The University holds commencement exercises at the end of the spring semester. Each college and school also holds a commencement ceremony in the spring, and many hold graduation exercises in the fall. Graduating students are encouraged to participate. Those who graduate in the summer or fall may attend commencement the following spring. Each student should consult their dean early in the semester of graduation for information about commencement activities and procedures.

No degree will be conferred except on publicly announced dates.

Multiple Degrees

A student may not receive more than one degree with the same title.

General University Requirements for Undergraduates

To receive an undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin, a student must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements and all requirements for the degree as set forth in a catalog under which he or she is eligible to graduate and any special requirements of the college or school and department offering the degree, as well as the following minimum general requirements:

1. The student must have a grade point average of at least 2.00 on all courses undertaken at the University (including credit by examination, correspondence, and extension) for which a grade or symbol other than Q, W, X, or CR is recorded. Additional requirements imposed by a college or school, if any, are given in the college’s section of this catalog.
    
2. The student must fulfill the following requirements regarding coursework taken in-residence. Residence credit includes only courses taken at The University of Texas at Austin; it does not include credit by examination, courses taken by extension or correspondence, and online courses that are recorded as transfer credit. Coursework in University-approved affiliated study abroad programs (international provider programs) is treated as residence credit for requirement 2a below. However, coursework in University-approved affiliated study abroad programs may not be used to fulfill requirement 2b.
    
   1. The student must complete in-residence at least 60 semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree. (This requirement is waived for students in the Associate Degree in Nursing to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ADNBSN), a degree program for registered nurses who hold associate's degrees or diplomas in nursing.)
       
   2. At least six semester hours of advanced coursework in the major must be completed in residence.
      
      Additional requirements imposed by a college or school, if any, are given in the college/school sections of this catalog. Many degree plans include residence rules in addition to the above University-wide requirements; the appropriate academic units have the discretion to determine applicability of University-approved affiliated study abroad credit toward all college- and school-specific requirements for coursework in-residence. Course equivalency and University approval of study abroad courses are determined by the appropriate academic units.
       
3. Coursework in American government and American history (the legislative requirement):
   1. Each student must complete six semester hours of coursework in American government, including Texas government. Because these courses are not electives, they may not be taken on the pass/fail basis at the University. Credit by examination may be counted toward the requirement.
      
      The six hours of coursework used to fulfill the requirement must cover both the United States and the Texas constitutions. Texas colleges and universities differ in the way they include this material in the courses they offer. As a result, some combinations of government courses taken at different institutions do not fulfill the requirement, even though they provide six hours of credit. Students should refer to allowable course combinations in the General Information Catalog or on the Undergraduate Studies website. 
       
   2. Each student must complete six semester hours of coursework in American history. Up to three hours in Texas history may be counted toward this requirement. Because these courses are not electives, they may not be taken on the pass/fail basis at the University. Credit by examination may be counted toward the requirement.
      
      ​ROTC courses may not be counted toward the legislative requirement in history or government. Policies about the use of ROTC courses are given in each of the college/school sections of this catalog.
       
4. A candidate for a degree must be registered at the University either in-residence or in absentia the semester or summer session the degree is to be awarded and must apply to the dean for the degree no later than the date specified in the official academic calendar. Some colleges require that their students be registered in that college the semester of graduation; these rules are given in the college/school sections of this catalog.

Graduation Under a Particular Catalog

To receive a bachelor’s degree, a student must fulfill all the degree requirements in a catalog under which they are eligible to graduate; the choices open to students in each college and school are explained below. The student must complete degree requirements within a specified time period; if the student leaves school to enter military service during a national emergency, the time required to meet the military obligation is excluded from the time allowed for completion of the degree.

A student who transfers to the University from another Texas public institution of higher education has the same catalog choices as would have been available if the dates of attendance at the University had been the same as the dates of attendance at the other institution.

Since each college and school must retain the flexibility to improve its curriculum, course offerings may be changed during the student’s education. If a course required under a previous catalog is no longer offered, students eligible to graduate according to that catalog should consult the dean of the college to learn whether another course may be used to fulfill the requirement.

Catalog Choices

The catalog choices open to business, engineering, and pharmacy students are described below. In all other divisions, a student may graduate under the catalog covering any academic year in which the student was enrolled at the University. Whichever catalog the student chooses, all degree requirements must be completed within six years (seven years for the Bachelor of Architecture) of the end of the two-year period covered by that catalog. For example, a student who chooses to graduate according to the requirements in the 2024-2026 catalog must do so by the end of the summer semester 2032 (2033 for the Bachelor of Architecture).

McCombs School of Business

A business student may graduate under the catalog covering any academic year in which the student was enrolled at the University. A business honors student who adds a second business major must graduate under the same catalog for both majors.

Whichever catalog the student chooses, all degree requirements must be completed within six years of the end of the two-year period covered by that catalog. For example, a student who chooses to graduate according to the requirements in the 2024-2026 catalog must do so by the end of the summer semester 2032.

Cockrell School of Engineering

An engineering student may graduate under the catalog covering any academic year in which the student was enrolled in the school. Whichever catalog the student chooses, all degree requirements must be completed within six years of the end of the two-year period covered by that catalog. For example, a student who chooses to graduate according to the requirements in the 2024-2026 catalog must do so by the end of the summer semester 2032.

Course substitutions in the degree program are permitted only with the approval of the departmental undergraduate advisor and the dean.

College of Pharmacy

A pharmacy student may graduate under the catalog in effect immediately preceding the student’s admission to the college or the catalog covering any academic year in which the student was enrolled in the professional curriculum in the college. Whichever catalog they choose, students must complete all degree requirements within seven years of the end of the two-year period covered by that catalog. For example, a student who chooses to graduate according to the requirements in the 2024-2026 catalog must do so by the end of the summer semester 2033.