All proposals for core courses must be submitted via the online Core Course Proposal submission form.

Core Course Proposal Submission Form

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