Degrees and Programs

No more than six semester hours of credit earned in internship courses may be counted toward a single major in the College of Liberal Arts; no more than nine semester hours may be counted toward the degree.

In addition, no more than nine semester hours of conference courses and internship courses combined may be counted toward a single major in the College of Liberal Arts; no more than twelve hours of conference courses and internship courses combined may be counted toward the degree.

Bible Courses

Bible courses may be counted as lower-division electives in College of Liberal Arts degree programs that have room for such electives. No more than twelve semester hours of Bible courses may be counted toward any degree offered by the University.

Admission Deficiencies

Students admitted to the University with deficiencies in high school units must remove them by the means prescribed in the General Information Catalog . Contact the dean’s office for further information.

Correspondence and Extension Courses

Credit that a University student in residence earns simultaneously by correspondence or extension from the University or elsewhere or in residence at another school will not be counted toward a degree in the College of Liberal Arts unless specifically approved in advance by the dean. In very special circumstances, the dean may allow a student in residence to take one or more courses by extension or correspondence. No more than 30 percent of the semester hours required for any degree offered in the College of Liberal Arts may be taken by correspondence. For additional information about correspondence work by resident students, see the General Information Catalog .  

Courses Taken on the Pass/Fail Basis

No more than nineteen semester hours of coursework completed on the pass/fail basis may be counted toward the Bachelor of Arts, Plan II; no more than sixteen semester hours of such coursework may be counted toward the other degrees in the college. In general, only electives may be taken on the pass/fail basis. Complete rules on registration on the pass/fail basis are given in the General Information Catalog .

Courses in a Single Field

No more than thirty-six semester hours (thirty-nine for the Bachelor of Arts, Plan I) may be counted in any one field of study, including the major, unless major requirements state otherwise. No more than thirty-six  semester hours (thirty-nine for the Bachelor of Arts, Plan I) may be counted in any one college or school other than the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Natural Sciences.

UTeach-Liberal Arts

UTeach-Liberal Arts is a professional teacher preparation program for liberal arts students pursuing degrees in Arabic, Chinese, economics, English, French, history, geography, German, government, Japanese, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. Students may seek certification to teach middle or high school grades for the following certification areas:

1. History, grades eight through twelve
2. Language arts and reading, grades four through eight or eight through twelve
3. Languages other than English, grades six through twelve
4. Social studies, grades four through eight or eight through twelve

UTeach-Liberal Arts offers a four-semester program for undergraduate students and a three-semester program for postbaccalaureate students. Admission into the program is required. Undergraduate students may enter the program as early as the second semester of their freshman year.

UTeach-Liberal Arts students benefit from an innovative program that emphasizes a practical, hands-on field experience in local public school classrooms combined with intensive coursework. The program provides students with an excellent firsthand glimpse into the world of teaching. Other key features of the program are mentorship and seminar instruction, cohort support, discipline-specific pedagogical preparation, literacy training, and innovative use of technology. More information about UTeach-Liberal Arts and the admission process is available online at http://www.utexas.edu/cola/progs/uteach/ .

Program in Comparative Literature

The program in comparative literature approaches the study of literature from a variety of viewpoints rather than from the viewpoint of a single language or nation. Courses in literary history, practical criticism, and critical theory stress the relationship between literature and other disciplines in the humanities, the arts, and the social sciences. The program offers both the doctoral and the master’s degree and sponsors courses on both the graduate and the undergraduate level. All comparative literature courses are conducted in English.

To introduce undergraduates to the field of study, the comparative literature faculty has designed a cluster of courses in critical thinking and world literature. These courses concentrate on writing and thinking critically, with a focus on literary texts drawn from around the world, in the context of an interdisciplinary and international program. The twelve-hour cluster complements many majors in liberal arts; with the approval of the student’s major department, it may be used to fulfill the minor requirement. More information is available from the comparative literature program.

Transcript-Recognized Certificate Programs

The College of Liberal Arts offers three certificate programs, which are open to all degree-seeking University undergraduates. Undergraduates who complete certificate requirements in conjunction with their degree requirements or within one year after earning the degree receive 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 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; some programs may require more work in residence.

