All about… Colleges, Schools & Majors

Whether you want to pursue a lifelong passion, explore the unfamiliar or investigate your own ideas in greater depth, you’re likely to find what you’re looking for among the university’s more than 170 undergraduate fields of study and 100 majors.
View/print a current list of majors (PDF – 87K)
Pre-Med and Pre-Law
UT Austin students don’t major in pre-med or pre-law. Instead, students interested in attending a professional school (like a law, medical, dental or veterinary school) after earning their bachelor’s degree take advantage of specialized advising through Pre-Law Services or Health Professions Advising.
Colleges, Schools and Majors
School of Architecture
Visit the School of Architecture page.
The School of Architecture is one of the elite architecture and design programs in the country. The undergraduate architecture program ranks No. 5 on the DesignIntelligence (2010) list of the nation’s best architecture and design schools. The school is home to The Center for American Architecture and Design and the Center for Sustainable Development.
- Architectural Studies
- Architectural Studies (architecture history emphasis)
- Architecture
- Architecture/Architectural Engineering (dual degree plan)
- Interior Design
See the School of Architecture’s undergraduate degree plans.
Admission available in the fall semester only.
McCombs School of Business
Visit the McCombs School of Business page to learn about rankings and opportunities for prospective students to learn more.
One of the largest and most distinguished business schools in the country, the McCombs School of Business is ranked No. 6 on U.S. News & World Report’s (2010) list of top undergraduate programs. It is the highest ranked business school in the southwest United States and is one of the few schools in the country to receive top marks in nearly all the business specialty areas ranked annually by U.S. News.
Business students initially enroll without specifying a major field of study and declare a major after completing 30 hours of coursework or completing certain prerequisites.
- Freshman applicants apply to Unspecified Business/Freshman.
- Transfer applicants select from Unspecified Business/Transfer, Degree Holder/Nondegree Seeker, and Transitional Students (international exchange).
When enrolled students are ready to declare a major, they select from the following:
- Accounting (BBA or MPA)
- Business Honors Program
- Engineering Route to Business
- Finance
- International Business
- Management
- Management Information Systems
- Marketing
- Supply Chain Management
See the undergraduate degree plans for the McCombs School of Business.
Admission available in the summer and fall semester only.
College of Communication
Visit the College of Communication page.
The largest and most comprehensive communication college in the country, the College of Communication consistently earns top rankings for research, teaching excellence and creative work. The college boasts 20 Pulitzer Prizes awarded to 18 former students (three of whom have won twice), and countless industry leaders in journalism, communication sciences and disorders, advertising, and public relations. The college’s facilities offer hands-on learning at KUT public radio, KLRU public television, KVRX student radio, The Daily Texan student newspaper and TSTV student television.
- Advertising*
- Communication Studies*
- Corporate Communication
- Human Relations
- Political Communication - Communication Sciences & Disorders*
- Audiology
- Education of the Deaf/Hearing Impaired
- Speech/Language Pathology - Pre-Journalism (freshman and transfer applicants interested in journalism apply to pre-journalism)
- Public Relations
- Radio-Television-Film
Learn about the undergraduate degree requirements for the College of Communication.
* When applying for transfer admission into these majors in the College of Communication, applicants apply based on whether they have fewer than or at least 60 hours of coursework.
Admission available in fall semester only.
College of Education
Visit the College of Education page.
The College of Education offers degrees and programs in teacher education, special education, health education, kinesiology, educational psychology and educational administration. Whether you plan to be a math teacher, athletic trainer or school principal, the College of Education is for you. The college is ranked third in the national among public universities by U.S. News & World Report (2010).
- Applied Learning & Development
- Early Childhood to Grade 6 Generalist Certification
- Early Childhood to Grade 6 Bilingual Generalist Certification
- All-Level Generic Special Education Certification - Pre-Athletic Training (freshman and transfer applicants select the pre-athletic training major)
- Kinesiology & Health
- Applied Movement Science
- Exercise Science
- Health Promotion
- Physical Culture & Sports (Students interested in Sport Management enroll as Physical Culture & Sports majors.)
Other Options for Future Educators
- Middle and Secondary Level Teaching: Students interested in teaching at the middle grades or secondary level must enroll in the college that houses the subject they plan to teach and pursue a program called UTeach Liberal Arts or UTeach Natural Sciences.
- Degree Holders: Some transfer applicants seek entry into the College of Education after earning a degree. In such cases the applicants select from the following majors: Degree Holder, Nondegree Seeker; Degree Holder, Secondary Certificate Seeker; Degree Holder, Elementary Certificate Seeker; Degree Holder, Endorsement Seeker; and Degree Holder, All-level Certificate Seeker.
