Mailing address:

1155 Union Circle #311365

Denton, TX 76203-5017

Web site: cos.unt.edu

Advising Center

Web site: cos.unt.edu/advising 

Pamela Padilla, Dean

Ed Dzialowski, Associate Dean

John Quintanilla, Associate Dean

Mission

The mission of the College of Science at the University of North Texas is to provide a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative environment for students, faculty, and staff, integrating a contemporary education in science with the pursuit of research at the forefront of the natural and mathematical sciences.

Vision

The College of Science at the University of North Texas will be known for its:         

• Internationally recognized excellence in scientific research and discovery;
• Top quality science education for future scientists, teachers, health professionals, and other world citizens;
• Essential role as a pillar of the university’s reputation as a top tier research institution; and
• Successful promotion of scientific literacy, innovation, and economic development.

The college consists of the following departments and areas of study:

Biological Sciences
Chemistry
Forensic Science
Interdisciplinary Program in Applied and Computational Science
Mathematics
Physics
Teach North Texas

College of Science admissions requirements

Admission into the College of Science is contingent on clear admission to the university.

To be admitted into the College of Science, an applicant (freshman, transfer, international, or post-baccalaureate) must be eligible to enroll in MATH 1650 (Precalculus) or in a higher-level math class that has MATH 1650 as part of its prerequisite chain. Enrollment in mathematics classes for entering freshmen will be determined in accordance with criteria established by the Department of Mathematics. The UNT mathematics department web site lists links to preparation tests for the UNT math placement exam (www.math.unt.edu/academics/mathematics-placement).

Applicants who do not meet the above requirements will be provisionally admitted as pre-College of Science (PCOS). PCOS students are welcome to visit the COS Office for Student Advising for assistance. Full admission in the College of Science will be granted after passing MATH 1100 (Algebra) with a grade of C or higher or else showing proficiency in algebra, as described above.

For PCOS students whose degree plans do not require MATH 1710 (Calculus I), earning a C or higher in MATH 1180 (in lieu of MATH 1100) will be sufficient for admission into the College of Science.

After admission criteria are met by the applicant, the student will be accepted as a major in his or her program of study.

Academic advising

Academic advisors and counselors are available in the College of Science Advising Center to assist students in the development and pursuit of meaningful educational goals.

The College of Science Advising Center has trained academic advisors who are assigned to specific majors. The academic advisors prepare students’ degree audits, assist majors with core curriculum issues and requirements for their chosen major, and process graduation applications. Faculty advisors in the department assist the students in their major.

Degree requirements

The basic structure of all bachelor’s degrees consists of a large set of general education requirements common to all degrees (University Core Curriculum – 42 hours at UNT), a small set of requirements unique to the school or college offering the degree (college requirements), a set of requirements defining a major field of study as determined by a department (major/professional/concentration – a minimum of 24 hours, including 12 advanced hours earned at UNT), and electives chosen freely or in consultation with an advisor to reach the minimum number of hours required for the degree. A lesser field of study, a minor (minimum of 18 hours), is optional unless specified in the degree requirements. All degrees require that 30 hours be earned at UNT and that at least 36 hours are at the advanced level (3000- and 4000-level courses).

Degree audit

A degree audit is an official document of the university that lists all the courses needed to complete a chosen degree and shows how all of the courses completed are applied toward the degree. Students should file for a degree audit when certain of their major by making an appointment with the faculty advisor in the major department. Transfer students will need to bring:

• copies of transfer transcripts;
• catalog descriptions of transfer courses; and
• the initial Core Curriculum Transfer Evaluation from orientation.

After the degree audit advising session with the faculty advisor, the degree audit request form is sent to the Advising Center for preparation of the degree audit. Within a few weeks, an official degree audit will be e-mailed to the address provided. Students may view their degree audit online at mydegreeaudit.unt.edu anytime or obtain an updated copy each term/semester from the Advising Center. Academic advisors in the Advising Center are available by appointment to assist students with questions that may arise as they chart their progress.

Programs of study

The college offers the following undergraduate degrees:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Medical Laboratory Sciences and Physics;
• Professional, preprofessional and specialized programs
• Minors in a variety of disciplines – see individual departments
• Academic certificates

Multiple Programs of Study

Students pursuing two or more majors offered by the College of Science must meet the following requirements:

• Selecting two or more majors from the same academic department is prohibited.
• For each major offered by the College of Science, a student must take at least 21 unique hours that do not count toward the other major(s) in the College of Science that the student is pursuing. Of these 21 unique hours, at least 12 hours must be advanced.

Students may not earn a major and a minor from the same academic department unless the minor is specifically included in the requirements of the major.

Students are permitted to earn a major and an academic certificate from the same academic department.

Degree Requirements

The following requirements are in addition to or a specification of the University Core Curriculum requirements for Bachelor of Arts degrees and some Bachelor of Science degrees.

Bachelor of Arts degree requirements

Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts must meet the following requirements.

1.Hours Required for the Degree: Completion of a minimum of 120 total semester hours; 36 must be advanced.

2.General University Requirements: See “General Degree Requirements” in the Academics section of this catalog.

3.College of Science Degree Requirements: See “College of Science degree requirements” in this section of the catalog for specific requirements and list of approved courses. See specific degree audit for exact hours.

4.Major Requirements: A major as specified by the department with at least 24 semester hours; 12 hours of advanced work in the major must be completed at UNT.

5.Minor: See individual major.

6.Electives: See individual major.

7.Other Course Requirements: See individual major.

8.Other Requirements: Completion of all other requirements for a major and a minor as specified by the respective departments.

Bachelor of Science degree requirements

Candidates for the Bachelor of Science must meet the following requirements.

1.Hours Required for the Degree: Completion of a minimum of 120 total semester hours; 36 must be advanced.

2.General University Requirements: See “General Degree Requirements” in the Academics section of this catalog.

3.Major Requirements: A major as specified by the department with at least 24 semester hours; 12 hours of advanced work in the major must be completed at UNT.

4.Minor: See individual major.

5.Electives: See individual major.

6.Other Course Requirements: See individual major.

7.Other Requirements: Completion of all other requirements for a major and a minor as specified by the respective departments.

Core curriculum

Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in the College of Science must complete the University Core (see the Academics section of this catalog) and the College of Science degree requirements shown below. Students should see the departmental advisor for their major for more information.

Bachelor of Arts Breadth Requirement, 3–12 hours (or foreign language proficiency)

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts must complete four classes (minimum 3 hours each) from classes outside of COS; these classes may not be simultaneously applied to University Core Curriculum requirements. Students are encouraged to use these 12 hours to add value to their degree by applying them to a certificate, minor, or second major that will support their goals, in consultation with the COS Advising Center.

This requirement will be deemed complete for Bachelor of Arts students who attain Intermediate II (2050) level proficiency in a foreign language (for all languages other than American Sign Language, prerequisites for 2050 are 1010, 1020, and 2040, in sequence). Also, students who graduated from a high school outside the United States at which English was not the primary language should ask the COS Advising Center about eligibility for waiving this requirement.

The Bachelor of Science degree offers candidates the opportunity for greater depth in their field of study, while the Bachelor of Arts degree gives candidates a greater opportunity to take classes from a wider range of classes from across the university. Candidates should see consult their individual majors for specific requirements for the Bachelor of Science.