FAQs

We are located in GEA 37 on the basement floor of Gearing Hall (GEA) on the east side of building.  Business hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am-noon and 1:00-5:00pm

Email: headvising@austin.utexas.edu

Phone: 512-471-7219

We are operating both remotely and in-person.  See the main Undergraduate Advising page for more details about advising availability and contact information.

Please email your assigned academic advisor or headvising@austin.utexas.edu if you have any questions.

Appointments can be made online through your advisor's scheduling link provided in their emails. If you do not have this link or need assistance, please email headvising@austin.utexas.edu. You must include your UT EID in all communication by phone, voicemail, or email for our office to assist you.

You can check who your advisor is here. If you have recently changed majors or it is within the first few weeks of the semester, it's possible your advisor is still being updated. Feel free to email us if you are unsure who to reach out to!

Advisors are available all year to assist with degree planning for graduation and course selection, help students who are struggling academically, provide information about UT's numerous resources, and help students facing non-academic difficulties!

Academic Planning (30-minutes): If you want to discuss longer-range planning (map out multiple semesters, discuss different degree options, study abroad planning, etc.), then it is best to make a 30-minute appointment soon after the semester has started, or at the end of the semester.  It is recommended to have at least one of these longer appointment with your advisor to create a full graduation plan, and to also revisit each semester to update and talk about more details as you go.

• These appointments are available after the 12th class day of the semester until a few weeks before registration begins. They will resume after registration is over.

Registration Advising (15-30 minutes): During October & April, appointments may be shorter at 15-minutes to prepare for the next semester's registration cycle.  Please note that during these peak advising times, conversations are more limited to the next semester's classes only, and follow-up appointment may need to be scheduled.

See the main SoHE Advising page of our website for updates about advising availability and how to reach us!

Learn more about withdrawal procedures on the CNS website.

Withdrawal means dropping all courses. Withdrawal from the University is done after a student has completed registration and payment for a semester or summer session, and then decides not to attend any classes that semester or session.  

The registration system will not permit you to withdraw by yourself after you have paid tuition.

• To receive a FULL refund, withdrawal must be requested BEFORE the first day of the semester. Starting on the first day of the semester, the refund amount begins to decrease. Email CNSinfo@austin.utexas.edu to request withdrawal, and include your EID.
• If it is before the 12th day of school, please email CNSinfo@austin.utexas.edu to request to be dropped from all of your classes.  It is important to do this as soon as you know that you do not plan to attend classes, because the refund amount is more limited beginning on the first class day.
• If it is after the 12th day of school, you must initiate a withdrawal by submitting an online request.  A brief appointment with a CNS Non-Academic Coordinator is also required to complete the withdrawal process. Schedule your appointment with a Non-Academic Coordinator here.

After the the Q drop, pass/fail, and withdrawal deadline date, students may not drop or withdraw unless there are serious non-academic circumstances, which occurred after the Q deadline date. Appeals will only be considered for documented, non-academic reasons. Contact the Non-Academic Advisors to discuss options: https://cns.utexas.edu/students/support/non-academic-advising

This is dependent on what class you are taking. Please consult your academic advisor to confirm.

• For CNS classes (including HDF, NTR, TXA, PBH) and math or science courses required by your degree: you must make a C- or better.  This means that if you make below a C- on any of these classes, they will only count as electives or not at all and will have to be retaken for a grade of C- or better to count towards your degree.
• For core curriculum course, flags, foreign language course, or elective (i.e. UGS, GOV, HIS, Social Science, etc), you must make a D- or better to fulfill that degree requirement.  
  • Exception: If a course is also overlapping to fulfill a Major requirement (ex. a writing flag), a C- or better is required to fulfill the major requirement.
  • Exception: If a class is being transferred from another school for any requirement, a C or better is required to transfer the credit.  If you make less than a D- on a core curriculum course or elective at UT, it will not count and you will need to retake the course or choose another similar option.