Learn about the undergraduate degrees offered by the College of Education.
Cockrell School of Engineering
Visit the Cockrell School of Engineering page.
The Cockrell School of Engineering is consistently ranked among the nation’s top engineering programs. According to U.S. News & World Report (2010), the school is the top-ranked engineering program in Texas, the No. 9 ranked undergraduate engineering program and the No. 5 ranked engineering program among public universities. The school ranks fourth in number of faculty who are National Academy of Engineering members—the nation’s highest honor for engineers.
- Aerospace Engineering
- Architectural Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Geosystems Engineering & Hydrogeology (Entering freshmen begin this program in the Jackson School of Geosciences.)
- Mechanical Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
Transfer applicants who are not interested in working towards an undergraduate engineering degree may also select Degree Holder/Nondegree Seeker when applying to the Cockrell School of Engineering.
Learn about the undergraduate degree programs offered by the Cockrell School of Engineering.
Admission available in the summer and fall semester only.
College of Fine Arts
Visit the College of Fine Arts page.
The College of Fine Arts enriches the lives of university students and the Austin community through art, music, dance and theater. The college emphasizes cultural diversity, community engagement and technological innovation and is home to Texas Performing Arts which is made up of six state-of-the-art theatres, shops, rehearsal spaces, offices and meeting rooms. Texas Performing Arts is able to present the grandest Broadway musical production as well as the smallest one-act play.
- Art History (BA)
- Dance (BFA)
- Design (BFA)
- Music
- Studio Art (BA or BFA)
- Theatre & Dance (BA)
- Theatre Studies (BFA, all-level teacher certification)
- Visual Art Studies (BFA, all-level teacher certification)
- Art Teacher Certification
- Community Art Programs and Administration
Learn about the undergraduate degrees offered by the College of Fine Arts.
Special admission requirements may apply. Admission to all majors (except Music) is available in fall semester only. Music offers spring admission on a space available basis in all areas except voice.
Jackson School of Geosciences
Visit the Jackson School of Geosciences page.
One of the oldest, largest and most prestigious geosciences programs in the world with leadership in all major areas, from the environment to energy. The school is ranked a top ten program by U.S. News & World Report—the only program in Texas with this distinction. It is home to the Institute of Geophysics and the Bureau of Economic Geology.
- Geological Sciences
- General
- Geophysics
- Hydrogeology
- Environmental Science (admission available in fall semester only)
- Teaching - Geosystems Engineering & Hydrogeology (offered jointly with the Cockrell School of Engineering)
Find out about the undergraduate degree options offered by the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Admission available in fall semester only. Geosciences students enter as Undeclared Geological Sciences majors and remain so until prepared to enroll in college-level calculus.
College of Liberal Arts
Visit the College of Liberal Arts page.
Home to the largest community on campus with more than 14,000 students and 600 faculty members, the College of Liberal Arts serves as the intellectual core of the university by embracing the idea that understanding history, society and culture helps students better understand and thrive in the world beyond campus. The college offers 55 degrees through 20 academic departments and two dozen centers and institutes.
- Undeclared
- African and African Diaspora Studies (replaces Ethnic Studies – African & African American)
- American Studies
- Ancient History & Classical Civilization
- Anthropology
- Arabic Language & Literature
- Asian Cultures & Languages
- Asian Studies
- Classical Archaeology
- Classics
- Czech Language & Culture
- Economics
- English
- Environmental Science (Geographical Sciences) (admission available in fall only)
- Ethnic Studies
- Asian American
- Mexican American - European Studies
- French
- Geography
- German
- Government
- Greek
- Hebrew Language & Literature
- History
- International Relations and Global Studies
- Islamic Studies
- Italian
- Jewish Studies
- Latin
- Latin American Studies
- Linguistics
- Middle Eastern Studies
- Persian Language & Literature
- Philosophy
- Plan II Honors Program (Admission available in fall semester only.)
- Portuguese
- Psychology (BA or BS)
- Religious Studies
- Rhetoric & Writing
- Russian Language & Culture
- Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies
- Scandinavian Studies
- Sociology
- Spanish
- Turkish Language & Literature
- Urban Studies
- Women’s and Gender Studies
See sample undergraduate degree plans for majors in the College of Liberal Arts.
Transfer applicants who are not interested in earning an undergraduate degree in the College of Liberal Arts may also apply as a Degree Holder, Nondegree Seeker.
College of Natural Sciences
Visit the College of Natural Sciences page.
The College of Natural Sciences is committed to providing a high-quality, research-based science education and creating an intellectually and scientifically enriched environment that fosters economic and technological development. The college’s faculty includes two Nobel Laureates, 17 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and four National Medal of Science recipients.
