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1. The University--continued
Preprofessional ProgramsPreparation for Dentistry, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, and Allied Health ProfessionsThe rapid expansion and diversification of services designed to meet the health needs of society provide students with a variety of career opportunities in health care. However, since competition for admission to professional school programs is keen, it is important to maintain a strong academic record. Advisory ServicesStudents interested in a health career should contact the Health Professions Office, Geography Building 234. The Health Professions Office maintains a Web page and a reference collection of professional school directories and related information on a broad spectrum of health careers. The office also sponsors programs on topics of interest throughout the year and maintains an e-mail distribution list. Individual course and career advising concerning preparation for admission to professional schools can be arranged through the Health Professions Office. In general, professional schools do not indicate a preferred undergraduate major, leaving the student free to choose a degree program suited to his or her interests and abilities. The student should complete minimum professional school course requirements before taking a nationally standardized admission test such as the Dental Admission Test, Medical College Admission Test, Pharmacy College Admission Test, or Graduate Record Examinations. The Health Professions Office provides advice concerning courses that meet professional school admission requirements; advising for degree requirements is available in the student's major department. Students are encouraged to register using the special advising code appropriate to the health career they are pursuing. A student planning to pursue a degree in clinical laboratory science, nursing, or dietetics at the University should consult an adviser in the appropriate department or school. Preparation for Dentistry, Medicine, and Veterinary MedicineTransfer of Professional School Coursework toward an Undergraduate DegreeAll students preparing for professional training in dentistry, medicine, or veterinary medicine should plan to complete a baccalaureate degree in the field of their choice before entering professional school, since the number of students admitted without a degree is small. If a preprofessional student undertakes work leading to an established undergraduate degree in the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Natural Sciences but is accepted into the professional school before finishing the degree, it may be possible by special petition for the student to use professional school coursework toward the degree as transfer hours. In this instance, to graduate the student must meet, without exception, all requirements for the degree. This includes all residence rules--both general and specific--for the desired degree, except as indicated in section 3 below. If the petition is approved, limited transfer of unspecified upper-division credit in chemistry and biology is allowed as applicable and necessary to the degree. University regulations allow a student to transfer six of the last thirty semester hours from another undergraduate school if other residence requirements have been met. If a preprofessional student meets certain additional requirements as outlined below, it may be possible for the student to transfer and use toward the degree a limited number of semester hours from a professional school.
Preparation for DentistryThe minimum admission requirements for most Texas dental schools are two years of biological science, including at least one year of formal laboratory work, one year of general chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, one year of English, and one year of physics. Required courses must be college-level courses designed for science majors. All applicants to dental schools must take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) and submit their applications to the schools approximately one year in advance of planned entrance. For specific admission requirements, students should consult the most recent edition of Admissions Requirements of United States and Canadian Dental Schools and dental school Web sites or catalogs. Articles of current interest, admission statistics, and information on application procedures are available for reference in the Health Professions Office. All students should plan to complete a bachelor's degree in the field of their choice before entering dental school, since the number of students admitted without a degree is small. Preparation for MedicineThe minimum admission requirements for most Texas medical schools are two years of biological science, including at least one year of formal laboratory work, one-half year of calculus, one year of general chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, one year of English, and one year of physics. Required courses must be college-level courses designed for science majors. Applicants to medical schools must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and submit their applications to the schools approximately one year in advance of planned entrance. For specific admission requirements, students should consult the most recent edition of Medical School Admission Requirements and medical school catalogs; reference copies are available in the Health Professions Office. Articles of current interest, admission statistics, and information on application procedures are also available for reference. All students should plan to complete a bachelor's degree in the field of their choice before entering medical school, since the number of students admitted without a degree is small. Preparation for Veterinary MedicineStudents seeking to prepare for a career in veterinary medicine must complete at least two years of required coursework, including biological science, chemistry, English, mathematics, and physics. Six to twelve months before planned entrance, all applicants to schools of veterinary medicine must take a nationally standardized test and submit their applications. Some schools require the Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT), others