Core Curriculum by Component Area Summary

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If you have any questions about what the Core Curriculum requirements are for you and your specific degree plan, please contact an advisor.

Core Curriculum

Senate Bill (SB) 148, enacted in 1997 by the 75th Texas Legislature, requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules that include “a statement of the content, component areas, and objectives of the core curriculum” which each institution is to fulfill by its own selection of specific courses.

The University of Houston has adopted the core curriculum guidelines described below. These are predicated on the judgment that a series of basic intellectual competencies (reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking, and computer literacy) are essential to the learning process in any discipline and thus should inform any core curriculum and indeed, all of undergraduate education. Although students can be expected to come to college with some experience in exercising these competencies, they often need further instruction and practice to meet college standards and, later, to succeed in both their major field of academic study and their chosen career or profession.

Core Objectives

Through the Texas Core Curriculum, students will prepare for contemporary challenges by developing demonstrating the following core objectives listed below.

Critical Thinking Skills

To include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information;

Communication Skills

To include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication;

Empirical and Quantitative Skills

To include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions;

Teamwork

To include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal;

Personal Responsibility

To include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.

Social Responsibility

To include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effective regional, national, and global communities.

Core Curriculum Requirements

All bachelor’s degrees require completion of a core curriculum. Further information on core eligibility and on courses that satisfy core curriculum requirements can be obtained by consulting the current Course Listings and/or an academic advisor.

I. Communication

(6 hours)

Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively.

Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.

The following four Core Objectives must be addressed in each course approved to fulfill this category requirement: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Teamwork, and Personal Responsibility.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Communication. See the current Course Listings, published each semester, for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

• ENGL 1303: First Year Writing I
• ENGL 1304: First Year Writing II
• ENGL 1370: Freshman Composition II-Honors
• ENGL 2361: Western World Literature II-Honors

II. Mathematics

(3 hours)

Courses in this category focus on quantitative literacy in logic, patterns, and relationships.

Courses involve the understanding of key mathematical concepts and the application of appropriate quantitative tools to everyday experience.

The following three Core Objectives must be addressed in each course approved to fulfill this category requirement: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, and Empirical and Quantitative Skills, The objective of the mathematics component of the core curriculum is to develop a quantitative literate college graduate. Every college graduate should be able to apply basic mathematical tools in the solution of real-world problems.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Mathematics. See the current Course Listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

• MATH 1310: College Algebra
• MATH 1311: Elementary Mathematical Modeling
• MATH 1431: Calculus I

III. Life and Physical Sciences

(6 hours)

Courses in this category focus on describing, explaining, and predicting natural phenomena using the scientific method.

Courses involve the understanding of interactions among natural phenomena and the implications of scientific principles on the physical world and on human experiences.

The following four Core Objectives must be addressed in each course approved to fulfill this category requirement: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, and Empirical and Quantitative Skills, and Teamwork.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Life and Physical Sciences. See the current Course Listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

• BIOL 1309: Human Genetics and Society
• BIOL 1310: General Biology 1
• BIOL 1320: General Biology 2
• BIOL 1361: Introduction to Biological Science
• BIOL 1362: Introduction to Biological Science
• CHEM 1301: Foundations of Chemistry
• CHEM 1331: Fundamentals of Chemistry I
• CHEM 1332: Fundamentals of Chemistry II
• GEOL 1302: Introduction to Global Climate Change
• GEOL 1330: Physical Geology
• GEOL 1340: Earth Systems
• GEOL 1350: Introduction to Meteorology
• GEOL 1360: Introduction to Oceanography
• GEOL 1376: Historical Geology
• NUTR 2332: Introduction to Human Nutrition
• PHAR 2362: Principles of Drug Action
• PHYS 1301: Introductory General Physics I
• PHYS 1302: Introductory General Physics II
• PHYS 1305: Introductory Astronomy-The Solar System
• PHYS 1321: University Physics I
• PHYS 1322: University Physics II

IV. Language, Philosophy & Culture

(3 hours)

Courses in this category focus on how ideas, values, beliefs, and other aspects of culture express and affect human experience.