The College of Natural Sciences uses the UT academic calendar for purposes of registration, add/dropping courses, and withdrawing from the university.

The general schedule for each semester is as follows:

Class Days 1-4: Add and drop via online registration system by 5pm
Class Days 5-12: Late-adds. Advisors may add students within the departmental classes (at their discretion).
Class Days 1-12: Drop only via the online registration system by 5pm 
Class Day 13+: Classes dropped after the 12th class day will show up on your record as a Q Drop (a drop without refund or penalty).  You are allotted 6 Q Drops in your entire undergraduate career.  Learn more about submitting your Q drop request here.

Check your specific registration access periods on your Registration Information Sheet (RIS).

If you drop a class up to the 12th class day by 5pm, you will receive a tuition refund if you drop from 12+ to below 12 hours. Classes do not appear on your permanent record. Not attending does not automatically drop you from classes or withdraw you from UT.  You need to do that yourself.

Always double check your final schedule before the 12th class day!

Depending on the circumstances, it may be helpful to seek out additional academic support and/or non-academic support, or possibly consider Q drop options. 

For academic support: 

• Reaching out to your professor, TA's, and other tutoring resources can be a great way to start.  See the "where can I receive tutoring or academic support?" question for more details & links!

For non-academic support: 

• If you are experiencing any difficulties due to non-academic reasons that are affecting your school work and class attendance, we encourage you to make an appointment with a CNS Non-Academic Counselor for support and to talk through best options. Your academic advisor is also happy to make any helpful referrals if you'd like to visit with them first about your concerns.  Or,  you can reach out directly to a Non-Academic Counselor by emailing CNSinfo@austin.utexas.edu to request an appointment.  See more details and contact information here. Non-academic Q-drops that are approved by non-academic counselors do not count against your 6 Q-drop limit.  

Drop options:

• If you feel that you may not make the grade necessary for your degree requirements, your advisor would be happy to meet to discuss options!  Details about how to drop a class(es) plus additional considerations are on the Online Forms page, too. 
• If you'd like to visit with your advisor before making a decision, we'd be happy to meet & talk through any questions or concerns.  See your advisor's appointment scheduling link in their emails, or email us at headvising@austin.utexas.edu.  
• The Q-drop deadline is two-thirds of the way through the semester, and the One-Time Exception available through the last class day of the semester (for one single late Q drop or full withdrawal past the normal deadline).  

• If it is before the 12th class day: You can drop courses on your own in the Registration system by 5pm on the 12th day of school. You will receive a tuition refund if necessary (if going from 12+ to below 12 hrs), and dropped class(es) do not appear on your record/transcript.  Not attending does not automatically drop you from classes or withdraw you from UT; you need to do that yourself. 
• If it is after the 12th class day but before the Q-drop deadline: you can submit your request online by the deadline day, 11:59pm (CST).  See the Online Forms page for details. 
• If it is after the Q Drop deadline day: This is the "One-Time Exception" (OTE) period of time until the last class day (before dead days & finals) where you are allowed one single late Q drop or full withdrawal.  
  • The OTE Q drop still counts as one of your 6 total available Q drops and also still appears on transcript as a Q drop.  It can only be done once past the normal Q drop deadline.  See the Online Forms page for details. 

Each undergraduate is allowed 6 academic Q-drops in their undergraduate career. This will show up on your record as a Q, rather than a grade and you will not receive credit for this class.

Be sure to check with financial aid and scholarships to ensure that you will not have an issue if your drop puts you below full-time hours for the semester.  The Texas One Stop office is the best place to check in with: by phone, email, or stop by their office in the Tower (first floor)!

Non-Academic Concerns: 

• If you are dropping a class because of non-academic reasons, we encourage you to make an appointment to visit the CNS Non-Academic Advisors by emailing them directly or email CNSinfo@austin.utexas.edu to request an appointment. Your academic advisor is also happy to make any helpful referrals if you'd like to visit with your advisor first about your concerns.  See more details and contact information here.  Non-academic Q-drops that are approved by non-academic counselors do not count against your 6 Q-drop limit.

