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Degrees

To satisfy the course requirements for an engineering degree, a student must earn credit for all of the courses listed in the curriculum for that degree. The curricula leading to degrees in engineering include fifty semester hours of coursework common to all engineering plans.

All curricula leading to bachelor's degrees in engineering at the University are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), with the exception of the geosystems engineering and hydrogeology program, for which accreditation is being sought. ABET sets minimum standards for engineering education, defined in terms of curriculum content, the quality of the faculty, and the adequacy of facilities. Graduation from an accredited program is an advantage when applying for membership in a professional society or for registration as a professional engineer.

Technical Area Options

Several engineering degree programs require a student to select a "technical area option" and to complete a specified number of courses in that area. Other degree programs do not require a student to specify a particular option but allow the student to choose courses either within an area of specialty or more broadly across technical areas. Although most options are designed to help the student develop greater competence in a particular aspect of the major, others permit the student to develop background knowledge in areas outside the major. In many cases, students who elect the latter options intend to continue their education in professional or graduate school; these options are particularly appropriate for students who plan to work in those interdisciplinary areas where the creation of new technology through research and development is very important.

Interdisciplinary Options

Interdisciplinary options are offered in the following areas: biomedical engineering (for chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineering majors), biotechnology (for chemical engineering majors), and engineering management (for architectural, civil, and electrical engineering majors), environmemtal engineering (for chemical and civil engineering majors, materials sciance and engineering (for mechanical engineering majors), operations research and industrial engineering (for mechanical engineering majors), and product engineering (for chemical engineering majors). New interdisciplinary options are created in response to the changing needs of society; students who are interested in areas not mentioned above should contact the dean of the college for more information. Students interested in biomedical engineering should contact the director of the Biomedical Engineering Program in Engineering-Science Building 610; information about materials science is available from the director of the Materials Science and Engineering Program in Engineering Teaching Center 9.104.

Additional areas of concentration can be developed by selecting appropriate elective courses. For example, students in chemical engineering and mechanical engineering who wish to work in the area of petroleum and mineral resources may elect to take some courses in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering and the Department of Geological Sciences.

Preparation for Professional School

Technical area options also allow the student to fulfill the special course requirements for admission to professional schools. For more information, students should consult an adviser who is familiar with the admission requirements of the professional program in which they are interested.

Medical school. A properly constructed program in engineering provides excellent preparation for entering medical school. The engineer's strong background in mathematics and natural science--combined with a knowledge of such subjects as applied mechanics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, diffusion, and electricity and magnetism--enhance the mastery of many aspects of medical science. An engineering background is also useful to those who develop and use new instruments for detecting and monitoring medical abnormalities. The engineering/premedical programs described in this catalog usually afford opportunities to pursue alternative vocations for those who do not enter medical school. Medical school admission requirements for which engineering students may have to make special arrangements include eight semester hours of organic chemistry and fourteen semester hours in the life sciences. A competitive grade point average, a suitable score on the Medical College Admission Test, and letters of recommendation are requirements for admission to most medical schools. Arrangements for providing the necessary data must be completed during the summer preceding the student's senior year. Preliminary planning should be initiated early in the sophomore year. Students who intend to apply for admission to a medical school should contact the Health Professions Office, Geography Building 234, for information about admission requirements and application and test deadlines. Additional information about combining engineering and medical school requirements is available in the office of the director of the Biomedical Engineering Program, Engineering-Science Building 610.

Dental school. Much of the information above about medical school applies also to dental school. All applicants must take the Dental Admission Test. Certain courses not taken by all engineers are also required, but these vary markedly from school to school. Students who are interested in dentistry can obtain specific information from the Health Professions Office.

Law school. Each year a few graduates, representing all engineering disciplines, elect to enter law school, where they find their training in careful and objective analysis is a distinct asset. Many of these students are preparing for careers in patent or corporate law that will enable them to draw on their combined knowledge of engineering and law. Others may not plan to use their engineering knowledge directly, but they still find that the discipline in logical reasoning acquired in an engineering education provides excellent preparation for the study of law. Students interested in admission to the law school of the University should consult the catalog of the School of Law.