the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) or the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). For specific admission requirements, students should consult the most recent edition of Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements and veterinary medical school Web sites or catalogs. Articles of current interest, admission statistics, and information on application procedures are available for reference in the Health Professions Office. Preparation for PharmacyAdmission requirements of professional pharmacy programs vary, but all require that the applicant have completed from thirty to seventy semester hours of prepharmacy coursework. The coursework generally includes one year of general chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, mathematics, one year of physics, one and one-half years of biological science, and one year of English; all required courses must be college-level courses designed for science majors. Applicants submit their applications to the professional schools six to nine months before planned entrance; some schools require applicants to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT). For specific admission requirements, students should consult the most recent edition of Pharmacy School Admission Requirements and pharmacy school Web sites or catalogs. Articles of current interest, admission statistics, and information on application procedures are available for reference in the Health Professions Office. Four of the seventy-five United States colleges of pharmacy are in Texas, at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Houston, Texas Tech University, and Texas Southern University. Preparation for the Allied Health SciencesThe allied health sciences include such programs as allied health education, biomedical communications, biomedical illustration, dental hygiene, dietetics, health care administration, health information management, clinical laboratory science, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician's assistant, and rehabilitation technology. Requirements for admission to allied health science programs vary greatly, but competition to enter many programs is keen. Some programs require sixty to ninety semester hours of college study prior to entrance into the professional school; others require completion of a baccalaureate degree prior to entrance. Application deadlines vary, but applications are usually submitted six to twelve months before planned entrance. Upon completion of the professional school program, students are awarded degrees and/or certificates of proficiency by the professional school. Most allied health sciences programs are not offered at the University; however, some students who complete their studies at a University of Texas School of Allied Health Sciences may be eligible or required to receive a baccalaureate degree jointly awarded by the University of Texas at Austin and a University of Texas School of Allied Health Sciences. If a student has received a baccalaureate or graduate degree from a University of Texas System general academic institution before enrolling at a University of Texas System health science center to pursue a second baccalaureate degree, the health science center awards the second degree. For additional information, consult a counselor in the Health Professions Office. Information is also provided in the Health Professions Office about programs available, entrance requirements, admission statistics, application procedures, and required tests. Assistance is available in the selection of courses required by the program and the professional school of the student's choice. Changes in admission requirements for allied health programs occur frequently. Therefore, students should consult a counselor in the Health Professions Office each semester. Preparation for LawInformation about admission to the School of Law at the University is given in General Information and in the Law School Catalog. There is no sequential arrangement of courses prescribed for a prelaw program; neither is any particular major specified. In discussing the objectives of prelegal education, the Association of American Law Schools puts special emphasis on comprehension and expression in words, critical understanding of the human institutions and values with which the law deals, and analytical power in thinking. The association suggests that courses relevant to these objectives are those dealing with the communication of ideas, logic and mathematics, the social sciences, history, philosophy, and the physical sciences. Some understanding of accounting principles is also recommended, although this may be gained after entrance to law school. For answers to specific questions about a prelaw program, the student should consult the prelaw adviser in his or her major department. Services for prelaw students are also provided by Liberal Arts Career Services, Flawn Academic Center 20. These include the annual fall law fair, information on how to research law schools, and assistance with the application procedure, including the personal statement. Prelaw students in all majors may consult the prelaw adviser in LACS. Additional information is available at http://www.utexas.edu/depts/lacs. Like most schools offering professional training, the School of Law at the University has a number of specific requirements and limitations. For example, to be eligible for admission to the School of Law the student must have completed a baccalaureate degree. Students are admitted only at the beginning of the long session. Each applicant for admission must take the Law School Admission Test administered by the Law School Admission Services. This is usually taken in October of the senior year. The test score and undergraduate academic performance are important in determining eligibility for admission to law school; but all law schools consider a variety of factors in their admission policies, and no single factor by itself will guarantee admission or denial. Preparation for Teacher CertificationStudents who plan to teach in Texas public schools in the early grades must earn the Bachelor of Science in Applied Learning and Development in the College of Education and must meet the requirements