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.

Students outside the College of Liberal Arts should contact their dean’s office for permission to complete a certificate program and for the applicability of certificate requirements toward their individual degrees. Students in the College of Liberal Arts may complete certificate programs offered through other colleges. These are described in Transcript-Recognized Certificate Programs  and by each college that offers a transcript-recognized certificate program. Certificate programs that do not lead to transcript recognition are also described in the respective college's catalog section.

Certificate in Computational Science and Engineering

See the Certificate in Computational Science and Engineering .  

African Studies Certificate 

The African Studies Certificate allows students to engage with scholarship on African peoples, cultures, and history through the theoretical lens of black studies. Through the certificate, undergraduates develop interdisciplinary expertise in African studies related to the student’s personal field of interest. The African and African Diaspora Studies undergraduate adviser (AADS) is available to steer certificate candidates towards areas of interest, which can include: expressive cultures, gender and sexuality studies, literature, language, history, politics, and society as these topics relate to theories of blackness on the African continent. 

The certificate program requires eighteen semester hours of coursework, including at least nine semester hours completed in residence. 

Students must fulfill the following requirements: 

1. African and African Diaspora Studies 303, Introduction to Black Studies, or an alternative course taken with approval from AADS 
2. African and African Diaspora Studies 310K, Introduction to Modern Africa, or an alternative course taken with approval from AADS 
3. Twelve additional semester hours (upper- or lower-division) chosen from courses on an approved list or with prior approval from AADS 
4. One of the courses listed in requirement 3 must carry a writing flag from the School of Undergraduate Studies and/or place an emphasis on research and writing, such as African and African Diaspora Studies 372G or an alternative course taken with approval from AADS 
5. Earn a grade of at least C in each of the courses taken to fulfill the African Studies Certificate requirements 

Each semester the list of approved courses that meet the requirements above is available in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies undergraduate advising office. 

Courses the student has completed at the time of application to the program may be counted toward the certificate. Students may not earn a certificate in the same field of study as their major and at least one course counting toward this certificate must be taken outside of the requirements of the student’s undergraduate degree. Students apply for transcript-recognized undergraduate academic certificates at the time they complete their undergraduate degree or the certificate program, whichever comes later. Transcript recognition is awarded at that time.

Core Texts and Ideas Certificate

The certificate program in core texts and ideas is designed to provide a coherent path through the University’s core curriculum with an integrated, interdisciplinary sequence of courses on great works of philosophy, literature, science, and the arts that emphasizes debates about fundamental questions of enduring human concern. The program provides a grounding in the major ideas that have shaped the Western world and gives students the opportunity to study Eastern works as well. Students complete courses in four required areas and two elective areas. The four required areas are the philosophy and literature of the ancient world, especially Greece; basic texts of major world religions; the history of political philosophy; and the principles that formed the basis for the founding of the United States. Elective areas include philosophy, the arts, history, literature, and the history and philosophy of science and mathematics.

The certificate program requires eighteen semester hours of coursework, including at least twelve hours completed in residence. Students must fulfill the following requirements:

1. The requirements of an undergraduate major
2. The following twelve semester hours of coursework:
   1. Philosophy and literature of the ancient world: Core Texts and Ideas 301, Ancient Philosophy and Literature
   2. History of political philosophy: Core Texts and Ideas 302, Classics of Social and Political Thought or Core Texts and Ideas 303, Competing Visions of the Good Life
   3. Basic texts of major world religions: Core Texts and Ideas 304, World Religions: Traditions and Texts
   4. Principles of the founding of the United States: Government 312P, Constitutional Principles: Core Texts
3. Six additional semester hours of coursework chosen from a list of approved electives available from the academic adviser in the Thomas Jefferson Center for Core Texts and Ideas

All courses must be taken on the letter-grade basis. Each semester a list of approved alternatives to the courses in the four required areas is available from the academic adviser in the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas.