Health Professions Office (HPO) Resources for Pre-Health Students:

• HPO: information about Q dropping and pass/fail.
• HPO: virtual drop-ins

You should not take a course pass/fail if you need that class to fulfill a specific degree requirement (Core, Flags, Major, Minor/Certificate), otherwise it needs to be re-taken. The pass/fail can be a potential option though if you are concerned about GPA and would re-take the class anyways.  Discuss with your advisor first to review policies.

Courses taken pass/fail count towards your total number of in-residence hours and elective hours, but nothing else. They do not count towards your GPA (unless an F is earned) and do not fulfill prerequisite requirements. This means you should NOT take any SoHE courses as pass/fail unless you are using them for only elective requirements. Only electives should be taken pass/fail, unless you plan on repeating the course later for a letter grade.  You may not take a class pass/fail unless you have 30 hours completed.

College of Natural Sciences students may only count 6 pass/fail hours toward their degree, and may only take two courses pass/fail in a single semester. 

If you earn a 60 (D- or better) in a pass/fail class, you will receive a CR on your transcript. This will not factor into your GPA. If you earn less than a 60 (F), you will receive an F on your transcript and this will count towards your GPA.

Online Request: You may select this option when you register for the course (using online registration system before the 12th day of school), or submit a request online before the Q-drop deadline day 11:59pm to change your grading to pass/fail.

Health Professions Office (HPO) Resources for Pre-Health Students:

• HPO: information about Q dropping and pass/fail.
• HPO: virtual drop-ins

Yes, you can use a One-Time-Exception (OTE) Q drop once in your undergraduate career. This drop counts towards your 6 total allotted Q drops. You can find more information about the OTE drop on the Online Forms page and CNS website.  The request is due by the last class day of the semester by 11:59pm, before dead days & final exams.

Non-Academic Concerns: If you are dropping a class because of non-academic reasons, we encourage you to make an appointment to visit the CNS Non-Academic Counselors to talk through the best options for you.  Your academic advisor is happy to make any helpful referrals if you'd like to visit with your advisor first, or you can contact the Non-Academic Counselors directly by emailing CNSinfo@austin.utexas.edu to request an appointment. .  See more details and contact information here.  Non-academic Q-drops that are approved by non-academic counselors do not count against your Q-drop limit.

You must request an official transcript from the college or university to be sent to UT Austin, and UT Admissions will post those credits automatically to your record. Please be aware that this process can take time in order to go through all the processing steps.  It is best to initiate this process as soon as your grades are posted at the other school.

Transferred coursework does not count towards your UT GPA, but rather counts as credit on your transcript.  The grade DOES appear printed on the transcript, and programs you apply to in the future will see your grades.

Ways to Submit:

Electronic:  The college may have a way to electronically send the transcript to UT through an online system if it uses a system called: SPEEDE server or Parchment.  UT cannot accept transcripts submitted via email. This request must be initiated through the other school, typically on your online student portal.

Mail: You may also mail or hand deliver official transcripts to the  Office of Admissions, although mailing and hand-delivery are not preferred and may result in processing delays.

Mailing Address: 
The University of Texas at Austin
Office of Admissions
PO Box 300609
Austin, TX 78703

Hand Delivery: Drop transcript off in a sealed envelope (must be an official transcript) to the Admissions Welcome Center by the PCL library near 21st/ Speedway during business hours.  Keep it in the sealed envelope!

If your college or university can only send transcripts via e-mail, have an official transcript sent directly to your email address. You can then try downloading it and upload it to our Document Upload System. 

Checking the Status:

MyStatus: Check your MyStatus page under the "my documents" tab, and it will be labeled as a "college transcript" with the date received.  

