College of Arts & Sciences

Tosha Dupras, Ph.D., Dean

202 Holden Hall | Box 41034 | Lubbock, TX 79409-1034
T 806.742.3831
Arts-and-Sciences@ttu.edu | www.as.ttu.edu

About the College

The College of Arts & Sciences offers a broad spectrum of programs and courses in the liberal arts; humanities; mathematics; and social, behavioral, and natural sciences. The primary function of the college is to impart to students the knowledge, skills of thinking and communicating, and values and attitudes that constitute a liberal education. The faculty of the college seek to instill in their students a humanistic spirit, an appreciation of creativity, a commitment to excellence and truth, an ability to think critically and communicate effectively, and a desire for lifelong learning. The courses and programs in the college also provide a base of knowledge and skills from which students may enter such professional fields of study as law and medicine.

Undergraduate Curriculum

General Degree Requirements

Baccalaureate Degrees. Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree apply to all baccalaureate degrees offered through the College of Arts & Sciences unless specifically shown to the contrary. It is strongly recommended that students take all courses within Arts & Sciences to fulfill core, university, and general education degree requirements.

Major, Minor, and Electives. Students must take major, minor, and elective courses sufficient to total 120 semester hours, although some majors may require more total hours.

The minor may be any departmental minor or an established interdisciplinary minor.

Many departments and programs have residency requirements for the major and minor. See departmental or program listings for specific information.

Students should have selected their major and minor fields by the time they reach their sophomore year. For the major subject they will be required to complete a minimum of 30 semester hours, which should include a specified number of communication literacy courses. As indicated in the degree programs on the following pages, some majors require more than the 30-hour minimum. At least 24 hours of the major subject must be in courses at the junior-senior level. For the minor, a minimum of 18 semester hours must be completed, at least 6 of which must be of junior or senior level. All courses in the major and minor must be approved by the appropriate academic unit. Students are expected to develop a degree plan no later than the first semester of the sophomore year. Forms and information are available in department offices.

A minimum of 40 semester hours of junior and senior work must be presented; not more than 8 hours may be counted in applied music and/or music ensemble; not more than 8 hours of personal fitness and wellness.

Core Curriculum Requirements. The core curriculum requirements ensure breadth in each academic program. These requirements have been incorporated into the college’s various degree programs. Students have no need to refer to the core curriculum requirements unless so directed by their specific degree program.

Course Load. A normal full-time course load is 15 hours or more per semester. Course loads in excess of 19 semester for the fall and spring and 16 semester hours for the summer require approval by the Associate Dean in the Student Division of the College of Arts & Sciences. The maximum course load for a student on probation is 16 hours. To receive full-time financial aid, students must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 hours. Some financial aid programs allow enrollment in less than full-time hours. The normal course load for a single summer term is 6-8 hours.

Credit by Examination. Students at Texas Tech University may attempt credit by examination for degree credit during their freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years. The student is responsible for taking the tests early enough to allow sufficient time for scores to be reported to the university and processed by the Office of the Registrar, which in the case of Arts & Sciences degrees is generally two semesters prior to the semester of graduation. Arts & Sciences degrees require fulfillment of foreign language. For Arts & Sciences foreign language requirements, please refer to the specific requirements listed for each degree. Generally, Arts & Sciences students who wish to attempt credit by examination for degree credit in foreign language do so before the end of their sophomore year. This ensures that these students will have time to complete their foreign language requirement within four years if they do not succeed in earning credit by examination. Seniors must receive written permission from their academic dean’s office prior to attempting credit by examination and provide proof of notification upon registering for an exam at Academic Testing Services.

Grading Practices. The College of Arts & Sciences conforms to university grading practices as set forth in the major section entitled Academic Requirements  in this catalog. Credits for a course in which a grade of D is earned may not be applied toward fulfillment of the major, adjunct, minor, concentration area, or teaching field requirements for any degree program.

Except for those courses designated “may be repeated for credit” in this catalog, no course may be used more than once on a degree plan unless it has been approved by the Associate Dean in the Student Division of the College of Arts & Sciences.

