Graduation
Special Requirements of the College
All students must fulfill the general requirements for graduation. Students in the College of Fine Arts must also fulfill the following requirements.
Residence
See the University-wide general requirements on coursework to be taken in residence. Unless an exception is approved by the adviser and the dean, a student in the College of Fine Arts must also complete in residence the last eighteen semester hours in the major subject that are counted toward the degree.
Grade Point Average
All University students must have a grade point average of at least 2.00 to graduate. In addition, a student in one of the following majors must meet special grade point requirements.
Studio Art
A student majoring in studio art must have a grade point average of at least 2.50 for all upper-division studio art courses taken in residence at the University.
Design
A student majoring in design must have a grade point average of at least 2.50 for all upper-division design courses taken in residence at the University.
Art History
A student majoring in art history must have a grade point average of at least 2.50 for all upper-division art history courses taken in residence at the University.
Bachelor of Arts in Music
A student pursuing the Bachelor of Arts in Music must have a grade point average of at least 2.50 in all upper-division courses in the Butler School of Music (excluding ensemble) taken in residence at the University.
Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance
A student pursuing the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance must have a grade point average of at least 2.50 in all upper-division courses in the Department of Theatre and Dance.
Teacher Certification in Art, Theatre Arts, Dance, or Music
A student pursuing teacher certification must meet certain grade point average requirements during the course of the certification program. For information, consult the teacher certification officer, College of Education.
Butler School of Music Special Requirements
Ensemble Requirement
Ensembles that may be used to fulfill the following requirements are designated by the Butler School. For information, the student should contact the undergraduate advising office of the school. With the approval of the designated adviser, a student may enroll in more than one ensemble in a semester, but no more than one ensemble a semester may be used to fulfill this requirement.
Bachelor of Music
Students seeking the Bachelor of Music must complete in residence at least eight long-session semesters of approved ensemble. Transfer students must complete an approved ensemble each long-session semester in residence until they have met the ensemble requirement or until they graduate, whichever comes first. A transfer student may count toward this requirement two semesters of transferred ensemble approved by the Butler School.
The ensemble requirement is waived for music studies majors during the student teaching semester.
Bachelor of Arts in Music
Students seeking this degree must complete in residence at least four long-session semesters of ensemble approved by the Butler School. Transfer students must complete an approved ensemble each long-session semester in residence until they have completed four semesters of ensemble or until they graduate, whichever comes first. A transfer student may count toward this requirement one semester of transferred ensemble approved by the Butler School.
Recital Requirement for Music Studies Majors
Before the end of his or her last semester of study on the principal instrument, a music studies major must present either the recital required for a Certificate of Recognition in Music Performance or a community performance approved by the music studies faculty and the student’s instructor in the principal instrument.
Degree Audit
At registration periods, each student normally receives an advising audit that summarizes his or her progress toward a degree. An official degree audit, however, is the required statement from the Office of the Dean, Student Affairs of the student’s official standing in a College of Fine Arts degree program.
Official degree audits are printed and reviewed by the Office of the Dean, Student Affairs for students with a major in the College of Fine Arts who have completed at least sixty semester hours of coursework. The degree audit is mailed to the student, and the student is advised to retain this official degree audit for his or her records. If a student changes his or her catalog, principle instrument, major, or any degree option that affects the requirements of his or her degree program, a new official degree audit will be printed, reviewed, and mailed to the student.
The official degree audit provides an accurate statement of the requirements, but the student is responsible for meeting all deadlines, knowing the requirements, and registering for courses that fulfill all the requirements for the degree as stated in a catalog under which he or she is entitled to graduate. Before registering, the student should seek an official ruling from the Office of the Dean, Student Affairs if in doubt about any requirement.
Applying for Graduation
In the semester or summer session in which the degree is to be conferred, the candidate must be registered at the University and must file a graduation application form with the Office of the Dean, Student Affairs. This should be done at the beginning of the semester in which the student intends to graduate; it must be done by the deadline to apply for an undergraduate degree, which is given in the official academic calendar. No degree will be conferred unless the graduation application form has been filed on time.
An official degree audit must be on file when the student submits the graduation application. Because the application process includes a review of all remaining degree requirements, candidates for graduation are encouraged to apply as early in the semester as possible. A student who applies for graduation but does not receive the degree must submit a new application in the semester he or she subsequently intends to graduate.
The student must be registered at the University for the semester or summer session in which the degree is to be granted. This requirement may be fulfilled by registering for courses in residence or by registering in absentia. For information about registration in absentia, the student should consult the Office of the Dean, Student Affairs no later than the second week of the semester in which he or she intends to graduate.
Credit received by examination, correspondence, or transfer does not fulfill the residence requirement. Students planning to receive credit by any of these means must consult the Office of the Dean, Student Affairs before the semester in which they intend to graduate for a ruling about whether the credit may be applied toward the degree and for information about the procedures and deadlines involving credit by examination, correspondence, and transfer.
No degree will be conferred unless all requirements have been fulfilled and all deadlines met.
Teacher Certification
To be recommended for a certificate to teach in Texas public schools, an undergraduate or graduate student must complete a University of Texas at Austin approved program for teacher preparation. The University maintains approved programs for art, theatre arts, dance, and music, and students interested in one of these teaching areas ordinarily pursue the degree program in visual art studies, theatre studies, dance, or music studies. Students seeking teacher certification must be approved by the College of Education for the Professional Development Sequence (PDS). In addition, they must complete additional state exams/requirements. See State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) at http://www.tea.state.tx.us for details.