- Undeclared
- Astronomy
- Biochemistry; Biochemistry (BS, option: Computation)
- Biology (BA)
- Biology (BS)
- Computational Biology
- Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior
- Human Biology
- Marine & Freshwater Biology
- Microbiology
- Neurobiology
- Plant Biology
- Teaching (Specialization in Life or Specialization in Composite Science) - Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Environmental Science (Biological Sciences) (admission available in fall only)
- Human Development & Family Sciences
- Early Childhood
- Families & Society
- General Human Development & Family Sciences
- Human Development - Human Ecology
- Mathematics
- Actuarial Science
- Applied Mathematics
- Mathematical Sciences
- Pure Mathematics
- Secondary Teaching - Medical Laboratory Science
- Nutrition
- Pre-Pharmacy
- Physics
- Computation
- Radiation Physics
- Space Sciences
- Teaching - Public Health
- Textiles & Apparel (Students initially enroll under Human Ecology.)
- Apparel Design & Conservation
- Retail Merchandising
Visit the Degree Plans page for more information.
Transfer applicants who are not interested in earning an undergraduate degree in the College of Natural Sciences may also apply as a Degree Holder, Nondegree Seeker or as a Degree Holder, Nondegree Seeker (pre-Pharmacy).
Natural Sciences students initially enroll in an entry-level major. After completing some of the courses required for the degree, each student selects the major and the option he or she plans to pursue. For example, all applicants interested in a career in physics apply to the entry-level Physics major. After completing entry-level courses, the student chooses to pursue either the Bachelor of Arts in physics or the Bachelor of Science in Physics with an option in physics, computation, radiation physics, space sciences, or teaching.
School of Nursing
Visit the School of Nursing page.
A major center of nursing education and research in Texas, the School of Nursing is the top nursing school in the country that is not located in a health science center or medical school. The school operates three nurse-run clinics in the Austin area where nursing students at all levels provide services: the Community Women’s Wellness Center, Family Wellness Center and the Children’s Wellness Center.
- Nursing (Pre-professional)
Find out about the undergraduate degree plan (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) offered by the School of Nursing.
College of Pharmacy
Visit the College of Pharmacy page.
The College of Pharmacy helps change the world by preparing the most outstanding students for challenging careers as pharmacy clinicians and scientists while improving the health care of all Texans through discovery and development in research laboratories. The college is one of the premier institutions of pharmaceutical education and research in the country, ranking among the top four programs in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings of pharmacy programs.
- Pre-Pharmacy
See information about the degree plans and coursework requirements for pre-pharmacy.
Transfer applicants who are not interested in earning a degree in the College of Pharmacy may also apply as a Degree Holder, Nondegree Seeker.
Entering freshmen begin the pre-pharmacy program in the College of Natural Sciences.
School of Social Work
Visit the School of Social Work page.
Focuses on the education of individuals who will lead the profession in the alleviation of critical social problems, the promotion of social justice and the enhancement of human well-being. The school offers professional programs for students interested in social work practice, policy, administration, research and teaching.
- Social Work (pre-major sequence)
Find out about the undergraduate degree requirements in the School of Social Work.
Undergraduate Studies
Visit the School of Undergraduate Studies page.
Offers incoming students the opportunity to explore available programs before selecting a major. Undergraduate Studies does not offer degrees. Instead, students choose core courses and electives while working with experienced advisors to prepare for transfer into undergraduate majors in the university’s other colleges and schools.
- Undeclared
Find out about the university’s undergraduate core curriculum.
Applicants undecided on a major may apply to Undeclared in Undergraduate Studies. Students will be required to declare a major outside of Undergraduate Studies before earning 60 semester hours of coursework or before completing four long semesters (fall and/or spring) in residence, whichever comes first.
Special Application and Program Requirements
Be sure to review the information about special requirements for both freshman and transfer applicants in each of the colleges and schools to make certain that you complete everything needed for an admission decision to be made.
Advising for Selected Majors
Some students pursue interests in special aspects of the major they select. Such students are able to obtain special academic advising to help them pursue their particular interests. Examples include “Prelaw” (code19), “Premedical, Predental, Preveterinary” (code14), and “Prepharmacy” (code 18).
Lists of special advising areas for each college and school are located in the “Advising and major codes” section of each semester’s Course Schedule on the Registrar’s web site.
If you are interested in special advising, fax (512-475-7478) or mail a request identifying your interest to the Office of Admissions, Attention: Special Advising. The Office of Admissions will note the request on your admissions application record. If you’re admitted, contact the special advising area to request assistance.