It can take some time to send/be received, but this will help you to know if you need to follow back up with the other school to possibly re-send if it’s not getting here.  Hand delivery is often a good choice if you’re having trouble getting the transcript sent electronically!

You may also reach out to your academic advisor to ask if they can check if it has been received. 

**If you are a graduating senior with time-sensitive transfer credit**

1. As soon as you see that UT has received the transcript, call UT Admissions (512-475-7399) to ask if this can be processed immediately because you are graduating this semester. 
2. Email CNS Student Records at ns.student.records@austin.utexas.edu to provide an update that your transfer credit has been received. Include your EID when emailing.
    

Interactive Degree Audit: After UT receives the credit, it can take some time to process and get posted to your UT record.  You can check an updated Interactive Degree Audit (IDA) to see if it's posted now.  

Create a new degree audit to see what is on your record at the moment.  It must show up on your degree audit to be successfully transferred and posted. Talk to your advisor if you notice any issues.

• Interactive Degree Audit
• Open your audit on the Audit Results page by clicking the blue hyperlink under “Audit ID” on the results table.  You may need to refresh the page if it’s still processing. 

See the CNS Policies & Procedures website to review the full concurrent enrollment policy.

You may ONLY take math and/or science classes outside of UT during the summer semester. You cannot take them during Fall, Spring, Winter, Minimesters, etc if you are also concurrently enrolled at UT during that Fall or Spring. You should check the Automated Transfer Equivalency and check with your advisor if you are planning to transfer courses in required for your degree.

Core curriculum courses can be completed at another school during any semester.

If a student chooses to have concurrent enrollment in math and science courses in at any time other than the summer semester, those courses will not apply to the student’s degree in the College of Natural Sciences and the School of Human Ecology.

If the math and/or science class is not needed for your specific degree requirement, then you may take that concurrently or at any time, so long as you understand that it is not needed at all towards your degree, not even electives. 

See the CNS Policies & Procedures website to review the full concurrent enrollment policy.

Important Policies for CNS Students:

• For Math & Science Classes: If you are a student in the College of Natural Sciences, you CANNOT take any math or science courses required for your degree at a community college during the fall and spring semesters while also enrolled at UT.  However, you CAN take math or science classes during the summer at another school (sessions that begin in June or July). 
• For Other Classes (Core, Electives, Minor/Certificate): You may take courses such as English, Social Science, History or Government during any semester, regardless of UT enrollment.  You do not need to notify UT of this, however be sure to check course equivalency beforehand.  Register for classes at the other school, and then transfer the credit afterwards by sending a transcript. See the "how do I transfer my coursework...?" question below about this. 

Additional Options through University Extension (UEX): You may also take courses via University Extension (UEX) during the fall and spring semesters while also enrolled at UT.  These are UT courses that are self-paced online classes or semester-based classes available at a price lower than UT tuition.  However, self-paced online UEX classes are not eligible for financial aid coverage. 

Checking Equivalency:

• You should first check the Automated Transfer Equivalency (for Texas schools) and check with your advisor if you are planning to transfer courses in required for your degree.  Note the policies below.
• For out-of-state schools, submit the Evaluation of Courses form before taking the course to confirm how it will transfer to UT Austin.

Planning for Summer School:

• If you want to take summer classes at another school, please begin looking into your options in early spring semester.  By around spring break time or soon after is a good goal to have a plan for summer transfer classes.  The other school's registration timeline is often earlier than UT's summer registration, and it's important that you've completed any necessary application process before their registration cycle.
• If you took classes via dual credit during high school and you wish you take classes back at that same school, they will likely need an updated UT transcript to update your records.
• To order UT Transcripts: UT Online Transcript Order 

Students must receive a C or better in any transfer courses to be able to transfer the credit and count for degree requirements.

Transferred coursework does NOT count towards your UT GPA, but the grade DOES appear printed on the transcript!  Programs you apply to in the future will see your grades.  Also, if the program does its own GPA calculations as part of the application process, then all grades will be factored into that regardless of where it was taken. 

