Academics, opportunities and resources in the College of Natural sciences

The College of Natural Sciences is committed to providing unique opportunities that promote discovery, creativity and innovation for students seeking careers in the natural sciences.
State-of-the-art academic resources, outstanding faculty and special programs, such as the university’s Undergraduate Research Program, expose undergraduates to a variety of learning situations in the classroom and beyond.
Departments
Opportunities and Resources for Natural Sciences Students
Getting Involved
Choose from more than 45 student organizations involving majors and interests in the College of Natural Sciences.
Preparing for a Career in Medicine
Most undergraduates interested in a career in medicine begin their studies in a major in the College of Natural Sciences. No specific major is designated for pre-med studies. Instead undergraduates spend their time pursuing a specific undergraduate major and working closely with advisors and the Health Professions Office to prepare to pursue a career in medicine.
The Texas Interdisciplinary Plan (TIP)
The TIP-First Year is a highly selective academic program for first-year students in the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Natural Sciences. TIP-FY provides students with a rigorous course of study, an introduction to critical thinking, and a unique blend of academic opportunities and benefits.
Emerging Scholars Program
Emerging Scholars Program is a challenging honors-level academic program for a select group of entering freshmen majoring in the Colleges of Natural Sciences, Engineering, Business and Liberal Arts. Started in Fall 1988, ESP is designed to provide motivated students with an opportunity to study calculus in a challenging but friendly environment.
Women in Natural Sciences

Women in Natural Sciences is designed to promote recruitment, retention and success of women at all levels throughout the college. Academic disciplines within the college include astronomy, chemistry, computer sciences, geological sciences, human ecology, mathematics, physics and all fields of biological sciences.
Undergraduate Research Program
The Undergraduate Research Program encourages all undergraduates to incorporate a research experience into their undergraduate program.
UTeach Natural Sciences
UTeach is a collaboration between UT Austin’s Colleges of Natural Sciences and Education and the Austin Independent School District. Its goal is to attract interested students to explore secondary teaching early with limited initial commitment of time and money.
Research Facilities
The McDonald Observatory is one of the world's leading centers for astronomical research, teaching and public education and outreach.
The J.J. Pickle Research Center is a 476-acre site eight miles north of the main campus and houses research organizations in engineering, science and the social sciences.
The Marine Science Institute has active research programs in marine science disciplines including the physiology, biochemistry and ecology of marine plants and animals; dynamics of marine ecosystems; biogeochemistry; mariculture; toxicology; and environmental monitoring. It is the oldest marine research station on the Texas Gulf Coast.
In the heart of central Austin along the Colorado River, the 88-acre Brackenridge Field Laboratory provides easy access to natural experimental space for college biologists, ecologists and their students. The lab includes several ecosystems representative of Central Texas, access to aquatic research facilities and state-of-the-art greenhouses.
Additional Information
Newsletter
Insight is the college’s undergraduate newsletter published three times a year. Read copies online or pick up a copy at WCH 1.106
Facilities
The College of Natural Sciences campus facilities include Will C. Hogg Building, T.S. Painter Hall, Applied Computational Engineering and Sciences Building, Geology Building, T. U. Taylor Hall, Biological Laboratories, Biological Greenhouse, Robert A. Welch Hall and Experimental Science Building.
Special Requirements
In addition to completing an application for admission, prospective natural sciences students should also learn about special application and program requirements for some freshman applicants and transfer applicants.
Applying to Natural Sciences
Looking for information about the majors offered by the University of Texas at Austin? Visit the Majors page for a list of freshman and transfer majors in each college and school, many with links to details about the program.
Think you’re ready to select a Natural Sciences program as your major choice? Learn about applying for freshman admission or transfer admission.
Updated 9 August 2007

