"Natural Sciences" is published as several files. Use the links above to see the table of contents for the whole chapter, or other files within the chapter.
A total of 120 semester hours is required for the degree. Of the 120 hours, thirty-six must be in upper-division courses. At least thirty hours, including eighteen hours of upper-division coursework, and at least twenty-four of the last thirty hours must be taken in residence at the University. Provided residence rules are met, credit may be earned by examination, by correspondence (up to 30 percent of the hours required for the degree), or, with the approval of the dean, by work transferred from another institution. A maximum of sixteen semester hours of classroom and/or correspondence coursework may be taken on the pass/fail basis.
Three categories of work must be completed: prescribed work; major requirements, including minor requirements, if any; and electives to provide a total of 120 semester hours.
Area A (English, writing, and foreign language): English 306 and 316K and two courses certified as having a substantial writing component are required. The foreign language requirement is stated in terms of proficiency; the actual number of hours varies with the language selected and previous knowledge of the language.
Area B (social sciences): Eighteen semester hours must be completed, including courses in four subjects. Of these eighteen hours, six hours must be in American history and six hours must be in American government, including Texas government.
Area C (natural sciences): Eighteen semester hours are required, including three hours of mathematics. Lists of courses that may be used to fulfill this requirement are available in the Student Office.
Area D (general culture): Six semester hours are required. Lists of courses that may be used to fulfill this requirement are available in the Student Office.
Courses in the major may be used to fulfill area requirements unless expressly prohibited. A course taken to meet the requirements of one area may not also be used to fulfill the requirements of another area. The only exception to this rule is that a course taken to fulfill another area requirement may also be used to fulfill the requirement for courses having a substantial writing component, if the course is so certified. No courses used to fulfill area requirements may be taken on the pass/fail basis.
In addition to the following requirements, the student must fulfill the University requirements for graduation given in chapter 1 and the requirements of the College of Natural Sciences in this chapter.
Writing: In addition to English 306 and 316K, in taking courses to fulfill other degree requirements, each student must complete two courses certified as having a substantial writing component. One of these courses must be upper-division. If the writing requirement is not fulfilled by courses specified for the degree, the student must fulfill it either with electives or with coursework taken in addition to the number of hours required for the degree. Courses used to fulfill the writing requirement may be used simultaneously to fulfill other area requirements or major requirements. Courses with a substantial writing component are identified in the Course Schedule.
Foreign language: Students must complete four semesters in a single foreign language. Students who enter the University with fewer than two high school units in a single foreign language must take the first two semesters in a language without degree credit to remove their language deficiency, then complete the equivalent of two semesters beyond those courses in the same language to fulfill their foreign language requirement.
The foreign language requirement is the attainment of a certain proficiency rather than the completion of a specified number of hours; however, the courses taken to gain this proficiency are not electives and may not be taken on the pass/fail basis. Any part of the requirement may be fulfilled by credit by examination. Students may accelerate their progress at any point in the sequence by means of credit by examination.
To achieve proficiency in a foreign language as rapidly as possible, qualified students are urged to take advantage of the intensive foreign language study program. Information about this program is available from the appropriate language department. Courses used to fulfill the foreign language requirement must be language courses; literature-in-translation courses, for example, may not be counted.
Fifteen additional semester hours, with no more than nine in any one department, from the fields of study listed below. No more than nine hours of mathematics and computer sciences combined may be included in these fifteen hours. Nine of these fifteen hours must be taken in courses in the College of Natural Sciences, items 1 through 9 below, with at least six hours in one subject; these nine hours may include no more than three hours of mathematics.
A maximum of three semester hours in the history of science and the philosophy of science may be used to fulfill Area C requirements; any course used must have a prerequisite of at least six semester hours of biological or physical sciences.
A course listed in two or more departments may be used as a course in only one department in fulfilling requirements under Area C. Courses in anthropology, geography, and psychology used to fulfill Area C requirements may not also be used to fulfill Area B requirements.
Students, counselors, and advisers are urged to make careful selection of Area C courses in order to develop a meaningful pattern and a coherent sequence.
A student who uses Greek or Latin to meet the foreign language requirement may use additional coursework in the same language to meet the Area D requirement, but only upper-division courses may be used.
The student should also refer to the description of his or her major program in the section "Majors and Minors" below, since some majors include higher minimum scholastic requirements.
For more information about grades and the grade point average, see General Information.
A freshman may not register for more than eight semester hours in one department in a single semester.
Although only one major is used to certify the degree, electives may be chosen to give, in effect, the equivalent of two majors. This flexibility is especially important to those who wish to qualify for a teaching certificate. The major subject is not shown on the diploma. It is not possible for a student to receive a second Bachelor of Arts degree from the University.
Advising of majors. A student who has chosen a major is advised before registering in the advising center for his or her major. Students who have not chosen a major must be advised in the Student Division Office, College of Natural Sciences. For matters concerning degree requirements, specific academic problems, petitions, and academic advice in general, the student should go to the Student Division Office on the second floor of the Will C. Hogg Building.
Hour requirements for the major. A major consists of at least twenty-one but no more than thirty-six semester hours, with at least twelve hours in upper-division courses. Of these twelve semester hours, six must be taken in residence. These restrictions exist in the context of the general residence requirement for the major of eighteen semester hours.