Courses involve the exploration of ideas that foster aesthetic and intellectual creation in order to understand the human condition across cultures.

The following four Core Objectives must be addressed in each course approved to fulfill this category requirement: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Personal Responsibility, and Social Responsibility.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Language, Philosophy & Culture. See the current Course Listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

• AAS 2320: Introduction to African American Studies
• AAS 2330: Black Liberation Theology
• ARAB 3340: Modernity and Rationalism in Islamic Tradition
• ARTH 1300: Ways of Seeing: Art and Our Visual World
• ARTH 1380: Art and Society: Prehistoric to Gothic
• CHNS 3352: Chinese Culture and Society through Modern Literature
• CHNS 3360: A Look into Modern China
• CLAS 3307: Greek and Roman Myths of Heroes
• CLAS 3308: Myths and Cult of the Greek Gods
• CLAS 3366: The Trojan War
• CLAS 3374: Women in the Ancient World
• ENGL 2305: Introduction to Fiction
• ENGL 2306: Introduction to Poetry
• ENGL 2308: Introduction to Nonfiction Prose
• ENGL 2316: Literature and Culture
• ENGL 2325: Literature Traditions of the Nonwestern World
• ENGL 2340: Cosmic Narratives
• ENGL 3306: Shakespeare: The Major Works
• ENGL 3325: Structures of Poetry
• ENGL 3328: Masterpieces of British Literature from the Eighteenth Century
• ENGL 3351: American Literature Since 1865
• ENGL 3360: Survey of African American Literature
• FREN 3318: History of French Cinema
• FREN 3319: History of French Cinema
• FREN 3321: Cinema of French-Speaking Africa
• FREN 3322: Cinema of French-Speaking Africa
• FREN 3362: Paris - Berlin: Tales of Two Cities
• FREN 3364: Writing Holocausts: The Literature’s of Genocide
• GERM 3350: Understanding the 20th Century Through German Culture
• GERM 3362: Paris - Berlin: Tales of Two Cities
• GERM 3364: Writing Holocausts: The Literature’s of Genocide
• GERM 3369: World War I in Literature, Visual Arts, and Film
• GLBT 2360: Introduction to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
• HIST 2348: U.S. Latino/a Histories
• HIST 2351: Western Civilization 1450
• HIST 2353: Western Civilization from 1450
• HIST 2361: The Study of Early Civilizations
• HIST 2366: Why Can’t We Be Friends: Iran through its Films
• HIST 2372: Latin American History Since 1820
• HIST 3379: World Civilizations to 1500
• HIST 3380: World Civilizations Since c.e. 1500
• HIST 4330: Flowering of the Middle Ages
• HON 2301: The Human Situation: Antiquity
• ILAS 2350: Introduction to Liberal Studies
• ITAL 3305: Italian Culture through Films
• ITAL 3306: Italian Cinema
• ITAL 3335: Survey of Italian Literature
• ITAL 3336: Survey of Italian Literature in Translation
• JWST 2380: Introduction to Jewish Studies
• MAS 3340: The Development of the Mexican American Urban Community
• PHIL 1301: Introduction to Philosophy
• PHIL 1305: Introduction to Ethics
• POLS 3340: Classical Political Thought
• POLS 3342: Liberalism and its Critics
• POLS 3343: Democratic Theory
• RELS 1301: Introduction to Religious Studies
• RELS 2310: The Bible and Western Culture I
• RELS 2311: The Bible and Western Culture II
• RELS 2330: Judaism
• SPAN 3331: Mexican-American Literature
• SPAN 3373: Spanish Culture and Civilization
• SPAN 3374: Spanish American Culture and Civilization
• SPAN 3375: United States Hispanic Culture and Civilization
• WCL 2351: World Cultures Through Literature and Art
• WCL 2352: World Cinema
• WCL 2370: Cultures of India
• WCL 3377: The Modern Middle East: Literature, Politics, and Ideas
• WOST 2350: Introduction to Women’s Studies

V. Creative Arts

(3 hours)

Courses in this category focus on the appreciation and analysis of creative artifacts and works of the human imagination.

