Statement of Purpose
As a public institution of higher education in the state of Texas, the University of North Texas at Dallas requires every student to complete at least 42 semester credit hours from a pool of courses that comprise its Core Curriculum. The Core Curriculum is designed to provide graduates with the fundamental competencies and knowledge traditionally recognized as basic to a university education.
The objectives of the Core Curriculum are:
- to prepare students for a wide range of vocational settings;
- to provide the foundation for success in the specialization associated with a student’s major course of study; and
- to give students the intellectual resources necessary to be ethical contributors to their communities and to meet the interpersonal and collective challenges that the future will bring.
To meet these objectives, the Core Curriculum emphasizes:
- those skills that enable students to gather, organize, judge, and communicate information, namely oral and written expression, critical, analytical, and quantitative thinking; and
- the perspective, flexibility, and resilience a student gains from systematic, disciplined exposure to a broad array of human knowledge and experience.
Core Objectives
- Critical Thinking Skills (CT) - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
- Communication Skills (COM) - to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
- Empirical and Quantitative Skills (EQS) - to include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions
- Teamwork (TW) - to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
- Social Responsibility (SR) - to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities
- Personal Responsibility (PR) - to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making
2022 - 2023 Texas Core Curriculum Course Inventory*
UNT Dallas adheres to the Texas Core Curriculum established in Texas Education Code Chapter 61, Subchapter S. Courses designated on the transcript as a Foundation Component Area will be applied to the Texas Core Curriculum. The major degree plans offer suggestions for Core classes to new Freshman students starting at UNT Dallas, and transfer students who may be looking ahead to attend UNTD as it can reduce hours to degree and/or provide more opportunities for elective courses.
Individual academic programs may require courses contained in parts of the University Core Curriculum. Students who wish to take courses that will fulfill both core and major requirements simultaneously should check with academic advisors for assistance in selecting core courses.
Requirements
Note: Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) numbers, when applicable, are indicated in parentheses following the UNT course number and title. Some courses may have additional equivalents. See the “General Course Information ” section of this catalog for additional information about the TCCNS.
Communication (English Composition and Rhetoric) (010), 6 hours
The development of Critical Thinking, Communication, Teamwork, and 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.
Two courses from the following:
Mathematics (020), 3 hours
The development of Critical Thinking, Communication Skills, and 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.
One course from the following:
Life and Physical Sciences (030), 6 hours
The development of Critical Thinking, Communication, Empirical and Quantitative Skills, and Teamwork.
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.
Two courses from the following:
Language, Philosophy, and Culture (040), 3 hours
The development of Critical Thinking, Communication, Social Responsibility, and Personal Responsibilty.
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.
One course from the following:
Creative Arts (050), 3 hours
The development of Critical Thinking, Communication, Teamwork, and 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.
One course from the following:
American History (060), 6 hours
The development of Critical Thinking, Communication, Social Responsibility, and 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.
Two courses from the following:
Government/Political Science (070), 6 hours
The development of Critical Thinking, Communication, Social Responsibility, and 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.
Two courses from the following:
Social and Behavioral Sciences (080), 3 hours
The development of Critical Thinking, Communication, Empirical and Quantitative Skills, and Social 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.
One course from the following:
Component Area Option (090), 6 hours**
The development of Critical Thinking, Communication Skills, and one of the remaining core objectives related to an associated foundational component area.
Courses meet(s) the definition specified for one or more of the foundational component areas.
Two courses from the following:
Notes
*Subject to change
**All courses that are approved under a Foundational Component Area are also approved under Component Option Area A. The courses listed above are more CAO-A courses (in addition to the FCA courses). UNT Dallas does not have any CAO-B courses at this time.
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