for early childhood through grade four certification. Students who plan to teach in Texas public schools in grades four through twelve must earn a bachelor's degree in the field they intend to teach and must meet the requirements for teacher certification. Students pursuing either middle grades or secondary math or science certification must follow the curriculum prescribed by the UTeach Natural Sciences program. Students pursuing either middle grades or secondary certification in English language arts or social studies must follow the curriculum prescribed by the UTeach Liberal Arts program. Students pursuing other areas of certification should consult an adviser in the major department about degree requirements and an adviser in the College of Education about certification requirements. Basic Education RequirementsThe University strives to enroll exceptionally well-prepared, highly motivated students and to produce self-reliant graduates who are able to provide leadership and who do not simply react to events. The University must not only equip its graduates with occupational skills but also educate them broadly enough to enable them to adapt to and cope with the accelerated process of change occurring in business, professional, and social institutions today. Students must be exposed to a broad spectrum of arts and science, so that they may be educated beyond vocational requirements and thus be prepared for responsible citizenship in an increasingly complex world. Every graduate of the University is expected to
The General Faculty of the University has established a basic education curriculum to assist undergraduates regardless of their major in acquiring the traits of an educated person; each college and school within the University has incorporated these requirements into its degrees. Within each discipline, the faculty defines and assesses student computer competence through learning activities that require the use of computers. Degree plans may require specific courses to fulfill basic education requirements; allow more options than indicated below to fulfill basic requirements; or require completion of further coursework in the component areas listed below. For these reasons, students should consult the descriptions of majors in chapters 2 through 13 for complete information on fulfillment of degree requirements. In accordance with standards of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), engineering majors may not count credit in applied fine arts or in mathematics below the level of calculus toward any degree requirement, including the basic education requirements Music performance majors should see the basic education requirements for music performance programs given in chapter 7. Core CurriculumThe university's basic education requirements are consistent with statewide core curriculum guidelines and comprise the following component areas: English composition: Three semester hours:
Substantial writing component: Six semester hours in courses that contain a substantial writing component, including at least three hours of upper-division coursework. Courses with a substantial writing component are identified in the Course Schedule. Literature: Three semester hours:
American and Texas government: Six semester hours. This coursework also fulfills the legislative requirement given in chapter 1.
American history: Six semester hours, of which three may be in Texas history. The following courses may be used. This coursework also fulfills the legislative requirement given in chapter 1.
Social science: Three semester hours. The following courses may be used:
Mathematics: Three semester hours at the level of Mathematics 301 or higher. The following courses may be used:
Natural science: Nine semester hours, consisting of six hours in one discipline and three hours in a second discipline. The following courses may be used:
To fulfill the three-hour part of this requirement, the student may use the following courses in addition to those listed above:
Fine arts: Three semester hours. The following courses may be used:
Total core curriculum credit: Forty-two semester hours Additional Basic Education RequirementsIn addition to the core curriculum requirements above, undergraduate students are expected to enter the University having completed two years of study in a single foreign language in high school. Students without two years of high school foreign language coursework must earn credit for the second college-level course in a foreign language; this credit does not count toward the student's degree. Coursework in the Graduate School and the School of LawGraduate Work for Undergraduate CreditAn undergraduate may enroll in a graduate course under the following conditions:
Undergraduate students may not enroll in graduate courses that have fewer than five graduate students enrolled. A graduate course taken by an undergraduate is counted toward the student's bachelor's degree in the same way that upper-division courses are counted, unless the course is reserved for graduate credit as described in the next section. Courses reserved for graduate credit may not also be used to fulfill the requirements of an undergraduate degree. An undergraduate student enrolled in a graduate course is subject to all University regulations affecting undergraduates. Reservation of Work by Undergraduates for Graduate CreditUnder the following conditions, a degree-seeking undergraduate may enroll in a graduate course and reserve that course for credit toward a graduate degree.
An undergraduate student enrolled in a graduate course is subject to all University regulations affecting undergraduates. A student who reserves courses for graduate credit must be admitted to a University graduate program through regular channels before the credit may be applied toward a graduate degree. By allowing the student to earn graduate credit while still an undergraduate, the University makes no guarantee of the student's admissibility to any graduate program. Courses in the School of LawUndergraduate students may not take courses in the School of Law.
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Undergraduate Catalog
Related Information Office of the Registrar
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