Computer Science &
Management Information Systems

UT Austin's Computer Sciences (CS) curriculum is devoted to computer theory and design. By contrast, the Management Information Systems (MIS) curriculum emphasizes the application and use of computer systems in business and organizational settings.

At other institutions these two disciplines may be combined in the same academic department or curriculum. Even at institutions with separate CS and MIS programs, course content between the two disciplines may be distributed differently than at UT.

As a result, courses originally taken as “computer science” at other institutions may transfer as MIS rather than CS credit. This can be problematic for some students, usually because CS credit applies toward UT's Basic Education requirement for coursework in the natural sciences while MIS is a business administration discipline not countable as science credit.

Generally:

Prospective transfer students should be aware of these distinctions in order to select coursework which will transfer in the appropriate UT department.

• Government courses
• Core Curriculum credit
• Calculus courses
• Introductory Biology courses
• E 316K equivalents
• Substantial Writing Component/Writing Flag credit
• MIS 310 equivalents
• Credit-by-Exam awarded at other institutions
• Workforce courses from community colleges
• Military training & experience
• Common Transfer Credit Issues (home)

• Our Transfer Guides for Austin Community College and other Texas community colleges recommend coursework prospective transfer students should take to apply toward specific UT Austin degree plans.
• The Automated Transfer Equivalency (ATE) system provides interactive access to our database of more than 250,000 transfer credit evaluations for current and past courses at universities and community colleges throughout Texas.
• The Interactive Degree Audit (IDA) system enables prospective transfer students and UT students studying away from UT to estimate the degree applicability of coursework taken at other institutions.
• UT Austin's transfer credit policies are published in the General Information catalog.