Courses involve the synthesis and interpretation of artistic expression and enable critical, creative, and innovative communication about works of art.

The following four Core Objectives must be addressed in each course approved to fulfill this category requirement: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Teamwork, and Social Responsibility.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Creative Arts. See the current Course Listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

• ARCH 2350: Survey of Architectural History I
• ARCH 2351: Survey of Architectural History II
• ARTH 1381: Art and Society: Renaissance to Modern
• ARTH 2388: Survey of the Art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
• CLAS 3345: Myth and Performance in Greek Tragedy
• CLAS 3381: From Homer to Hollywood: Archaic and Classical Greek Themes in Modern Cinema
• ENGL 2307: Introduction to Drama
• ENGL 2318: Creation and Performance of Literature
• GERM 3363: Themes in German Drama
• GERM 3381: History of German Cinema
• GERM 3384: Fascism and German Cinema
• GERM 3385: East German Cinema
• HIST 4371: Latin American History through Film
• INDS 2355: Design History I
• INDS 2356: Design History II
• MUSI 2302: Listening to Jazz
• MUSI 2342: Music for Children
• MUSI 3300: Listening to Music Masterworks
• MUSI 3301: Listening to World Music
• PHIL 1361: Philosophy and the Arts
• POLS 2346: Politics of Greek Theatre
• SPAN 3386: Spanish Film
• THEA 1331: Introduction to Theatre
• THEA 1332: Fundamentals of Theatre

VI. American History

(6 hours)

Courses in this category focus on the consideration of past events and ideas relative to the United States, with the option of including Texas History for a portion of this component area.

Courses involve the interaction among individuals, communities, states, the nation, and the world, considering how these interactions have contributed to the development of the United States and its global role.

The following four Core Objectives must be addressed in each course approved to fulfill this category requirement: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Personal Responsibility, and Social Responsibility.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in American History. See the current Course Listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

• HIST 1376: The United States to 1877
• HIST 1377: The United States to 1877
• HIST 1378: The United States Since 1877
• HIST 1379: The United States Since 1877

VII. Government/Political Science

(6 hours)

Courses in this category focus on consideration of the Constitution of the United States and the constitutions of the states, with special emphasis on that of Texas.

Courses involve the analysis of governmental institutions, political behavior, civic engagement, and their political and philosophical foundations.

The following four Core Objectives must be addressed in each course approved to fulfill this category requirement: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Personal Responsibility, and Social Responsibility.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Government/Political Science. See the current Course Listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

• POLS 1107: Texas Constitution and Government
• POLS 1336: U.S. and Texas Politics and Constitutions
• POLS 1337: U.S. Government: Congress, President, and Court
• POLS 2336: US & Texas Constitutions, Politics and Institutions

VIII. Social and Behavioral Sciences

(3 hours)

Courses in this category focus on the application of empirical and scientific methods that contribute to the understanding of what makes us human.

Courses involve the exploration of behavior and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, and events, examining their impact on the individual, society, and culture.

The following four Core Objectives must be addressed in each course approved to fulfill this category requirement: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Empirical and Quantitative Skills, and Social Responsibility.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Social and Behavioral Sciences. See the current Course Listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

• ANTH 1300: Introduction to Anthropology
• ANTH 2301: Introduction to Physical Anthropology
• ANTH 2302: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
• ANTH 2303: Introduction to Archaeology
• CUST 2300: Introduction to Asian American Studies
• ECON 2301: Global Economic Concepts
• ECON 2304: Microeconomic Principles
• ECON 2305: Macroeconomic Principles
• ECON 3332: Intermediate Microeconomics
• HDFS 2317: Introduction to Human Development and Intervention
• HRMA 2365: Tourism
• KIN 1304: Public Health Issues in Physical Activity and Obesity
• POLS 3311: Introduction to Comparative Politics
• POLS 3354: Law and Society
• PSYC 1300: Introduction to Psychology
• PSYC 2350: Child Development
• PSYC 2351: Psychology of Adolescence
• SOC 1300: Introduction to Sociology
• SOC 1301: Honors Introduction to Sociology
• TECH 1313: Impact of Modern Technology on Society