Freshman Year. Entering freshmen develop their programs in conference with an academic advisor. The students report to their advisors for such individual conferences or group meetings as are needed for the purpose of orienting themselves to academic regulations and procedures, curricula, and degree requirements in their various areas of interest.

Students are urged to take required freshman courses during the freshman year. During the sophomore year the student should complete the second year of English and all other freshman requirements. Normally, core curriculum requirements should be completed by the end of the sophomore year. Freshmen should not enroll in junior-senior level courses.

Admission of Transfer Students. Students transferring from another academic institution must meet the university-wide admission requirements stated in an earlier section. Students requesting permission to transfer from another college at Texas Tech must have a GPA of at least 2.0. The College of Arts & Sciences will determine the applicability of any transferred credit to academic programs in the college.

Arts & Sciences Undeclared. Freshmen may be admitted with a general major known as “Arts & Sciences Undeclared” (ASUD) until they select the major degree program in which they intend to graduate. The college offers a broad area of education that includes the social sciences, liberal arts, and humanities, as well as the natural sciences and mathematics. Arts & Sciences Undeclared is only a temporary administrative designation in which students cannot earn a degree. Students in the College of Arts & Sciences are urged to focus on fulfilling general degree requirements during their first year. This alleviates the pressure to make an immediate decision on a major and career. Students can use their first year to build a strong academic foundation. At the same time, students can investigate career alternatives and take elective courses in those professional fields or subject areas that are possible majors. Students listed as ASUD are advised by academic advisors with the Office of Student Success in room 002 Holden Hall to help with selecting general degree requirements, electives, and a major. Skill/interest testing is available to students at 164 Drane Hall. After taking courses that are required for most majors (e.g., English, American history, political science, mathematics), students have the flexibility to begin working toward any of the major fields offered within the College of Arts & Sciences. ONLY STUDENTS WITH FEWER THAN 30 HOURS MAY BE LISTED AS ARTS & SCIENCES UNDECLARED. Students who have completed 30 or more hours will have a hold placed on their records until they declare a major.

Final 30 Credit Hours. The final 30 credit hours applied to a degree program must be completed with Texas Tech enrollments. Students wishing to transfer in coursework during their semester of graduation may do so with prior approval from their academic dean’s office. Due to processing deadlines, it is strongly recommended that transfer coursework is not taken in the semester of graduation.

Teacher Education. The curricula of most of the Bachelor of Arts degree programs and some of the Bachelor of Science programs are flexible to permit a student to major in an academic subject, yet meet the requirements for teacher certification by taking the required courses in the College of Education. Those students planning to become high school teachers should minor in secondary education. Prospective teachers should refer to the College of Education section of this catalog as well as consult the College of Education and the chairperson or undergraduate advisor of the department in which they wish to major.

Dual Degrees. Students progressing toward a degree in another college may apply to the College of Arts & Sciences for permission to declare another degree in a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of General Studies, or Bachelor of Science International Economics program to become a dual-degree student. Generally, a 2.50 TTU cumulative grade point average is required before permission to enter a dual-degree program in the College of Arts & Sciences is given. Students declaring a B.A., B.G.S., or B.S.I.E. degree will be required to complete all requirements for those degrees as listed in this section of the catalog. Students declaring a B.S. degree will be required to complete all requirements as listed in this section of the catalog but may request a waiver of the foreign language requirement only if their other college does not have this requirement. Waiver requests may be completed and submitted to Holden Hall 102 at any time prior to their semester of graduation. NOTE: Dual-degree students who cancel their other degree program for any reason, or become ineligible to continue in the other degree program, will be required to complete the foreign language requirement in their A&S B.S. degree program. Requirements for all degrees must be completed and degrees conferred at the same time.

Students progressing toward a degree in the College of Arts & Sciences may also seek permission to declare another degree within the college in a B.S., B.A., B.G.S., or B.S.I.E. program, but will be required to complete all requirements given herein. These students (both degrees within the college) may not request a waiver of the foreign language requirement.

Students pursuing more than one major within a single degree (B.S. or B.A.) in the College of Arts & Sciences do not constitute a dual degree, and only one degree will be awarded. 

