College of Arts and Sciences

Main Office
General Academic Building, Room 210

Mailing address:
1155 Union Circle #305189
Denton, TX 76203-5017
940-565-2497
Fax: 940-565-4529

Dean’s Office for Undergraduates and Student Advising
General Academic Building, Room 220
940-565-2051
Fax: 940-565-4529

Web site: www.cas.unt.edu/advising

David Holdeman, Interim Dean

Jean B. Schaake, Associate Dean
Floyd McDaniel, Associate Dean
Steven Cobb, Associate Dean
Kathryn Cullivan, Associate Dean

The College of Arts and Sciences embraces instruction, research and service across a broad spectrum of science, the arts, humanities and social sciences. As a direct result of these activities, the college delivers lively, stimulating programs of study in a thought-provoking, intellectual climate. The college emphasizes the creation of specialized learning links with other areas of knowledge provided by other colleges, with the ultimate goal being to foster an understanding of the complex, multi-faceted world around and beyond us.

The dedicated faculty and staff of the college strive continuously to provide students with a strong, comprehensive general education that will prepare them for successful careers in a rapidly changing and sometimes unpredictable world. Consequently, its degree programs help students develop both the critical thinking ability and the dedicated knowledge base essential for achieving a high quality of life and for being better, more informed citizens.

Consistent with the goals of providing a comprehensive, relevant education, the College of Arts and Sciences prepares students to acquire certain key, basic proficiencies:

written and oral communication and mathematics;
qualitative and quantitative understanding of the basic processes of the physical and life sciences;
working knowledge of a foreign language and foreign culture beyond the two years expected before entering college;
understanding and appreciation of the various fields of learning represented by historical inquiry, the visual and performing arts, the processes of thought in the humanities and philosophy, and the investigation of the causes and consequences of human actions pursued in the social sciences; and
appropriate levels of knowledge and critical ability in a chosen discipline and its method of inquiry.

Students in the College of Arts and Sciences will receive the intellectual stimulation and the conceptual framework to explore critically the interconnected worlds of self, man, society and nature. They will acquire the necessary literacies and broad-based exposure to the main elements of human experience that initiate the lifelong process of being an educated person and, that in most instances, also provide the means to enter graduate schools or a variety of careers.

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

Aerospace Studies
Biological Sciences
Chemistry
Communication Studies
Dance and Theatre
Economics
English
Forensic Science
Geography
History
Integrative Studies
International Studies
Jewish and Israel Studies
Mathematics
Media Arts
Military Science
Philosophy and Religion Studies
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Social Science
Sociology
Technical Communication
Women’s and Gender Studies
World Languages, Literatures and Cultures

Academic advising

Academic advisors and counselors are available in the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office for Undergraduates and Student Advising in the General Academic Building, Room 220, to assist students in the development and pursuit of meaningful educational goals.

The College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office for Undergraduates and Student Advising 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 42 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 Dean’s Office for Undergraduates and Student Advising (GAB, Room 220) for preparation of the degree audit. Within a few weeks, an official degree audit will be mailed to the address provided. Students may view their degree audit online at my.unt.edu anytime or obtain an updated copy each term/semester from GAB, Room 220. Academic advisors in GAB, Room 220, 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 Fine Arts
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Mathematics, Medical Laboratory Sciences and Physics;
Professional, preprofessional and specialized programs
Minors in a variety of disciplines – see individual departments
Academic certificates

Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees must satisfy all “General degree requirements” for the bachelor’s degree listed in the Academics section of this catalog, and all requirements of the arts and sciences degree requirements listed below. Candidates for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree must satisfy all requirements for the bachelor’s degree listed in the Academics section of this catalog.

Degree requirements and the University Core Curriculum

Occasionally a course required for a degree may also satisfy a requirement of the University Core Curriculum. In addition to taking the required course, a student may elect to take a different course from among those available to fulfill that core requirement; doing so, however, may add to the total number of hours required for the degree. Students who have questions regarding degree requirements and core requirements should consult an academic advisor.

Bachelor of Arts degree requirements

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

Hours Required for the Degree: Completion of a minimum of 120 total semester hours; 42 must be advanced.
General University Requirements: See “General Degree Requirements ” in the Academics section of this catalog.
College of Arts and Sciences Degree Requirements: See “Arts and Sciences degree requirements ” in this section of the catalog for specific requirements and list of approved courses. See specific degree audit for exact hours.
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.
Minor: See individual major.
Electives: See individual major.
Other Course Requirements: See individual major.
Other Requirements: Completion of all other requirements for a major and a minor as specified by the respective departments.

