Nov 01, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

UH Core Curriculum



University Core Curriculum Requirements


Texas Core Curriculum


The Texas Core Curriculum is a 42 semester credit hour (SCH) core curriculum for all undergraduate students in Texas. All bachelor’s degrees from the University of Houston require completion of the Texas state-mandated 42 hour Core Curriculum.

The courses listed here are approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to fulfill basic core requirements for the University of Houston. Students must meet the credit hour requirements for all ten of the component areas.

Students should always consult with their academic advisor to determine what courses they should take to satisfy the Texas Core Curriculum and degree requirements of their declared major.

More Information on the Core Curriculum Objectives and Foundational Component Area Definitions

To view Core Curriculum in catalogs prior to Fall 2023, use the drop-down menu above and to the right.

For catalogs prior to Fall 2012 see Undergraduate Catalog Archives

Communication 010 (6 credit hours)


List of approved courses:

Mathematics 020 (3 credit hours)


 List of approved courses:

Life & Physical Sciences 030 (6 credit hours)


 List of approved courses:

Language, Philosophy, and Culture 040 (3 credit hours)


 List of approved courses:

Creative Arts 050 (3 credit hours)


List of approved courses:

American History 060 (6 credit hours)


 List of approved courses:

Students must have earned credit for six credit hours or its equivalent in American History; three credit hours may be in Texas History.


Up to only three credit hours of Texas history may be used in partial satisfaction of this requirement.


Component Area Option 090 (B): Writing in the Disciplines UH 081 (3 credit hours)


 List of approved courses:

Important Notes About the Required Hours:


Students should note the following:

  • Typically, 3 hours equals one course, but that may not be true for all courses.
  • It is recommended to verify the selected number of courses necessary to add up to the required hours for each component area.
  • Each course listed is linked to its full description elsewhere in this catalog.
  • Many areas of study require specific core course choices and may also require additional courses which are not listed here.
  • UH Core courses may be cross-listed only if both courses are approved UH Core under the same component area.
  • Selected Topics and Independent Study courses - typically those courses numbered xx94-xx98 - may not be used to meet any Core requirements.
  • Courses may be double-listed on the UH Core list under two component areas. (e.g. MATH 1314 is only listed under Mathematics however MATH 1351 is listed under both Mathematics and Mathematics/Reasoning). A student can only count a given class once towards core requirements. Thus, for example, a student cannot satisfy both the Mathematics and the Mathematics/Reasoning requirements with MATH 1351. Core courses may be double-listed only by approval of the UH Undergraduate Committee. Only classes with the MATH rubric can satisfy the Math component area, with the exception of BUSI 2305. Writing in the Disciplines (WID) classes may be double listed only in the Language, Philosophy and Culture, Creative Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences categories.
  • Students should always seek assistance with an academic advisor to verify credit hours, course prerequisites and to ensure selection of the right courses to meet degree plan requirements.

Further information on Core eligibility and on courses that satisfy Core Curriculum requirements can be obtained by reviewing the information available throughout this Catalog, by consulting the current UH Course Listing, by reviewing the Texas Common Course Numbering System information, and/or by contacting an academic advisor.

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Core Curriculum Information


Core Objectives


Definitions for the six Core Objectives are:

Critical Thinking Skills - includes creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information.

Communication Skills  - includes effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication.

Empirical and Quantitative Skills  - includes manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions.

Teamwork  - includes ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.

Social Responsibility  - includes intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.

Personal Responsibility - includes ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.

Communication (010)


Required Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, Team Work, Personal Responsibility
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. 

 List of Approved Core Communication courses

Mathematics (020)


Required Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, Empirical and Quantitative Skills
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. 

 List of Approved Core Mathematics courses

Life and Physical Sciences (030)


Required Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, Empirical and Quantitative Skills, Team Work

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. 

 List of Approved Core Life and Physical Sciences courses

Language, Philosophy and Culture (040)


Required Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, Personal Responsibility, and Social Responsibility

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. 

 List of Approved Core Language, Philosophy and Culture courses

Creative Arts (050)


Required Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, Team Work, Social Responsibility

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. 

 List of Approved Core Creative Arts courses

American History (060)


Required Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, Social Responsibility, Personal Responsibility

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.

 List of Approved Core American History courses

Government/Political Science (070)


Required Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, Social Responsibility, Personal Responsibility

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. 

 List of Approved Core Government/Political Sciences courses

Social and Behavioral Sciences (080)


Required Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, Empirical and Quantitative Skills, Personal Responsibility

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.

 List of Approved Core Social and Behavioral Sciences courses

Component Area Option (A) - Mathematics/Reasoning (090)


Required Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, Empirical and Quantitative Skills

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.

 List of Approved Core Mathematical/Reasoning courses

Component Area Option (B) - Writing in the Disciplines 81 (090)


Required Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, and at least one additional Core Objective that aligns with the associated Foundational Component Area (e.g. Communication (Team Work) ; Language, Philosophy and Culture (Social Responsibility, Personal Responsibility)

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 the term with the instructor’s written evaluation of grammar, style, and content).

List of Approved Core Writing in the Disciplines courses

History And Constitution Requirements


Senate Bill 254, passed by the 54th Legislature and amended by House Bill 935 of the 60th Legislature, provides that no individuals may receive an undergraduate degree unless they have credit for six semester hours or its equivalent in American history and six semester hours credit in the constitutions of the United States and Texas.

American History Specific Requirements


Credit in both HIST 1376 and HIST 1301  cannot be applied toward a degree; credit in both HIST 1302  and HIST 1379 cannot be applied toward a degree.

Credit in both HIST 2301  and HIST 2302  cannot be applied toward the American History component area.

For information on advanced placement or credit by examination, consult the University Testing Services, 204 Student Service Center.

For more information visit the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board web site (see Sec. 51.302. American or Texas History).

Government/Political Science Specific Requirements


For purposes of Transfer Credit of the Texas Common Core the following combinations are permitted:

  • GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
  • GOVT 2305 and GOVT 2306
  • GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2305
  • GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2306
  • GOVT 2302 and GOVT 2305 and GOVT 2107 or
  • GOVT 2302 and GOVT 2306 and GOVT 2107

For information on advanced placement or credit by examination consult the University Testing Services, 204 Student Service Center.

For more information, visit the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board web site (see Sec. 51.301. Government or Political Science).

 

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