Additional information may be obtained by contacting the College of Arts & Sciences Student Division, Holden Hall 102.

Second Bachelor’s Degree. A second bachelor’s degree requires 24 semester credit hours that were not applied to the first degree, and at least 30 hours completed at Texas Tech if the first degree was completed at an institution other than TTU. Credit by examination will not satisfy the 30-hour residence requirement. To earn Latin honors for graduation, a student must complete 24 hours of coursework at TTU after the completion and awarding of the first degree. For additional information, see “Second Bachelor’s Degree” under the Academic Requirements section of this catalog.

The College of Arts & Sciences does not allow students with an undergraduate degree who are seeking to take only “prerequisite” coursework for eventual application to a professional health school to enter a second undergraduate degree program. These students should contact Undergraduate Admissions and apply to enter a non-degree seeking program.

Bachelor of Arts

The curriculum established for the Bachelor of Arts is designed to provide the foundation of a liberal education through a well-rounded study of the humanities; arts; mathematics; and social, behavioral, and natural sciences. It also provides the factual basis and the insights requisite for specialized study and professional work in these fields.

General Requirements. See “Undergraduate Credit by Examination” in the Undergraduate Admissions section of this catalog for information on credit provided by test scores to meet these requirements. Students must take the specified number of hours in the areas listed below. With a few exceptions, courses from the major and minor may be used to satisfy these requirements. Courses taken at State of Texas non-public or out-of-state institutions and transferred to Texas Tech will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and, if acceptable, will be applied to core and general education requirements as applicable. Except for the multicultural requirement, a course may not be counted in two different areas of the general requirements. A minimum of 24 hours at the junior/senior level is required in the major.

• English: 12

The 12 hours of English must consist of ENGL 1301  and ENGL 1302  and two literature courses from ENGL 2305 , ENGL 2306 , ENGL 2307 , ENGL 2308 , ENGL 2310 , ENGL 2321 , ENGL 2322 , ENGL 2323 , ENGL 2324 , ENGL 2325 , ENGL 2326 , ENGL 2351 , ENGL 2381 , ENGL 2382 , ENGL 2383 , ENGL 2388 , or ENGL 2391 . However, ENGL 2311  may be used as equivalent to fulfill 3 hours of this requirement. Literature courses taken at any level will be reviewed to determine applicability to requirements.

• Oral Communication: 3

Course must be selected from the core curriculum options.

• Foreign Language: 11-16

A student must complete 6 hours at the sophomore level or above in a single language. If 4 or more semesters of high school foreign language are accepted for admission, the student should consult the information preceding the course listing for the foreign language department. A student enrolling in the first-year sequence will have a total requirement of 11-16 hours. A student who enrolls in the second-year sequence will have a 6-hour requirement. International students whose native language is not English, who attended a secondary school for at least two years in their native country, and whose language of instruction in the foreign secondary school was not English, may satisfy this requirement by contacting the Student Division of the Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office to request a foreign language waiver. An official high school transcript, certificate, and/or diploma from the foreign high school will be required to verify the language of instruction. Second degree students whose native language is not English, who attended a postsecondary school for at least two years in their native country, and whose language of instruction in the foreign postsecondary school was not English, may satisfy this requirement by contacting the Student Division of the Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office to request a foreign language waiver. Students who petition to complete the foreign language requirement via study abroad through a non-Texas Tech affiliated program will agree to have foreign language credit applied to their degrees based on scores on a language placement test administered by the Language Learning Laboratory upon their return from the study abroad. Approval to do this must be granted in advance by the Associate Dean. For more information, consult the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures.

• Mathematics: 6

MATH 1300 , MATH 1320 , MATH 1321 , MATH 1330 , MATH 1331 , MATH 1350 , MATH 1420 , MATH 1430 , MATH 1451 , MATH 1452 , MATH 1550 , MATH 2300 , MATH 2345 , MATH 2370 , or MATH 2371 . Only one of MATH 1320  or MATH 1420  may apply. Only one of MATH 1330  or MATH 1430  may apply. Students cannot receive credit for more than one of AAEC 2401 ; MATH 2300 , MATH 2345 ; or PSY 2400 . PHIL 2310 , PSY 2400 , EDIT 2318 , or AAEC 2401  may be used to satisfy 3 hours of this requirement. At least 3 hours of mathematics (from the list of courses above) must be taken to fulfill the mathematics requirement.

