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.

Plan of Study Grid

Year 1
Semester 1		Hours
M 408C	Differential and Integral Calculus	4
AST 307	Introductory Astronomy	3
RHE 306	Rhetoric and Writing	3
First-Year Signature Course (090)
Social and Behavioral Sciences (080)		3
Free Elective		3
	Hours	16
Semester 2
M 408D	Sequences, Series, and Multivariable Calculus	4
PHY 301	Mechanics	3
PHY 101L	Laboratory for Physics 301	1
Language, Arts, and Culture		3
GOV 310L	American and Texas Government	3
	Hours	14
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
American and Texas Government (070)		3
Minor/Certificate course		3
	Hours	14
Semester 2
PHY 315	Wave Motion and Optics	3
PHY 115L	Laboratory for Physics 315	1
Upper-division Secondary Science course		3
Language, Arts, and Culture		3
Minor/Certificate course		3
Free Elective		3
	Hours	16
Year 3
Semester 1
Hours chosen from:		3
AST 351	Astronomical Instrumentation
AST 352K	Stellar Astronomy
AST 353	Astrophysics
AST 358	Galaxies and the Universe
AST 364P	Planetary Systems
AST 376	Special Topics in Advanced Astronomy
AST 376C	Cosmology
AST 376R	A Practical Introduction to Research Methods
Upper-division Secondary Science course		3
Language, Arts, and Culture		3
U.S. History (060)		3
Minor/Certificate course		3
	Hours	15
Semester 2
Hours chosen from:		3
AST 351	Astronomical Instrumentation
AST 352K	Stellar Astronomy
AST 353	Astrophysics
AST 358	Galaxies and the Universe
AST 364P	Planetary Systems
AST 376	Special Topics in Advanced Astronomy
AST 376C	Cosmology
AST 376R	A Practical Introduction to Research Methods
Upper-division Secondary Science course		3
Language, Arts, and Culture		3
Minor/Certificate course		3
Free Elective		3
	Hours	15
Year 4
Semester 1
Hours chosen from:		3
AST 351	Astronomical Instrumentation
AST 352K	Stellar Astronomy
AST 353	Astrophysics
AST 358	Galaxies and the Universe
AST 364P	Planetary Systems
AST 376	Special Topics in Advanced Astronomy
AST 376C	Cosmology
AST 376R	A Practical Introduction to Research Methods
Minor/Certificate course		3
U.S. History (060)		3
Visual and Performing Arts (050)		3
Free Elective		3
	Hours	15
Semester 2
Upper-division Secondary Science course		3
Hours chosen from:		3
E 316L	British Literature
E 316M	American Literature
E 316N	World Literature
E 316P	Masterworks of Literature
Free Elective		3
Free Elective		3
Free 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.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Major
Mathematics
M 408C	Differential and Integral Calculus	4
M 408D	Sequences, Series, and Multivariable Calculus	4
M 427K	Advanced Calculus for Applications I	4
or M 427J	Differential Equations with Linear Algebra
Primary Science
PHY 301	Mechanics	3
PHY 101L	Laboratory for Physics 301	1
PHY 315	Wave Motion and Optics	3
PHY 115L	Laboratory for Physics 315	1
PHY 316	Electricity and Magnetism	3
PHY 116L	Laboratory for Physics 316	1
AST 307	Introductory Astronomy	3
Hours chosen from:		9
AST 351	Astronomical Instrumentation
AST 352K	Stellar Astronomy
AST 353	Astrophysics
AST 358	Galaxies and the Universe
AST 364P	Planetary Systems
AST 376	Special Topics in Advanced Astronomy
AST 376C	Cosmology
AST 376R	A Practical Introduction to Research Methods
Secondary Science
Additional hours of upper-division coursework chosen from one or more of the following areas:		12
Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Geological Sciences
Mathematics
Statistics and Data Sciences
Physics
Astronomy
Subtotal		48
Degree (see details below)		27
Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required.		3
Subtotal		30
General Education
Core Curriculum		42
Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency
Subtotal		42
College Requirements - Natural Sciences
General University Requirements
Total Hours		120