Creative Writing Certificate

The Creative Writing Certificate is intended for any University student interested in advanced study of creative writing, both as reader and as writer. Those who plan to pursue the certificate should apply to the program adviser for admission no later than the end of their sophomore year. More information about the Creative Writing Certificate is given at the Department of English Web Site .

The certificate program requires eighteen semester hours of coursework, including at least nine hours completed in residence. Students must fulfill the following requirements: 

1. The requirements of an undergraduate major
2. Six semester hours of coursework from English, theatre and dance, or radio-television-film. 
3. Creative Writing 325F, 325M, or 325P
4. Creative Writing 330
5. Creative Writing 340F, 340P, or Creative Writing 660 (part A). 
6. Creative Writing 355F, 355P, Creative Writing 660 (part B), or three hours of coursework chosen from a list of approved courses available from the program adviser. 
7. Earn a grade of at least C- in each course taken to fulfill the Creative Writing Certificate requirements. 

Honors Option 

To earn an Honors Creative Writing Certificate, students must fulfill the following additional requirements: 

1. Creative Writing 370H, Honors Creative Writing Project
2. A University Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.66 in the coursework required for the Creative Writing Certificate and a cumulative University GPA of at least 3.33.

History and Philosophy of Science Certificate

The History and Philosophy of Science Certificate provides students an opportunity to gain a coherent, cross-disciplinary command of the methods and findings that the liberal arts have contributed to our understanding of the sciences. Students analyze the dynamic development, concepts, and roles in society of various sciences, as well as the personal, dramatic struggles of famous scientists. Students must complete four courses in two required areas: history of science, and philosophy of science,  as well two electives to be selected from a list of pre-approved courses in history, philosophy, astronomy, physics, or core texts and ideas. 

The certificate program requires eighteen semester hours of coursework, of which at least twelve semester hours of coursework must be upper-division, and including at least nine semester hours completed in residence. 

Students must fulfill the following requirements:

1. History 322D, The Scientific Revolution of the Seventeenth Century, and History 322M, History of Modern Science
2. Philosophy 313, Introductory Symbolic Logic, or Philosophy 363, Scientific Method
3. Philosophy 316K, Science and Philosophy, or Philosophy 322, Science and the Modern World
4. Six additional semester credit hours, chosen from an approved list 

Each semester, the list of approved courses that meet the requirements above is available in the Department of History undergraduate advising office.

Courses the student has completed at the time of application to the program may be counted toward the certificate. Students apply for transcript-recognized undergraduate academic certificates at the time they complete their undergraduate degree or the certificate program, whichever comes later. Transcript recognition is awarded at that time.

Indigenous Studies Certificate

The main goal of the indigenous studies certificate program is to encourage active intellectual and community engagement with indigenous peoples and cultures. The program allows undergraduate students to develop interdisciplinary expertise in indigenous studies and comparative approaches to their primary field of interest. Each student develops a specialization within the program that is tailored to his or her academic and professional development. Students concentrate their studies in two of the following eight strands: Mayan culture, Mesoamerica, indigenous arts, indigenous peoples of Latin America, indigenous peoples in the United States and Canada, indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous politics and human rights, and indigenous writing and language.

Courses the student has completed at the time of application to the program may be counted toward the certificate. Upon completion of the course requirements, the student writes a three- to four-page essay that describes his or her intellectual work in the program and how the experience contributed to his or her academic career at the University.

The certificate program requires eighteen semester hours of coursework, including at least nine semester hours completed in residence. Students must fulfill the following requirements:

1. The requirements of an undergraduate major
2. Three semester hours in a lower-division introductory or foundational course with indigenous studies content, such as English 314V (Topic 5: Native American Literature and Culture), History 317L (Topic 3: Introduction to Native American History), or other courses from an approved list
3. Six semester hours of approved coursework in each of two of the following eight strands: Mayan culture, Mesoamerica, indigenous arts, indigenous peoples of Latin America, indigenous peoples in the United States and Canada, indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous politics and human rights, indigenous writing and language
4. An approved upper-division capstone course in indigenous studies chosen from courses on an approved list
5. At least three courses must be taken in a field of study outside of the student’s major department

Each semester a list of approved courses that meet the requirements above is available in the Department of Anthropology undergraduate advising office.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Sexualities Studies Certificate 

The certificate program requires eighteen semester hours of coursework, including at least nine semester hours completed in residence. 