• Life and Physical Sciences: 8

Courses must be selected from the list of core curriculum options.

• Social and Behavioral Sciences: 6

One course must be selected from the core curriculum options. The other course can be selected from the core curriculum options or from the college general education requirements. See https://www.depts.ttu.edu/artsandsciences/CurrentStudents/gen_degree_req.php.

• United States History: 6

Courses must be selected from the list of core curriculum options.

• United States and Texas Government: 6

Students will enroll in POLS 1301  and POLS 2306 . For more information, see the Department of Political Science  section of this catalog. For more information regarding the Texas Constitution requirement, see the core curriculum requirement section of this catalog.  

• Language, Philosophy, and Culture: 6

One course must be selected from the core curriculum options. The other course can be selected form the core curriculum options or from the college general education requirements. See https://www.depts.ttu.edu/artsandsciences/CurrentStudents/gen_degree_req.php.

• Creative Arts: 6

One course must be selected from the core curriculum options. The other course can be selected from the core curriculum options or from the college general education requirements. See https://www.depts.ttu.edu/artsandsciences/CurrentStudents/gen_degree_req.php.

• Multicultural Requirement: 3

Select from the multicultural requirements approved list. This course may be used to satisfy another general degree requirement.

• Personal Fitness and Wellness: 2

To satisfy the College of Arts & Sciences requirement of 2 hours of personal fitness and wellness, students are to complete successfully any two PFW courses. See https://www.depts.ttu.edu/artsandsciences/CurrentStudents/gen_degree_req.php for courses also accepted for fulfilling the requirement. Students age 25 or older at the time of graduation are exempt. Any student who has served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces for a minimum of 90 days may receive credit for 2 semester hours in personal fitness and wellness. Students participating in varsity athletics may enroll in the PFW course that corresponds to their varsity sport. A maximum of 1 credit hour per academic year per sport may be earned in this manner.

In addition to the general degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, students will have to complete majors and minors based on the various individual departmental requisites. Sample curriculum tables have been provided in the departmental sections for nearly all majors and minors. In some cases, degree requirements may be fewer or more than the hours presented in the tables. Students who switch between the B.S. and B.A. degree program will be required to fulfill any additional core and general education requirements.

Bachelor of Science

The Bachelor of Science degree permits a greater degree of specialization than the B.A. and is offered by the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Economics, Geosciences, Kinesiology and Sport Management, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics and Astronomy, Psychological Sciences, and Renewable Energy. A minimum of 24 hours at the junior/senior level is required in the major. Please note the differences in requirements for the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts degrees:

• English: 9

The 9 hours of English must consist of ENGL 1301  and ENGL 1302  and one literature course from ENGL 2305 , ENGL 2306 , ENGL 2307 , ENGL 2308 , ENGL 2310 , ENGL 2311 , ENGL 2321 , ENGL 2322 , ENGL 2323 , ENGL 2324 , ENGL 2325 , ENGL 2326 , ENGL 2351 , ENGL 2381 , ENGL 2382 , ENGL 2383 , ENGL 2388 , or ENGL 2391 . Literature courses taken at any level will be reviewed to determine applicability to requirements.

STUDENTS WISHING TO USE SOPHOMORE ENGLISH LITERATURE TO COMPLETE THE CORE LANGUAGE, PHILOSOPHY, AND CULTURE REQUIREMENT MUST CHOOSE ONE COURSE FROM ENGL 2307 , ENGL 2310 , ENGL 2351 , ENGL 2381 , ENGL 2382 , ENGL 2383 , ENGL 2388 , and ENGL 2391  FOR THEIR SOPHOMORE-LEVEL COURSE.

• Oral Communication: 3

Course must be selected from the core curriculum options.

