Overseeing education for all undergraduates Undergraduate Studies

The Bridging Disciplines Programs help students to become versatile thinkers with the skills to collaborate across disciplines and cultures with concentrations in the following areas:

• Children and Society
• Cultural Studies
• Digital Arts and Media
• Environment
• Ethics and Leadership
• Film Studies
• International Studies
• Social Entrepreneurship and Non-profits
• Social Inequality, Health, and Policy

Visit the Bridging Disciplines Programs site to read student profiles, learn more about the concentrations and the programs advantages, and to find out about applying to participate.

The Ford Foundation has awarded a Difficult Dialogues grant to The University of Texas at Austin to promote open scholarly inquiry, academic freedom and respect for different cultures and beliefs.

EUREKA! is a web-based guide to faculty research and research opportunities for undergraduates at the University of Texas. The site features an online directory of faculty research interests and, for students, tips on getting started in research, information on funding and publication, and postings by UT faculty for research positions here on campus.

A First-Year Interest Group (FIG) is a group of 20-25 freshmen who share a common career or academic interest and who take a group of courses (two to four courses) together. The program helps students create friendships, find study group partners and, most importantly, have fun during their first semester.

Students who participate in FIGs generally have higher grade point averages and are more likely to stay at the university beyond their freshman year.

You don’t need to worry about signing up for a FIG until you’ve been admitted to UT Austin. Once you’re admitted, you’ll meet with your academic advisor during orientation and be able to discuss FIGs that may work best with your degree plan.

Selected FIGs for 2008

• Leaders of Tomorrow (Business)
• Business Around the World (Business)
• Freud, Film and Fun (Communication)
• The Fig Newtons (Mechanical Engineering)
• Schoolhouse Rock (Education)
• The Reel American Future (Liberal Arts)
• Up and Atom (Natural Sciences)
• Lifesavers (Nursing)
• Rules of the Game (Interdisciplinary)

More than 140 FIG topics are offered in 2008.

Freshman Reading Round-Up is a summer program for first-year students at The University of Texas at Austin that gives new Longhorns the chance to choose a book for summer reading from among titles recommended by some of UT's most distinguished faculty. On the day before fall classes begin, students participating in the Round-Up meet in small groups for an informal discussion with the professor who recommended the book.

Signature courses are taught by University of Texas at Austin professors, many of whom are outstanding figures in their fields, winners of teaching awards, and members of the university's Academy of Distinguished Teachers.

Many signature courses are taught in seminar format and enroll 18 or fewer students. The small class size allows the instructor to act as a mentor and classmates to become friends. Other signature courses are large format classes and enroll more than 18 students.

Students consistently report that signature courses help them to make the transition from high school to college-level writing and thinking. The courses also introduce students to the resources of the university and assist them in identifying interesting subjects for further research and future careers.

Incoming students enroll in signature courses during freshman orientation.

Longhorn Scholars is a four-year program for top 10% graduates from selected Texas high schools that have historically been underrepresented at The University of Texas at Austin.

Participation in Longhorn Scholars is by invitation. To be eligible, you must graduate from a participating Texas high school and be the recipient of a qualifying scholarship (including the Longhorn Opportunity Scholarship, the Presidential Achievement Scholarship, or the Terry Scholarship).

Every undergraduate at UT Austin has the opportunity to become a researcher and take part in the vibrant intellectual work of the university. You may want to be a scientist and participate in laboratory research, you may want to dig through historical archives or archaeological sites, or you may want to interview subjects for a sociological study.

All of this—and so much more—is research. And you can get involved! Visit the Undergraduate Research site to find out more.

The University Honors Center is a focal point for interdisciplinary honors activities at the University of Texas at Austin.

The center offers a variety of enrichment programs for undergraduate honors students and support to the campus activities of Alpha Lambda Delta, Phi Eta Sigma, national honor societies for first-year students.

The University Lecture Series gives students an opportunity to hear leading members of our faculty—scholars, scientists and public figures who are nationally and internationally renowned. The lectures are designed to create a campus-wide conversation, and Signature Course students will be required to attend (or watch online) and then discuss at least one lecture in class. Many First-Year Interest Groups (FIGs) will incorporate the lectures. All students, faculty, alumni, staff and community guests are invited, but the events will be aimed at entering first-year students.

The UT in D.C. Program at the Archer Center offers qualified UT Austin students the opportunity to study and intern in Washington, D.C., while earning twelve hours of upper-division credit in Government and Communication Studies. Past internship placements include the White House, the World Bank, National Public Radio, and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).

To be eligible to apply, undergraduate students must have completed 24 hours in residence at UT Austin by January 1 of the year they want to apply. They must also have a 3.0 GPA, have completed GOV 310L and 312L (or the equivalents) and have upper-division standing by the beginning of the semester for which they are selected. Students from all majors and all colleges are encouraged to apply.