Astronomy (BA)
Total Hours Required: 120
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study is a suggested four-year course sequence to support academic planning and serves as a helpful guide. Currently enrolled students should meet with their academic advisor to tailor their course selections and timelines to their individual goals and circumstances.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Hours | |
| M 408C | Differential and Integral Calculus | 4 |
| First-Year Signature Course (090) | 3 | |
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | 5 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| M 408D | Sequences, Series, and Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| PHY 301 | Mechanics | 3 |
| PHY 101L | Laboratory for Physics 301 | 1 |
| Visual and Performing Arts (050) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | 5 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| M 427J | Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | 4 |
| PHY 316 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| PHY 116L | Laboratory for Physics 316 | 1 |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Intermediate Proficiency | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 2 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| PHY 315 | Wave Motion and Optics | 3 |
| PHY 115L | Laboratory for Physics 315 | 1 |
| Natural Science and Technology, Part II (093) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Intermediate Proficiency | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (080) | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division AST | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division PHY | 3 | |
| Approved course | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division AST | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division PHY | 3 | |
| Approved course | 3 | |
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| Upper-division elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division AST | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division AST or PHY | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (080) | 3 | |
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| Upper-division elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division AST or PHY | 3 | |
| Humanities (040) | 3 | |
| Cultural Expression, Human Experience, and Thought (may not also be counted toward Core Curriculum) | 3 | |
| Upper-division elective | 3 | |
| Upper-division elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Requirements
All requirements are listed below, starting with the most specialized moving to the most general. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major | ||
| PHY 301 | Mechanics | 3 |
| PHY 101L | Laboratory for Physics 301 | 1 |
| PHY 316 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| PHY 116L | Laboratory for Physics 316 | 1 |
| PHY 315 | Wave Motion and Optics | 3 |
| PHY 115L | Laboratory for Physics 315 | 1 |
| Hours chosen from: | 6 | |
| Stellar Astronomy | ||
| Positional, Dynamical, and Kinematical Astronomy | ||
| Astrophysics | ||
| Galaxies and the Universe | ||
| Planetary Systems | ||
| Hours chosen from: Additional upper-division astronomy | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division astronomy and/or physics | 6 | |
| Hours chosen from: Advisor-approved hours (astronomy, lower-division physics, lower-division mathematics, M 427J, and M 427K may not be counted) | 6 | |
| Hours chosen from: Additional upper-division physics | 6 | |
| Subtotal | 39 | |
| Degree (see details below) | 18 | |
| Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | 21 | |
| Subtotal | 39 | |
| General Education | ||
| Core Curriculum | 42 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | ||
| Subtotal | 42 | |
| College Requirements - Natural Sciences | ||
| General University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Additional Requirements and Policies
Students must earn a grade of at least C- and at least a 2.00 grade point average in each required mathematics and science course.
Majors should regularly consult their astronomy advisor about their choice of coursework.
Qualified students are encouraged to complete a supervised research project through coursework such as AST 375 or AST 379H. No more than six supervised research hours may be counted toward the major.
Degree-Bachelor of Arts (BA) - Natural Sciences
The requirements for the Bachelor of Arts under Plan I are designed to give each student flexibility in the selection of courses to meet individual needs.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign Language other than English, Intermediate Proficiency | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
Certified proficiency on a placement or credit-by-exam test | ||
A passing grade in a language course listed in the College of Liberal Arts section | ||
Students who wish to meet the requirement with proficiency in a language not listed in the table found in the College of Liberal Arts section above should contact the Texas Language Center. | ||
| Additional Social Science (may not also be counted toward Core Curriculum) | 3 | |
| The course(s) must be in a field of study taught in the College of Liberal Arts and must be in a different field of study from the course used to fulfill the social and behavioral sciences requirement of the core. Courses on the approved list are primarily in anthropology, economics, geography, linguistics, psychology, and sociology, but not every course in these fields is approved. Courses that are approved to count toward any core curriculum area other than social and behavioral sciences may not be counted toward this requirement. | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| Three semester hours in mathematics, excluding M 301, M 316K, and M 316L | 3 | |
| Additional natural sciences hours (may not also be counted toward core curriculum) | 6 | |
| Courses used to fulfill this requirement must be chosen from the fields of study listed below; no more than three hours may be in either the history of science or the philosophy of science. To satisfy the mathematics and science and technology requirements of the core curriculum and the natural science requirement of the Bachelor of Arts, Plan I, a student may count (1) no more than 12 hours in mathematics, computer science, and statistics and data sciences combined; and (2) no more than nine hours in any single field of study. | ||
Astronomy | ||
Biology | ||
Chemistry | ||
Geological Sciences | ||
Marine Science | ||
Nutrition | ||
Physical science | ||
Physics | ||
Matematics (excluding M 301), computer science, statistics and data sciences | ||
Other alternative science courses approved by the dean | ||
Approved alternative courses in history of science and philosophy of science | ||
| Cultural Expression, Human Experience, and Thought (may not also be counted toward Core Curriculum) | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Additional Requirements and Policies
Bachelor of Arts, Plan I Policy
Thirty-six hours must be in upper-division courses. At least 60 hours, including 21 hours of upper-division coursework, must be completed in residence at the University; at least 24 of the last 30 hours must be completed in residence at the University. Provided residence rules are met, credit may be earned by examination, by extension, by correspondence (up to 30 percent of the hours required for the degree), or, with the approval of the dean, by work transferred from another institution. Up to 16 semester hours of classroom and/or correspondence coursework may be taken on the pass/fail basis; this coursework may be counted only as electives.
Courses in the major and additional coursework may also be used to fulfill prescribed work requirements unless expressly prohibited. A course in one prescribed work area may not also be used to fulfill the requirements of another prescribed work area.
Elective hours Policy
Hours may include no more than 12 semester hours of bible courses; nine hours of designated coursework in air force science, military science, or naval science; 16 hours completed on the pass/fail basis; 39 hours in any one field of study offered in the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Natural Sciences, unless major requirements state otherwise; and 39 hours in any other single college or school of the University.
Major Requirements
The Bachelor of Arts, Plan I, requires the completion of all requirements for one major.
The number of semester hours required in the major varies with the field selected. Unless the requirements of the major state otherwise, a major consists of at least 24 but no more than 39 semester hours, with at least 15 hours in upper-division courses. Of these 15 hours, six must be completed in residence. At least 18 hours of coursework in the major, including six hours of upper-division coursework, must be completed in residence at the University.
Additional Coursework
Students in most majors must also fulfill the requirements of additional coursework. The requirements of the additional coursework are established by the major department and are given with the major requirements. Additional restrictions may be imposed by the academic department(s) in which the student takes the courses used to fulfill the requirements of the additional coursework; before planning to use a course to fulfill the additional coursework requirement, the student should consult the department that offers the course.