• Foreign Language: 8-13

A student must complete 3 hours at the sophomore level or above. If 4 or more semesters of high school foreign language are accepted for admission, the student should consult the information preceding the course listing for the foreign language department. A student enrolling in the first-year sequence will have a total requirement of 8-13 hours in a single language. A student who enrolls in the second-year sequence will have a 3-hour requirement. International students whose native language is not English, who attended a secondary school for at least two years in their native country, and whose language of instruction in the foreign secondary school was not English, may satisfy this requirement by contacting the Student Division of the Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office to request a foreign language waiver. An official high school transcript, certificate, and/or diploma from the foreign high school will be required to verify the language of instruction. Students who petition to complete the foreign language requirement via study abroad through a non-Texas Tech affiliated program will agree to have foreign language credit applied to their degrees based on scores on a language placement test administered by the Language Learning Laboratory upon their return from the study abroad. Approval to do this must be granted in advance by the Associate Dean, Student Division. For more information, consult the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures.

The Associate Dean for Undergraduate Services may exempt the B.S. second-year foreign language requirement for students who wish to pursue certain dual degrees between another college and the College of Arts & Sciences when the other college does not have a second-year foreign language requirement. Exemption requests may be completed and submitted to Holden Hall 102 at any time prior to the semester of graduation. NOTE: Dual degree students who cancel their other degree program for any reason or become ineligible to continue in the other degree program will be required to complete the 3 hours of a single foreign language at the sophomore level in their Arts & Sciences B.S. degree program.

• Mathematics: 6

MATH 1300 , MATH 1320 , MATH 1321 , MATH 1330 , MATH 1331 , MATH 1350 , MATH 1420 , MATH 1430 , MATH 1451 , MATH 1452 , MATH 1550 , MATH 2300 , MATH 2345 , MATH 2370 , or MATH 2371 . Only one of MATH 1320  or MATH 1420  may apply. Only one of MATH 1330  or MATH 1430  may apply. Students cannot receive credit for more than one of AAEC 2401 ; MATH 2300 , MATH 2345 ; PSY 2400 . PHIL 2310 , PSY 2400 , EDIT 2318 , or AAEC 2401  may be used to satisfy 3 hours of this requirement. At least 3 hours of mathematics (from the list of courses above) must be taken to fulfill the mathematics requirement.

• ​Life and Physical Sciences: 8

Courses must be selected from the list of core curriculum options.

• Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3

Course must be selected from the list of core curriculum options.

• United States History: 6

Courses must be selected from the list of core curriculum options.

• United States and Texas Government: 6

Students will enroll in POLS 1301  and POLS 2306 . For more information, see the Department of Political Science  section of this catalog. For more information regarding the Texas Constitution requirement, see the core curriculum section of this catalog. 

• Language, Philosophy, and Culture: 3

Requirement may be fulfilled upon completion of sophomore English literature.

• Creative Arts: 3

Course must be selected from the list of core curriculum options.

• Multicultural Requirement: 3

Select from the multicultural requirements approved list. This course may be used to satisfy another general degree requirement.

• Personal Fitness and Wellness: 1

To satisfy the College of Arts & Sciences requirement of 1 hour of personal fitness and wellness, students are to complete successfully any one PFW course. See https://www.depts.ttu.edu/artsandsciences/CurrentStudents/gen_degree_req.php for courses also accepted for fulfilling the requirement. Students age 25 or older at the time of graduation are exempt. Any student who has served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces for a minimum of 45 days may receive credit for 1 semester hour in personal fitness and wellness. Students participating in varsity athletics may enroll in the PFW course that corresponds to their varsity sport.

In addition to the general degree requirements for the Bachelor of Science, students will have to complete majors and minors based on the various individual departmental requisites. Sample curriculum tables have been provided in the departmental sections for nearly all majors and minors. In some cases, degree requirements may be more than the hours presented in the tables. Students who switch between the B.S. and B.A. degree program will be required to fulfill any additional core and general education requirements.

Bachelor of General Studies

Find more information about the Bachelor of General Studies  degree.

Undergraduate Program Offerings & Course Descriptions

(Click on program for curricular table.)