See the question below for how to transfer the credits to UT.

There are specific approved classes that can fulfill core or science requirements.  Before you register, it is important to confirm that you’re selecting a class that will count.  Use the following links & tips below:

• Important Links:

  • Interactive Degree Audit & Degree Checklist (for a full list of your requirements)
  • Core Curriculum List (approved UT course numbers) 
  • Automated Transfer Equivalency (ATE) Database: This is used to check equivalent course numbers between UT and other schools in Texas.  You can begin the search by either using the UT course # or the other institution's course #.
    • For out-of-state institutions: there is an online Evaluation of Courses form that you should submit before you register for any out-of-state classes.  UT will then get back to you about the equivalency. 
       

• Government & History Tips:

  • If you claimed AP for US History: this gives you HIS 315L credit.  Please avoid taking HIS 315L or transferring an equivalent of HIS 315L: at community colleges, the equivalent of HIS 315L is usually HIST 1302 US History II.  Check your degree audit and the Automated Transfer Equivalency database, and check in with your advisor to confirm you're taking the right classes.
  • If you claimed AP or transferred any GOV credits:
    • The AP GOV exam provides GOV 310L credit.  Note that before you can claim this credit, you must register for and take the UT Austin Texas Government Only test on campus.  After taking the test, then go online here to claim GOV 310L credit.
    • If you took one GOV class through dual credit/transfer credit during or after high school, and you still need one more, do NOT take GOV 312L at UT.
       

• Course Schedule “Core Curriculum” Filter (for checking approved UT class options): 

  The Course Schedule has a filter option on the main search page to help with identifying approved core classes.  Look for the #3 Core Curriculum drop-down menu (below the #1 department drop-down menu). 

  See screenshot here.

  • This is especially helpful for the U.S. History and Visual & Performing Arts requirements which have several approved choices across multiple departments.  
  • If you take your U.S. History or Visual & Performing Arts at UT, you actually have a ton more class choices compared to options at a community college.  Also, UT classes can help satisfy flag requirements.
  • Note that after filtering on the Course Schedule, the results will include both lower-division and upper-division classes.  Lower-division classes are course numbers that end in 01-19 (ex. 301-319).  Upper-division classes end in 20-79 (ex. 320-379) and may require "upper-division standing" as a prerequisite (which is 60 hrs completed or at least Junior standing)
    • If you are a Freshman or Sophomore, it is typically best to look for lower-division options, or wait to take the class later if there is a specific upper-division class you’re interested in. 
  • If you search for History classes by selecting the the History Department on the course schedule (instead of using the Core Curriculum filter noted above), this will pull up all History Department classes.  Therefore, make sure the far right column of the Course Schedule indicates that it's a CORE "U.S. History" approved class. Not all "HIS" classes are Core U.S. History.
     

• Science Tips:

  • For pre-health professions students, it is strongly recommended to take all of your science classes at UT Austin.  See this page on the Health Professions Office website for more details on acceptable transfer options for pre-health prerequisites. 
  • For a science sequence (ex. CH 301 and CH 302), it is typically best take both at the same institution, but discuss your options with your academic advisor.

It is important to note what information is listed when reading the course schedule. Every class listed will have the course name and number; unique number; day and time; building and room number; instructor name; and status of class (whether it’s open, closed, waitlisted, reserved). Flags available (if any) are also listed in the course schedule.

How to read a course number: ACC 312H vs AST 258.

The first digit listed tells how many credits will be earned in completion of this course. A student taking 312H will earn 3 credit hours and a student taking 258 will earn 2 hours.  The two second digits determine whether its lower or upper division. Anything over 20 will be upper division. For example: 312H is lower division and 258 is an upper division class.

How to read Flags listed: Students should refer to their catalog or consult their academic advisor to determine which Flags are required for their major, and to learn about how to earn each Flag in the process of completing the major, core, and other degree requirements.

