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Signature CoursesHomeA Signature Course is designed to introduce students to the best UT has to offer and, at the same time, to help students develop skills at the college level in research, writing, speaking, and discussion. Faculty are distinguished, while subjects are both interdisciplinary and contemporary. Signature Course students will become acquainted through coursework with some of the gems of the University and will attend at least one University Lecture in the series. Signature Course Seminars (UGS 302)Seminars are small, 18-student classes that offer first-year students the opportunity to interact closely with a faculty member and their peers through class discussion. These courses have an expansive array of topics taught by faculty from almost every college and school at the university. Information literacy and research will play a major role in the fulfillment of the course's writing component, which counts toward lower-division writing requirements. Large Format Signature Courses (UGS 303)Large format courses are an excellent way to expose students to some of UT's top faculty, who do some of their best teaching in a large format. These courses range from 50-200 students, but weekly discussion sessions of 17 students create the intimate environment found in the Signature Seminars. Large format courses are similar to seminars in their requirements (i.e., interdisciplinary and contemporary content, oral presentation, information literacy, use of campus resources, University Lecture Series) except they will not be counted as a writing component. Difficult Dialogues Signature Courses (UGS 303)Difficult Dialogues Signature Courses are designed for second-semester freshmen who already have one semester of UT coursework in residence behind them. Difficult Dialogues Seminars share the goals of the small seminars, with an additional focus on principles of academic freedom and on teaching students the skills they need to participate in respectful, productive dialogue about controversial or divisive issues in the world and at UT today. Difficult Dialogue Courses, offered only in the Spring semester, accommodate 20-25 students but carry the UGS 303 course number as they do not fulfill the writing requirement. The Six Requirements of a Signature CourseInterdisciplinary and Contemporary ContentStudents acquire knowledge through the symbiotic relationship of interdisciplinary study. For example, science will inform your interpretation of a painting and vice versa, or you will see how law, foreign policy, marketing, and education all influence the economy. Also, all classes will have contemporary content, though it may not be evident in the title. An history professor teaching a course about the Peloponnesian War can use the course's content inform student's understanding of modern day conflict. Information LiteracySignature Courses will incorporate ways for students to learn and critically examine valid sources of information. This is achieved in various ways with the help of the libraries and various resources on campus. Written and Oral CommunicationAll students, through writing and oral presentation, will become effective communicators on the college level. Though the large format courses do not satisfy the writing requirement, there will be ample opportunity to hone these skills, which will be used throughout each student's academic career. Top FacultySignature Courses are taught by distinguished faculty from every college and school at the University. The program calls for regular faculty in the hope that that incoming students will come to know faculty with whom they may wish to work in later years. (Regular faculty include tenured and tenure-track professors, as well as senior lecturers and, in special cases, adjunct or emeriti professors.) University Lecture SeriesThe University Lecture Series gives students an opportunity to interact with leading members of our faculty—scholars, scientists, and civic leaders who are nationally and internationally renowned. Signature Course students will be required to attend one of three lectures, each designed to create a campus-wide conversation. Lectures will be held at 7p.m. on September 16, September 25, and October 1. Download the University Lecture Series descriptions for Fall 2008 here. Gems of the UniversityThe University of Texas has a wide array of world-class resources available to students. From the Harry Ransom Center to Waller Creek, these resources are incorporated into the Signature Course as a means informing course content and student research. Below is a listing of some of the many resources around campus. Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum Task ForceThe Signature Course is the centerpiece of the Curriculum Reform that began with the alumni on the Commission of 125 and was developed by a Task Force of Faculty, Students, and Staff. It was revised by the Educational Policy Committee and approved by the Faculty Council in January 2007. Through the Signature Course all first-year students will share a common intellectual experience to carry with them throughout their UT career and beyond.
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