Unless otherwise indicated, a course taken to fulfill the requirements under "Prescribed Work," above, may also be counted toward fulfillment of the major requirements.
A student who earns credit by examination with a grade of C or better will be given the appropriate grade and degree credit, including hours required in the major.
Minors. Most departments require completion of a minor to accompany the major. These requirements, if any, are given below.
Minor for astronomy majors: Six semester hours of coursework (other than astronomy, lower-division physics, lower-division mathematics, and Mathematics 427K) approved by the undergraduate adviser; and either six semester hours of upper-division physics in addition to the courses used to fulfill the major requirement or six semester hours of upper-division coursework approved by the undergraduate adviser.
A grade of at least C is required in each semester of each course counted toward the major and minor requirements.
All astronomy majors should consult the astronomy undergraduate adviser regularly about the choice of appropriate courses in both the major and the minor. Qualified students may carry out a supervised research project in their area of interest under the departmental honors program.
Major: Chemistry 301, 302, 204, 455; either 618A, 118K, 618B, and 118L, or 610A, 610B, and 210C; 339K, 339L, 353, 153K, 369L; and 354, 354L, or 370.
Minor for biochemistry majors: At least twelve semester hours of coursework in biological sciences chosen from the following courses, including at least three hours in each area:
Major: In addition to the biology courses listed above, the student must complete twenty-four semester hours of upper-division coursework, consisting of
The student must complete at least five semester hours of coursework in residence in each of the departments of the Division of Biological Sciences (botany, microbiology, and zoology). He or she must also complete at least three laboratory courses from at least two of the three departments. A grade of at least C is required in all courses taken at the University and counted toward the major requirement.
Minor for biology majors: General chemistry and organic chemistry (Chemistry 610A, 610B, and 210C; or 618A, 118K, 618B, and 118L); and at least six semester hours of mathematics, or six semester hours of computer sciences, or eight semester hours of physics (Physics 302K, 302L, 102M, and 102N; or 317K, 317L, 117M, and 117N; or the equivalent).
Minor for botany majors: Sixteen semester hours of chemistry, including Chemistry 610A, 610B, and 210C, or their equivalents.
Additional electives in anthropology, chemistry, geography, geology, marine science, mathematics, microbiology, physics, or zoology are recommended.
Major: Chemistry 301, 302, 204; either 610A, 610B, and 210C, or 618A, 118K, 618B, and 118L; 353, 153K, 354 or 354L, 154K, 455, 376K.
Minor for chemistry majors: Twelve semester hours of botany and/or zoology, geology, mathematics, microbiology, or physics; or, with written consent of the department chairman and approval of the dean, twelve semester hours in a subject offered outside the College of Natural Sciences.
A grade of at least C is required in all courses counted toward the major and minor requirements.
Major: Computer Sciences 304P, 310, 315, 328, 336, 352, 372, and at least twelve additional semester hours of approved upper-division coursework in computer sciences. Computer Sciences 370 may be counted toward the degree only once.
Minor for computer sciences majors: Mathematics 408C, 408D, Philosophy 313K, Linguistics 340, and one of the following courses: Mathematics 311, 427K, 340L, 343K, 362K.
To enroll in any computer sciences course numbered above 336, all students must have completed the following courses with a grade of at least C in each: Computer Sciences 304P, 310, 315, 328, 336, Mathematics 408C and 408D (or equivalent courses), and Philosophy 313K. A grade of at least C is required in all courses counted toward the major and minor requirements.
Major: Geology 401 or 303 or 312K, 404C or 405, 416K, 416M, 420K, 422K, 428, and enough additional approved upper-division coursework in geology to make a total of thirty-two semester hours.[1]
Minor for geological sciences majors: Twelve semester hours, of which at least six must be in upper-division coursework, in any one of the following disciplines: anthropology, astronomy, any biological science, business, computer sciences, chemistry, education, engineering, geography, mathematics, and physics. Other disciplines may be chosen with written approval of the chairman of the Department of Geological Sciences.
Major: Biology 302 and twenty-four semester hours of microbiology, including at least two laboratory courses (or courses that include laboratories) beyond Microbiology 129K. Biology 303 is also recommended. At least sixteen of the twenty-four semester hours of microbiology must be in upper-division courses. A grade of at least C is required in microbiology courses counted toward the major requirement. Up to six hours of special studies in advanced microbiology (Microbiology 279, 379, 679) may be taken, three hours of which may, with the approval of the department chairman, be counted toward the twenty-four-hour major requirement.
Major: At least fifteen semester hours of upper-division physics, including Physics 336K, 352K, and 453.
First minor for physics majors: Twelve semester hours of mathematics, of which six must be in upper-division coursework; the upper-division coursework must include three hours in differential equations.
Second minor for physics majors: Six semester hours, of which three must be in upper-division coursework, in any one of the following: botany, chemistry, geology, microbiology, philosophy, psychology, zoology; or in courses offered in the College of Education or the College of Engineering.
Major: Thirty-six semester hours, consisting of
A grade of at least C is required in all courses counted toward the major requirement.
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