Culture Diversity- CD
Ethics- E
Global Cultures- GC
Independent Inquiry- II
Quantitative Reasoning- QR
Writing- Wr

Course descriptions. Students can click on the highlighted unique number to read the course description. Here we can find information such as pre-requisite requirements; departmental notes; restrictions; course summaries; and if a class is upper-division standing.

Upper-division standing means students must have completed 60+ credit hours to be able to register for the course.

Classes are sometimes restricted/reserved but do not specify why or for who. Reach out to the course’s head department for more information.

In this example, we can see ACC 312H is restricted to McCombs Business majors, has 3 pre-requisite courses, includes a QR Flag, and can only be taken for a letter grade.

What happens when the course summary provided on the schedule is not enough?

Access the UT Courses page and HE Curriculum pages.

• https://catalog.utexas.edu/general-information/coursesatoz/
• https://he.test.cns.utexas.edu/hdfs/academics/undergraduate/curriculum#hdf-304-tccn-teca-1303-family-relationships
• https://he.test.cns.utexas.edu/ntr/undergraduates/course-descriptions
• https://he.test.cns.utexas.edu/students/advising/info-sessions/public-health#concentration-courses
• https://he.test.cns.utexas.edu/txa/academics/undergraduate-program/course-descriptions

Access Syllabi and CVs.

https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/student/coursedocs/nlogon/

Students can search for Undergraduate Course Syllabi and Instructor of Record Curriculum Vitae for undergraduate courses offered at UT Austin. Only the department & course number are necessary for the search. All the previous syllabi for any specific course will come up and will be downloadable.

Course Instructor Survey (CIS) Results Check.

https://utdirect.utexas.edu/ctl/ecis/results/search.WBX

Students are able to search for professor and course reviews through the website linked above. Towards the end of every semester, students are sent a link to a survey for each instructor and TA for the semester. 

Search by Instructor Name and Search by Course Number options are both available.

Alternative non-UT affiliated search options:

https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/campusRatings.jsp?sid=1255

https://utcatalyst.org/grade-distributions

https://he.utexas.edu/student-success/undergraduate-advisingThrough the 4th day of school by 5pm, students may add themselves to the automated waitlist if available, and keep trying to add the course during all the add/drop access periods. Being on a waitlist is not a guarantee for getting into a class, and advisors have no way of predicting your chances of getting a class via the wait list; therefore, it is necessary to have an alternative class planned as a back-up.

Starting on the 5th day of school, the "late add" policies must be followed and it's not guaranteed to get into a class.  The online waitlist is no longer active after the 4th day of the semester.

For "late add" policies for all CNS courses including Human Ecology courses, see the CNS website here.

In any case or if you are graduating that semester and need a specific course that is listed under your degree requirements, you must contact your academic advisor for additional guidance.

Some SoHE majors may have an advising hold and will be required to either schedule an appointment to meet with their academic advisor or complete an online advising worksheet in order to clear their hold.  Your bar must be cleared in order for you to register for your classes.  

For more information, please reach out to your academic advisor and see the main Undergraduate Advising page here for contact information.

• Fall & Spring: 17 hours
• Summer: 14 hours (with no more than 8 hours in a single session)

To request to be able to register for more than maximum hours, see our Online Forms page for procedures and online request form.

It is not a guarantee that your over max hours form will be approved. 

The minimum number of hours for an undergraduate student to still receive Financial Aid during a Fall or Spring semester is typically 6 hours.  However, any changes in enrollment could affect eligibility for certain types of financial aid.

For more information, students should contact the Texas One Stop office.

Courses with the last two digits between 20 and 79 (ex: NTR 342, HDF 378L) are upper-division courses. 

Those with the last two digits lower than 20 are lower division (ex: TXA 316Q).

Those courses with the last two digits greater than 79 are graduate courses (ex: NTR 390).

