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.

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