Introduction       The University       Undergraduate Studies          General Information          Admission and Registration          Academic Policies and Procedures          Programs and Centers          Courses       Architecture       Business       Communication       Education       Engineering       Fine Arts       Geosciences       Information       Liberal Arts       Natural Sciences       Nursing       Pharmacy       Public Affairs       Social Work       Appendix A       Appendix B       Index

• Introduction
• The University
• Undergraduate Studies
  • General Information
  • Admission and Registration
  • Academic Policies and Procedures
  • Programs and Centers
  • Courses
• Architecture
• Business
• Communication
• Education
• Engineering
• Fine Arts
• Geosciences
• Information
• Liberal Arts
• Natural Sciences
• Nursing
• Pharmacy
• Public Affairs
• Social Work
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• Index

Programs and Centers

Center for Strategic Advising & Career Counseling

The Center for Strategic Advising & Career Counseling in the School of Undergraduate Studies provides academic advising and career counseling services to students in three categories:

• New students who select the School of Undergraduate Studies so that they may delay their choice of college or school until after a period of exploration
• New students who are admitted to the School of Undergraduate Studies after having been denied admission to their first two choices of major
• New and continuing students in transition from one major to another enrolled in any undergraduate college or school at the University

The Center for Strategic Advising & Career Counseling helps students to examine career aspirations and academic interests with the goal of developing a viable and rewarding path through the University.  The center has a comprehensive library with thousands of resources for major and career exploration as well as internship preparation and provides a variety of services in the areas of strategic academic advising, major exploration, career counseling and assessment, and graduate and professional school planning and preparation.

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. More information about the Center for Strategic Advising & Career Counseling is available at http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/csa/.

Sanger Learning Center

The Sanger Learning Center is the primary provider of academic assistance to University students. To help students reach their highest potential in their personal and academic development, the center provides a variety of services and resources in the areas of mathematics, science, learning strategies, and graduate and professional school planning and preparation. The center also offers content-based discussion sections, study groups, and tutoring for difficult courses. Services are free to currently enrolled students in all schools and colleges (some restrictions may apply).

Programs

• Tutorial Services—a program certified by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) up to the master tutor level—provides both individual and group tutoring. More specifically, one-to-one tutoring by appointment and small group tutoring sessions are offered for many lower-division undergraduate classes. Drop-in tutoring is also available for selected natural sciences and mathematics courses, as well as writing consultation for graduate students.
• Supplemental Instruction is a nationally recognized program aimed at improving student performance, increasing retention, and enhancing teaching. The program targets historically difficult entry-level courses by offering students regularly scheduled discussion sections led by trained undergraduate and/or graduate students.
• The center’s classes and workshops also meet a broad spectrum of student needs, ranging from mathematics and science reviews to graduate examination preparation to general study strategies to career assessment.
• Peer-Led Undergraduate Studying (PLUS), a program that aims to support student performance and motivation in historically difficult courses by offering class-specific weekly study groups. Group leaders offer a collaborative group study experience tailored to the needs of their classmates.
• Peer Academic Coaching, a program certified by the CRLA at the master tutor level, offers structured guidance over time to students needing assistance with skills such as reading efficiency, note-taking, time and project management, test taking, and test preparation.

More information about the Sanger Learning Center is available at http://lifelearning.utexas.edu/.

First-Year Interest Groups

First-year Interest Groups (FIGs) are cohorts of up to twenty-five students who take two to 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. Each FIG includes a weekly one-hour seminar led by a trained peer mentor and staff member. 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, advising staff, and faculty members.

College-based FIGs are designed for students in the same major or department. Signature FIGs provide an opportunity for first-year students to take core courses in a group of eighteen students and receive academic assistance from a Signature Course Peer Mentor. The Residential First-year Interest Group program (ResFIG) offers incoming freshmen the opportunity to join a cohort of students with whom they live, study, participate in community service projects, and take classes.

More information about FIGs is available at http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/fig/.

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 individualized plan of study leading to an interdisciplinary certificate in one of the following areas:

• Children and Society
• Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies
• Cultural Studies
• Digital Arts and Media
• Environment
• Ethics and Leadership
• Film Studies
• Global Studies
• Human Rights and Social Justice
• Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship
• 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 degree-seeking undergraduates at the University are eligible to apply for the 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 start early in their University careers.

Undergraduates who complete BDP requirements in conjunction with their degree requirements or within one year after earning the degree receive a certificate and recognition on the University transcript; students in integrated undergraduate/graduate programs must complete certificate requirements within one year after they complete their undergraduate degree requirements. A maximum of nine semester hours of the certificate coursework may be taken after the student has earned the undergraduate degree. At least half of the required certificate coursework must be completed in residence at the University.

A student may not earn a certificate in the same field as his or her major, and at least one certificate course must be outside the requirements of the major. However, certificate courses outside the major may be counted toward other degree requirements.

Students should apply for the certificate when they apply for graduation or when they complete the certificate program, whichever is later. Transcript recognition is awarded at the end of that semester or summer session.

In order to earn a BDP certificate, students must satisfy the following requirements:

1. At least nineteen semester hours of coursework. The distribution of coursework varies by specialization, and students should consult the BDP office for the requirements of each program. For all specializations, the coursework requirements consist of the following:
   
   1. Foundation Courses: One to ten hours in foundation courses that introduce key concepts and methodologies related to the interdisciplinary concentration.
   2. Connecting Experiences: Three to nine hours in undergraduate research, internships, and/or independent creative project courses that connect students’ interdisciplinary concentration to their major.
   3. Courses in a Strand: Six to twelve hours in courses in a strand, which allows students to focus their remaining BDP coursework. Course listings for BDP strands are located on the BDP Web site at http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/bdp/.
2. A three- to four-page integration essay in which students reflect on what they have learned and accomplished through their BDP experience. These essays will be reviewed by members of a BDP faculty panel. Additional guidelines are available from the BDP advisers.
3. Students must earn a grade of at least C- in each of the courses taken to fulfill BDP requirements and the cumulative grade point average in all courses counting toward a student’s BDP certificate must be at least 2.0. All but one of the courses taken to fulfill BDP requirements must be taken on the letter-grade basis.
4. At least half of the required course work in the BDP certificate must be completed in residence at The University of Texas at Austin.
5. Completion of the requirements of a major.

More information about BDPs is available at http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/bdp/.

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 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 research involvement, 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 (http://www.utexas.edu/research/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 at http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/ugr/ or by phone at (512) 471-5949.

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 including: Alpha Lambda Delta, Phi Eta Sigma, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Mortar Board.

More information about the Honors Center is available in the General Information Catalog and at http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/uhc/.

Longhorn Scholars Program

The Longhorn Scholars Program is designed for students 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 strategic academic advising, peer mentoring, and access to classes taught by outstanding faculty members. Students also have opportunities to develop leadership skills, participate in faculty research, and participate in the diverse educational experiences offered at the University.

Participation in the Longhorn Scholars Program is by invitation. More information about the Longhorn Scholars Program is available at http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/lsp/.

Texas Success Initiative

The Texas Success Initiative is a state-legislated program designed to improve student success in college. The two components of the program are:

• Assessment of each student's basic skills in reading, mathematics, and writing, and
• Developmental instruction to strengthen academic skills that need improvement.

More information about the Texas Success Initiative is available in the General Information Catalog and at http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/tsi.

On this page

• Center for Strategic Advising & Career Counseling
• Sanger Learning Center
  • Programs
• First-Year Interest Groups
• Bridging Disciplines Programs
• Office of Undergraduate Research
• University Honors Center
• Longhorn Scholars Program
• Texas Success Initiative