Graduate study in business. Since many engineering graduates advance rapidly into positions of administrative responsibility, it is not surprising that they often elect to do graduate work in the area of business administration. In addition to an understanding of the technical aspects of manufacturing, the engineer has the facility with mathematics to master the quantitative methods of modern business administration.

Requirements for admission to graduate business programs are outlined in the catalog of the Graduate School. Many engineering departments offer technical area options that include business and management courses. These can be used with advantage by students who plan to do graduate-level work in business.

ABET Criteria

To be accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), a degree plan of the College of Engineering must include the following

1. One year of an appropriate combination of mathematics and basic sciences.
2. One-half year of humanities and social sciences.
3. One and one-half years of engineering topics and any requirements listed in ABET's Program Criteria for that program.

Liberal Education of Engineers

Courses in social sciences, humanities, and related nontechnical areas must be an integral part of all engineering degree programs, so that engineering graduates will be aware of their social responsibilities and the effects of technology on society. All degree programs must include the following nontechnical courses.

1. Three semester hours of English composition (Rhetoric and Composition 306) and at least two courses, one of which must be upper-division, certified as having a substantial writing component.
2. Six semester hours of American government (Government 310L and 312L, or equivalent courses that fulfill the legislative requirement described in chapter 1).
3. Six semester hours of American history (History 315K and 315L, or equivalent courses that fulfill the legislative requirement described in chapter 1).
4. Three semester hours of engineering communication (Chemical Engineering 333T, Civil Engineering 333T, Electrical Engineering 333T, Mechanical Engineering 333T, Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering 333T, or another course approved by the department).
5. Three semester hours of humanities (English 316K).
6. Three semester hours of social science (anthropology, economics, geography, linguistics, psychology, or sociology).
7. Three semester hours of fine arts or humanities (archaeology, architecture, art [excluding design and studio art], classics [including classical civilization, Greek, Latin], fine arts, humanities, music [excluding instruments and ensemble], philosophy [excluding courses in logic], or theatre and dance).

Social Science Elective

Each student must complete three semester hours of coursework in anthropology, economics, geography, linguistics, psychology, or sociology. The following courses may be used to fulfill this requirement. Additional courses may be approved by the student's undergraduate adviser; to be counted toward the requirement, the course must be approved before the student enrolls in it.

Anthropology 302, Cultural Anthropology
Anthropology 318L, Mexican American Culture
Anthropology 322M, Topics in Cultures of the World
Anthropology 324L, Topics in Anthropology
Anthropology 327C, Topics in American Cultures
Economics 304K, Introduction to Microeconomics
Economics 304L, Introduction to Macroeconomics
Geography 305, This Human World: An Introduction to Geography
Geography 315, The City: An Introduction to Urban Geography
Geography 324, Cultural Geography of North America
Geography 334, Conservation, Resources, and Technology
Geography 337, The Modern American City
Linguistics 306, Introduction to the Study of Language
Linguistics 325, Introduction to the Study of African American English
Psychology 301, Introduction to Psychology
Sociology 302, Introduction to the Study of Society
Sociology 309, Chicanos in American Society
Sociology 313K, Introduction to the Study of Religion
Sociology 333K, Sociology of Gender
Sociology 344, Racial and Ethnic Relations
Sociology 346, The City and Urbanization
Sociology 348K, Chicanos: Sociological Perspectives

Fine Arts/Humanities Elective

Each student must complete three semester hours of coursework in archaeology, architecture, art (excluding design and studio art), classics (including classical civilization, Greek, Latin), fine arts, humanities, music (excluding instruments and ensemble), philosophy (excluding courses in logic), or theatre and dance. The following courses may be used to fulfill this requirement. Additional courses may be approved by the student's undergraduate adviser; to be counted toward the requirement, the course must be approved before the student enrolls in it.

