UT Austin to overhaul undergraduate core curriculum

The University of Texas at Austin is implementing a major overhaul of its undergraduate core curriculum, marking the first extensive review of the framework in over 20 years. The new plan aims to replace the current system, which officials described as a sprawling and disconnected collection of over 1,000 courses, with a more structured and rigorous foundational education.

The proposed curriculum will organize requirements around the humanities, social sciences, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The new framework increases the number of requirements from 10 to 12. Specific areas of focus include Western civilization, American politics, world politics and cultures, and science, including computer science and artificial intelligence.

To guide course content, the proposal suggests creating a ‘Texas 40: Great Thinkers’ list for humanities courses, with specific author lists for British, American, and world literature. While the structure is more defined, faculty members noted that academic freedom will remain a priority, allowing instructors to shape their own syllabi within the new framework.