Degree-Bachelor of Science and Arts (BSA)

The requirements for the Bachelor of Science and Arts are designed to give each student flexibility in the selection of courses to meet individual needs.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Language, Arts, and Culture
Hours selected from at least two of the following four areas:		12
Fine arts: courses chosen from design, ensemble, fine arts, music, studio art, performance, visual art studies, art history, and theatre and dance
Humanities: courses chosen from American studies, ancient history and classical civilization, classical civilization, comparative literature, creative writing, English, humanities, philosophy, religious studies, and rhetoric and writing
Social and behavioral sciences: courses chosen from anthropology, economics, geography, government, history, linguistics, psychology, and sociology
Foreign language and culture: foreign language courses or culture courses chosen from an approved list available in the college advising centers. Students who elect to pursue a foreign language must complete a beginning level competency. Students who complete intermediate or advanced level foreign language courses rather than courses equivalent to beginning level competency may count only one intermediate or advanced course toward the language, arts, and culture requirement (a maximum of six hours earned through credit by examination may count toward the language arts and culture requirment)
Additional Requirements
Completion of one of the following:		15
Transcript-recognized minor or certificate (minor outside the College of Pharmacy, Cockrell School of Engineering, Jackson School of Geosciences, and School of Nursing)
Fifteen hours in a single field of study (outside the College of Natural Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Cockrell School of Engineering, Jackson School of Geosciences, and School of Nursing)
Total Hours		27

Additional Requirements and Policies

1. Students may not use a course counting toward one area of prescribed work to fulfill the requirements of another area of prescribed work unless expressly permitted as follows:
   1. Courses counting toward the university core curriculum may also count toward the major requirements, the additional requirement, and electives.
   2. Per university policy, a minimum of nine hours of the transcript-recognized minor may not be also used to satisfy the major.
   3. Per university policy, a minimum of one course taken in a transcript-recognized certificate to satisfy the additional requirement may not also count toward the major.
2. Students who seek a transcript-recognized minor or transcript-recognized certificate must meet the minimum grade requirements and grade point average requirements of the program.
3. Students must earn a University grade point average of at least 2.00 in all courses taken at the University (including credit by examination, correspondence, and extension), a grade of at least C- in each mathematics and science course counted toward the major, and a grade point average of at least 2.00 in the courses fulfilling the major.
4. Students must complete a minimum of 60 hours in residence at the University, including at least 18 hours of the major. The 18 hours of the major in residence must include at least nine hours of advanced coursework.

Additional Requirements and Policy

1. Students may not use a course counting toward one area of prescribed work to fulfill the requirements of another area of prescribed work unless expressly permitted as follows:
   • Courses counting toward the university core curriculum may also count toward the major requirements, the additional requirement, and electives
2. Six hours maximum earned through credit by examination may count toward the language arts and culture requirement.
3. Students who seek a transcript-recognized minor or transcript-recognized certificate must meet the minimum grade requirements and grade point average requirements of the program.
4. Students must earn a University grade point average of at least 2.00 in all courses taken at the University (including credit by examination, correspondence, and extension), a grade of at least C- in each mathematics and science course counted toward the major, and a grade point average of at least 2.00 in the courses fulfilling the major.
5. Students must complete a at least 18 hours of the major in residence at the University, and at least nine of these hours must be advanced coursework.
6. Unless the requirements of the major state otherwise, a BSA major consists of at least 36 but no more than 55 semester hours. The major consists of the mathematics, primary science, and secondary science requirements.

Honors - BSA Majors

Students may earn an honors major in their fields of study upon graduation by completing the following.

Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Good standing in the Health Science Scholars Program or the Polymathic Scholars Program
First-Year Signature Course (090) ( approved by the departmental honors advisor)		3
Major Hours chosen from: Honors-level		6
NSC 371	Capstone Thesis Seminar	3
3.50 minimum university grade point average
Total Hours		12