IX (a). Component Area Option (a): Mathematics/Reasoning

(3 hours)

The University of Houston includes in its core curriculum courses that build students’ skills in mathematical and logical thinking, including approved courses in mathematics, logic, computer science, and statistics.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Mathematics/Reasoning. See the current Course Listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

• COSC 1306: Computer Science and Programming
• ECON 2370: Introduction to Statistics and Data
• ELET 2300: Introduction to C++ Programming
• MATH 1330: Precalculus
• MATH 1432: Calculus II
• MATH 2311: Introduction to Probability and Statistics
• PHIL 1321: Logic I
• POLS 3312: Introduction to Research Methods
• POLS 3316: Statistics for Political Scientists
• PSYC 3301: Introduction to Psychological Statistics
• TMTH 3360: Applied Technical Statistics

IX (b). Component Area Option (b): Writing in the Disciplines

(3 hours)

The objective of a writing in the disciplines component of a core curriculum is to enable the student to communicate effectively in clear and correct prose in a style appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.

Writing intensive courses require substantial writing (at least 3000 words, including at least one piece of work done outside of class and returned to the student prior to the end of term with the instructor’s written evaluation of grammar, style, and content).

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Writing in the Disciplines. See the current Course Listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

• ANTH 2304: Introduction to Language and Culture
• ANTH 3348: Anthropology of Religion
• ANTH 3361: Human Origins
• ANTH 3381: Global Hinduism
• ARAB 3314: Women and Gender in Arabic Literature
• ARCH 1359: Design Since 1945
• ARTH 3312: Pre-Columbian Art
• BCHS 4311: Biochemistry Laboratory II
• BIOL 3311: Genetics Laboratory
• CLAS 4305: Fifth-Century Athens: Readings in Intellectual, Literary, and Political History
• CLAS 4381: Latin Classics in Translation
• COMM 1302: Introduction to Communication Theory
• DAN 2307: Aesthetics of Movement
• DAN 3310: Dance History I
• ECON 3334: Intermediate Macroeconomics
• ENGL 2330: Writing in the Discipline of English
• GENB 4350: Business Law and Ethics
• HDCS 1300: Human Ecosystems and Technological Change
• HDFS 1300: Development of Contemporary Families
• HIST 3314: Liberals vs. Conservatives: FDR to the Present
• HIST 3333: Chicano History Since 1910
• HIST 3351: Work and Family Life in Modern Europe
• HIST 3369: Colonial Mexico
• HIST 4339: Modern European Intellectual History
• HRMA 3358: Hospitality Industry Law
• ITAL 3307: Italian Renaissance
• ITAL 3309: Women Writers and Filmmakers of Modern Italy
• ITAL 4308: Dante and His World
• LAST 3300: Latin America: Hemispheric and Global Perspectives
• MUSI 3303: Popular Music in the Americas Since 1840
• PHIL 1334: Intro to the Mind
• PHYS 3313: Advanced Laboratory I
• POLS 2341: Renaissance Classics
• POLS 3310: Introduction to Political Theory
• PSYC 2344: Cultural Psychology
• PSYC 3310: Industrial-Organizational Psychology
• PSYC 4321: Abnormal Psychology
• RELS 2340: Introduction to Hinduism
• RELS 2350: Introduction to Islam
• RELS 2360: Introduction to Buddhism
• RELS 3370: The Bible and Modern Science
• RELS 3381: Global Hinduism
• SOC 3351: Social Class and Mobility in America
• SPAN 3384: Introduction to Hispanic Literature
• TELS 3363: Technical Communications
• THEA 2344: American Drama
• WCL 4351: Frames of Modernity I
• WCL 4352: Frames of Modernity II - Postmodernity and Globalization
• WCL 4356: World Film & Film Theory
• WCL 4365: World Fiction & Reportage
• WCL 4367: Voices From Exile and Diaspora

Summary of Core Hours