Bachelor of Fine Arts degree requirements

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

Hours Required for the Degree: Completion of a minimum of 120 total semester hours; 42 must be advanced.
General University Requirements: See “General Degree Requirements ” in the Academics section of this catalog.
Major Requirements: Major in dance is available. See the Department of Dance and Theatre for specific requirements.
Minor: See individual major.
Electives: See individual major.
Other Course Requirements: See individual major.
Other Requirements: Completion of all other requirements for a major or minor as specified by the respective departments.

Bachelor of Science degree requirements

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

Hours Required for the Degree: Completion of a minimum of 120 total semester hours; 42 must be advanced.
General University Requirements: See “General Degree Requirements ” in the Academics section of this catalog.
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.
Minor: See individual major.
Electives: See individual major.
Other Course Requirements: See individual major.
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 Arts and Sciences must complete the University Core and the Arts and Sciences degree requirements shown below. Candidates for the Bachelor of Science degree may have other options for the foreign language requirement. Candidates for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree must satisfy the requirements of the University Core Curriculum. Students should see the departmental advisor for their major for more information.

University Core Curriculum

Discovery (3 hours): See approved list in the Academics section of this catalog.
Communication (English Composition and Rhetoric) (6 hours): See approved list in the Academics section of this catalog.
Mathematics (3 hours): See “University Core Curriculum Requirements ” in the Academics section of this catalog.
Life and Physical Sciences (6 hours): See “University Core Curriculum Requirements ” in the Academics section of this catalog.
American History (6 hours): See approved list in the Academics section of this catalog.
Government/Political Science (6 hours): See approved list in the Academics section of this catalog.
Creative Arts (3 hours): See approved list in the Academics section of this catalog.
Language, Philosophy and Culture (3 hours): See approved list in the Academics section of this catalog.
Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 hours): See approved list in the Academics section of this catalog.
Capstone (3 hours): See approved list in the Academics section of this catalog.

Arts and Sciences degree requirements

Teacher certification

Note: For teacher certification in mathematics or science, see the Teach North Texas section of this catalog.

The College of Arts and Sciences encourages students to explore teaching as a career option. The student’s departmental advisor or academic advisor in the Dean’s Office for Undergraduates and Student Advising in GAB, Room 220, can assist students with course requirements for certification. Students seeking certification for grades 8–12 or EC–12 must also complete the required 21 hours in upper-level education courses (EDSE 3800 , EDSE 3830 , EDSE 4060 , EDSE 4070 , EDSE 4108 , EDSE 4118 , EDSE 4840 ) and meet all GPA requirements to apply for state certification. In order to enroll in the first required education courses, the student must make application to the certification program in the College of Education in Matthews Hall, Room 105. All state certification requirements and information on required examinations are available on the web site of the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), www.tea.state.tx.us. Students interested in post-baccalaureate certification or pursuing a master’s degree with certification must make application and meet all admission requirements of the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies.

Teacher certification areas

Secondary
Biology (Life Science)
Biochemistry (Chemistry, Physical Science)
Chemistry (Chemistry, Physical Science)
Communication (Speech)
Dance
English (English Language Arts and Reading)
History
Mathematics (Math, Math-Physics)
Physics (Physics-Math, Physical Science)
Social Science (Social Studies)
All-Level (Grades EC–12)
French
German
Spanish
Theatre

Scholarships

The Charles T. and Mildred L. Newell Memorial Scholarship

To qualify, a student must meet minimum entrance and academic performance standards of the College of Arts and Sciences, enroll as a full-time undergraduate student majoring in a College of Arts and Sciences academic program, and maintain full-time enrollment at the university (unless the applicant has less than twice the number of semester hours required to be full-time remaining in the degree audit).

The deadline to apply for this scholarship is April 1. Applications are available during February and March.

President’s Council Scholarship

The deadline to apply for this scholarship is April 1. Applications are available during February and March.

The Frank C. Spencer Rural Student Scholarship

To qualify, a student must come from a “highly rural” Texas county defined by population density, demonstrate financial need, meet minimum and continuing academic performance standards, and maintain full-time enrollment in a program of the College of Arts and Sciences (unless the applicant has less than twice the number of semester hours required to be full-time remaining in the degree audit).

Programs

Majors

Minors

Undergraduate Academic Certificates

Requirements

Arts and Sciences degree requirements

Courses

Women’s Studies

Quicklinks

Catalog