This is an archived copy of the 2020-22 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.utexas.edu/.

Programs and Centers

James W. Vick Center for Strategic Advising & Career Counseling

The James W. Vick Center for Strategic Advising & Career Counseling integrates learning-centered academic advising with career counseling to assist students enrolled in the School of Undergraduate Studies and all students interested in changing majors at The University of Texas at Austin.

Vick Center advisers and counselors serve on cross-functional teams, bringing knowledge and expertise about major and career exploration together to help students plan their educational and career paths. 

After a period of up to four semesters of exploration and strategic advising, students in the School of Undergraduate Studies choose a major in one of the University’s other colleges or schools. More information about the James W. Vick Center for Strategic Advising & Career Counseling is available at http://ugs.utexas.edu/vick.

Sanger Learning Center

The Sanger Learning Center is a university-wide learning resource dedicated to students’ mastery of course content and development of transferable academic and professional skills. Services are free to currently enrolled students in all schools and colleges (some restrictions may apply).

Summary of Services

  • Appointment Tutoring provides one-to-one tutoring sessions for many challenging undergraduate courses.
  • Drop-in Tutoring offers informal, group-based content support for many lower-division math, physics, and chemistry courses. 
  • Learning Specialist Appointments are private academic counseling appointments. Students can explore time management, study skills, test anxiety and more with SLC professional staff.
  • Math Refreshers are workshops to refresh students’ algebra, trigonometry, and calculus skills. 
  • Math Reviews help calculus and pre-calculus students prepare for exams. 
  • Peer Academic Coaching offers students the opportunity to develop effective study skills by meeting one-on-one with a trained peer academic coach. 
  • Peer-led Undergraduate Studying supports student performance and motivation with weekly study groups in historically difficult upper-division courses.  
  • The Public Speaking Center provides one-to-one consultation services to undergraduate and graduate students who are working on oral communication assignments. 
  • Supplemental Instruction offers guided study sessions to support students in historically difficult, lower-division courses. 

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

360 Connections

The 360 Connections initiative was developed so all first-year students have the opportunity to connect with a small peer group during their first semester on campus. By participating in a 360 Connection (which may be a cohort, program, community, group, or class), students receive a holistic, 360° view of life as a Longhorn. More information about the 360 Connections is available at http://ugs.utexas.edu/360.

First-year Interest Groups

A First-year Interest Group (FIG) is comprised of 18-25 new students who take two to four classes together during their first semester at the University. FIGs help students integrate socially, academically, and developmentally to ensure a smooth transition to college life, leading to academic success and on-time graduation. Each group attends a weekly seminar led by a peer mentor and a staff facilitator. Each FIG student attends classes, studies, and participates in various activities with their mentor and fellow first-years. More information about FIGs is available at http://ugs.utexas.edu/fig.

Transfer-year Interest Groups

Transfer-year Interest Groups (TrIGs) provide a unique opportunity for new transfer students to build a peer academic community, gain the skills to meet the University’s level of academic rigor, and register for their first-choice courses. Each TrIG includes a peer mentor and staff facilitator who meet with students in regular seminars, small group meetings, and one-on-one discussions. More information about TrIGs is available at http://ugs.utexas.edu/tye/trig.

Bridging Disciplines Programs

The Bridging Disciplines Programs (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
  • Design Strategies
  • Digital Arts and Media
  • Environment and Sustainability
  • Ethics and Leadership in Business
  • Ethics and Leadership in Health Care
  • Ethics and Leadership in Law, Politics, and Government
  • Ethics and Leadership in Technology and the Media
  • Human Rights and Social Justice
  • Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship
  • Media, Culture, and Identities
  • Museum Studies
  • Patients, Practitioners, and Cultures of Care
  • Public Policy
  • Smart Cities
  • Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofits
  • Social Inequality, Health, and Policy

All degree-seeking undergraduates at the University are eligible to apply. More information about BDPs is available at http://ugs.utexas.edu/bdp.

Office of Undergraduate Research

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) fosters undergraduate participation in research and creative activity across the disciplines by raising the visibility of undergraduate research on campus, facilitating students' pursuit of research related to their interests and goals, and helping students share their work with others.

Services offered include weekly sessions on how to get involved in research, individual advising, and workshops on a variety of topics like designing and presenting a research poster. The office coordinates Research Week, the University's annual celebration of undergraduate research and creative activity.

Undergraduate Research also oversees Eureka, an online database devoted to undergraduate research projects and opportunities at the University. More information on the Office of Undergraduate Research is available at http://ugs.utexas.edu/our.

Discovery Scholars Program

The Discovery Scholars Program (DSP) is a four-year, learning community program for select students in the School of Undergraduate Studies. Students are invited to participate, and the DSP staff provides support for their transition from high school to college and connects them to campus resources. Students are also encouraged to take responsibility for their individual educational journey. Benefits include individualized educational planning and advising, small-section course options, tutoring, mentoring, community programming, and a focus on academic and civic development. More information about the Discovery Scholars Program is available at http://ugs.utexas.edu/dsp.

Texas Success Initiative

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a state-mandated program designed to improve student success in college. There are two components of the program: (1) an assessment to determine students’ basic skills in reading, mathematics, and writing and (2) developmental instruction to strengthen academic skills.

Developmental instruction options include a co-requisite model under which students concurrently enroll in a developmental studies course and credit-bearing course for each subject area for which the student is referred to developmental coursework. Co-requisite courses are available only to students who meet both Texas Success Initiative (TSI) eligibility and specific program requirements.

All non-exempt students are required by law to take the TSI Assessment (TSIA), which is the only college-readiness assessment approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. More information about the Texas Success Initiative, including a list of exemptions, is available in the General Information Catalog and at http://ugs.utexas.edu/tsi.