Requirements and restrictions College of Natural Sciences
In addition to submitting a complete application for admission, freshman applicants to the College of Natural Sciences should also review the following information regarding the calculus pre-requisite for incoming freshmen, entry-level majors, and special application requirements for the college’s honors programs.
Calculus Pre-requisite
The number one indicator for success in the College of Natural Sciences is the level of math courses taken in high school. All Natural Sciences degrees require completion of a college-level calculus course. To help them prepare for college, prospective students considering a major in the College of Natural Sciences should take at least a beginning calculus (not pre-calculus) course during high school.
Entering Natural Sciences students are also required to take a calculus proficiency exam called ALEKS prior to registering for classes. The purpose of the exam is to test each student’s current knowledge, regardless of Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit earned. The College of Natural Sciences sends information about ALEKS to students after they are admitted.
Visit the ALEKS section of the Natural Sciences web site for more information.
Students accepted into the College of Natural Sciences who have not met the calculus pre-requisite before arriving as freshmen will be given summer assistance to improve their math skills and will be able to take a calculus placement test immediately before classes begin.
Admission to Entry-level Majors
All Natural Sciences students are admitted to entry-level majors for the field they wish to study. After completing some of the courses required for the degree, each student selects the major and the option he or she plans to pursue.
Honors Programs
College of Natural Sciences Honors Programs include both college-wide and departmental opportunities that provide small classes, dedicated academic advising, and participation in the college's nationally-recognized Freshman Research Initiative. The college-wide honors programs include the Dean's Scholars Honors Program and the Health Science Honors Program.
- Dean’s Scholars Honors Program: Dean's Scholars pursue honors degrees in the Natural Sciences major of their choice. These honors degrees focus on innovative and interdisciplinary curriculum, extensive elective hours, and continuous research culminating in an Honors Research Thesis.
- Health Science Honors (HSH) Program: The Health Science Honors Program provides access to an extensive array of clinical and research internships, support for career exploration, and a capstone health sciences presentation.
Departmental honors programs include Computer Science's Turing Scholars Program and Human Ecology's Nutritional Sciences and Human Development and Family Sciences Honors Programs.
- Turing Scholars offers an intensive, accelerated path through the core Computer Science curriculum and extensive research opportunities.
- Human Ecology's honors programs offer robust internship opportunities, faculty-guided research, and personalized academic support through small classes and specialized advising.
To be considered for admission to any of these programs, applicants must complete and submit a UT Austin Honors Application.
Learn More about Natural Sciences
Still not certain about your major choice? Learn more about the College of Natural Sciences.