Architecture 308, Architecture and Society
Architecture 318K, History of Architecture, Survey I
Architecture 348, The Appreciation of Architecture
Architecture 368R, Topics in the History of Architecture
Art History 301, Introduction to the Visual Arts
Art History 302, Survey of Ancient through Medieval Art
Art History 303, Survey of Renaissance through Modern Art
Classical Civilization 301, Introduction to Ancient Greece
Classical Civilization 302, Introduction to Ancient Rome
Classical Civilization 302K, Introduction to Archaeological Studies II: Classical Archaeology
Classical Civilization 303, Introduction to Classical Mythology
Classical Civilization 305, Topics in Roman Civilization
Classical Civilization 306M, Introduction to Medical and Scientific Terminology
Classical Civilization 307K, Topics in Archaeology
Humanities 320, Core Course in the Humanities
Humanities 350, Topics in the Humanities
Music 302L, An Introduction to Western Music
Music 303M, Introduction to Traditional Musics in World Cultures
Music 342, Area Studies in Ethnomusicology
Philosophy 301, Introduction to Philosophy
Philosophy 304, Contemporary Moral Problems
Philosophy 305, Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy 310, Knowledge and Reality
Philosophy 318, Introduction to Ethics
Philosophy 325K, Ethical Theories
Philosophy 325L, Business, Ethics, and Public Policy
Philosophy 327, Contemporary Philosophy
Theatre and Dance 301, Introduction to Theatre
Theatre and Dance 317C, Theatre History through the Eighteenth Century
Theatre and Dance 317D, Theatre History since the Eighteenth Century

Foreign Language Requirement

In accordance with the University's basic education requirements, all students must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language equivalent to that shown by completion of two semesters of college coursework. Credit earned at the college level to achieve the proficiency may not be counted toward a degree. For a student admitted to the University as a freshman, this requirement is fulfilled by completion of the two high school units in a single foreign language that are required for admission; students admitted with a deficiency in foreign language must remove that deficiency as specified in General Information.

Writing Requirement

In accordance with the University's basic education requirements, all students must complete at least two courses, one of which must be upper-division, certified as having a substantial writing component. Courses with a substantial writing component are identified in the Course Schedule. The required work for each engineering degree plan includes courses that fulfill this requirement.

Applicability of Certain Courses

Physical Activity Courses

Physical activity (PED) courses are offered by the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. They may not be counted toward a degree in the College of Engineering or toward the college's minimum course load requirement. However, they are counted among courses for which the student is enrolled, and the grades are included in the grade point average.

ROTC Courses

The dean, on the recommendation of the department chairman, may substitute credit for air force science, military science, or naval science courses for other courses prescribed in an engineering degree program. Six semester hours of ROTC coursework may be substituted for three hours of American government and three hours of elective work. The elective for which an ROTC course is substituted must be approved by the student's major department. All ROTC students should consult their undergraduate adviser. The total number of semester hours required for the degree remains unchanged. Substitution is permitted only upon the student's completion of the last two years of ROTC coursework and receipt at the University of a commission in the service.

Correspondence and Extension Courses

Credit that a University student in residence earns simultaneously by correspondence or extension from the University or elsewhere or in residence or through distance education at another school will not be counted toward a degree in the College of Engineering unless specifically approved in advance by the dean. Application for this approval should be made at the Office of Student Affairs, Ernest Cockrell Jr. Hall 2.200 or at http://www.engr.utexas.edu/students/stay/concurrent.cfm. No more than twenty semester hours required for any degree offered in the College of Engineering may be taken by correspondence.

Requirements Included in All Engineering Degree Plans

Length of Degree Program

An eight-semester arrangement of courses leading to the bachelor's degree is given for each of the engineering degree plans. The exact order in which the courses are taken is not critical, as long as the prerequisite for each course is fulfilled. A student who registers for fewer than the indicated number of hours each semester will need more than eight semesters to complete the degree. The student is responsible for including in each semester's work any courses that are prerequisite to those he or she will take the following semester.

The first three semesters of all undergraduate engineering curricula contain many of the same courses. This commonality provides students with a certain amount of freedom to change degree plans without undue loss of credit.

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Undergraduate catalog

Contents
Chapter 1 - The University
Chapter 2 - School of Architecture
Chapter 3 - Red McCombs School of Business
Chapter 4 - College of Communication
Chapter 5 - College of Education
Chapter 6 - College of Engineering
Chapter 7 - College of Fine Arts
Chapter 8 - College of Liberal Arts
Chapter 9 - College of Natural Sciences
Chapter 10 - School of Nursing
Chapter 11 - College of Pharmacy
Chapter 12 - School of Social Work
Chapter 13 - The Faculty
Texas Common Course Numbering System (Appendix A)
Appendix B

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