Students must fulfill the following requirements: 

1. Women's and Gender Studies 303, Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies, or Women's and Gender Studies 305, Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies
2. Women's and Gender Studies 301 (Topic 12: Gay and Lesbian Literature and Culture) or an alternative course taken with prior approval from the LGBTQ/Sexualities Research Cluster faculty committee 
3. Twelve additional upper-division semester hours of coursework chosen from courses on an approved list. At least three of these hours must be taken from outside the student’s major field of study. 
4. Earn a grade of at least a C in each of the courses taken to fulfill the LGBTQ/Sexualities Studies certificate requirements 

Each semester, the list of approved courses that meet the requirements above is available in the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies undergraduate advising office. The list of courses known as the “Pink Book” is published on the Women’s and Gender Studies Web site . 

Courses the student has completed at the time of application to the program may be counted toward the certificate. Students apply for transcript-recognized undergraduate academic certificates at the time they complete their undergraduate degree or the certificate program, whichever comes later. Transcript recognition is awarded at that time.

Concentrations

A concentration allows students to pursue a program of interdisciplinary specialization in addition to the major. Within the general requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts and the requirements of the major, a student may also complete a concentration in one of the following programs offered by the College of Liberal Arts.

Courses required for a concentration may also be counted toward the requirements of the Bachelor of Arts, Plan I, when applicable. Students in other degree programs and colleges should check with their dean’s offices about course applicability and restrictions. The following concentrations are not recognized on the student’s transcript.

Cultural Studies

Students who wish to enter the cultural studies concentration should consult the undergraduate adviser in the Américo Paredes Center for Cultural Studies.

Science, Technology, and Society

The goal of this concentration is to prepare students to use emerging technologies humanely and critically; to participate thoughtfully in public discourse about scientific and technological innovation; and to understand the consequences of public and private decisions about scientific advancements and technologies. The concentration is designed to allow students to gain experience in analyzing historical, philosophical, rhetorical, economic, political, aesthetic, and scientific practices and methods of inquiry. Students have the opportunity to explore the social impacts of rapid scientific and technological change. The program integrates approaches from the liberal arts, social sciences, and humanities with new developments in science and technology. The science, technology, and society concentration focuses on several key areas, including nanotechnology, gaming, surveillance, mobile technologies, e-society, education, health care, and computer-mediated communication.

The program of study is designed to complement the major by helping the student to gain a richer and more profound understanding of the dynamic relationships among science, technology, culture, and the individual. The concentration is open to liberal arts majors and, with the approval of their deans, to students in other colleges and schools.

The student must fulfill the following requirements:

1. A departmental major or the equivalent
2. Eighteen semester hours of coursework, consisting of Science, Technology, and Society 319 or 321; Science, Technology, and Society 331; nine semester hours of related coursework; and a capstone seminar, Science, Technology, and Society 360

A list of related courses that will fulfill requirement 2 is available from the science, technology, and society adviser; courses that are not on the list may be used with written consent of the adviser.

Western Civilization and American Institutions

The concentration in western civilization and American institutions is designed to complement departmental specialization with an integrated sequence of courses that emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to the major ideas of western civilization and their impact on the development of the institutions of the United States. Students who wish to enter the concentration should consult the faculty adviser. With the approval of his or her dean and the western civilization and American institutions adviser, a student outside the College of Liberal Arts may complete the concentration.

The student must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Completion of the requirements of a major
2. Three semester hours of Government 335M, Topics in Political Thought, chosen from a list of topics approved by the western civilization and American institutions faculty adviser
3. Fifteen additional semester hours of coursework in western civilization and American institutions, chosen in consultation with the faculty adviser for the concentration, from a list prescribed by the western civilization and American institutions faculty committee