Core Curriculum

Foundational Component Areas

Communication (6 hours)

Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively. Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.

Two of the following courses are required:

Mathematics (3 hours)

Courses in this category focus on quantitative literacy in logic, patterns, and relationships. Courses involve the understanding of key mathematical concepts and the application of appropriate quantitative tools to everyday experience.

One course from the following:

Life and Physical Sciences (6 hours)

Courses in this category focus on describing, explaining, and predicting natural phenomena using the scientific method. Courses involve the understanding of interactions among natural phenomena and the implications of scientific principles on the physical world and on human experiences.

Two courses from the following:

Language, Philosophy and Culture (3 hours)

Courses in this category focus on how ideas, values, beliefs, and other aspects of culture express and affect human experience. Courses involve the exploration of ideas that foster aesthetic and intellectual creation in order to understand the human condition across cultures.

One course from the following:

Creative Arts (3 hours)

Courses in this category focus on the appreciation and analysis of creative artifacts and works of human imagination. Courses involve the synthesis and interpretation of artistic expression and enable critical, creative, and innovative communication about works of art.

One course from the following:

American History (6 hours)

Courses in this category focus on the consideration of past events and ideas relative to the United States, with the option of including Texas History for a portion of this component area. Courses involve the interaction among individuals, communities, states, the nation, and the world, considering how these interactions have contributed to the development of the United States and its global role.

Students are required to take HIST 1301 - United States History I (TCCN: HIST 1301) and one of the two following courses depending on specific degree requirements: 

Government/Political Science (6 hours)

Courses in this category focus on consideration of the Constitution of the United States and the constitutions of the states, with special emphasis on that of Texas. Courses involve the analysis of governmental institutions, political behavior, civic engagement, and their political and philosophical foundations.

Each of the following courses are required:

Social and Behavioral Science (3 hours)

Courses in this category focus on the application of empirical and scientific methods that contribute to the understanding of what makes us human.

Courses involve the exploration of behavior and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, and events, examining their impact on the individual, society, and culture.

One course from the following:

Component Area Option (6 hours)

Human Expression (3 hours)

One course from the following:

Communication or Language, Philosophy & Culture

STEM (3 hours)

One to Three courses from the following to total 3 hours:

Life and Physical Sciences or Mathematics