In the course schedule, any upper division course that says "Contains a Substantial Writing Component" or "Wr" will fulfill the upper division writing component requirement. 

Every Course Schedule lists all the writing component courses offered that semester from every academic department.  Writing component courses can overlap with other degree requirements.

No, only majors-level science classes can count for both the BSA, BA, and BS degree plans in the College of Natural Sciences. Also, CNS students cannot use any Astronomy classes to fulfill their science requirements.

University policy states that you may NOT for any reason retake a course if you have made a C- or better.  This is not strictly enforced though, and the registration system will allow you to register.

Even if a student makes below a C- in a course and must retake it, a student cannot enroll in the same Natural Sciences course more than twice without permission. Therefore, students taking a Natural Sciences course for a second time need to be aware it may be their last chance to pass that course. You may only repeat a CS Entry-Level course (CS 312, CS 313K/311, CS 314, M 408S/L/D) one time, no exceptions.

Students may fill out a third time repeat appeal to take a CNS class for a third time that will have to be approved by CNS. Please be in touch with your advisor to discuss any concerns related to repeating courses. These appeals will not be approved for Entry-Level CS courses.

Learn more on the SoHE Advising website here about third time appeals.

No. Both grades will remain on your transcript and both will be averaged into your GPA. 

See the question above about course repetition.

In order for credit by exam or AP credits to count toward a degree or as a course prerequisite, students must first claim the credit on the  Student Testing Services website. Do not claim any credit before speaking with your academic advisor. Your academic advisor can help you determine which credits you should claim for progress in your degree.

Steps to Claim Credit

1.      Start on the Student Testing Services page. 

2.      Click on View Scores and Claim Credit, and log in.

3.      Claim your credit. Select to "petition for credit". 

Important

• Consult with your academic advisor before claiming credits - you may not need to claim all of them!
• There is a fee of $10 per credit hour for claiming credit. For example, three credit hours would cost $30.  Payment options are available.
• Claimed credit-by-exam will not affect your GPA.
• If you take a course in residence for which you have already earned credit-by-exam, whether you have petitioned or not, you will NOT be able to claim the credit.

View a full list of classes, see the testing schedule, and register for these tests on the Student Testing Services website. Be aware, that if you are planning to test out of a course that is a prerequisite for a course you are planning to take next semester, your scores will need to be in by the time you register for the course.

Do not claim credit until you have been at UT for at least one semester and/or have talked with an academic advisor. A student can claim credit for an exam at any time prior to his/her senior year. A student may also elect not to claim any credit.

You can apply for readmission as a “returning student” through the UT Admissions website. Please note there are deadlines. If you have any concerns, reach out to headvising@austin.utexas.edu to connect with an advisor.

If you have completed any coursework at another school during your break from UT, you will need to submit as a part of your application transcripts of any course work (both online and in class) that you might have completed since your time at UT, and you will need to have maintained at least a 2.5 GPA in that transfer work.

If you have not completed any coursework while away from UT, that is okay! You can be re-admitted. 

Generally speaking, students should plan on a minimum of 2 to 3 years to complete a SoHE undergraduate degree. However, depending on how any existing university credits would apply to our degree program, a student might be able to complete their course work in a shorter time frame. 

Regardless, all UT degrees require a minimum of 60 hours in-residence (taken in a UT classroom/online).

Future or returning students should schedule an appointment to meet with an academic advisor. Reach out to headvising@austin.utexas.edu 

Students apply for graduation during their final semester at UT before the mid-semester deadline (same as the Q-drop deadline).

Students completing their UT degree requirements at another institution must apply to graduate "In Absentia." Meaning you are completing your last degree requirements outside of UT Austin.

CNS and the University holds graduation ceremonies in May. Students can still officially graduate in August or December.

August or December graduates who want to walk in the May ceremony, and have 15 hours or less to complete for their degree after May, should complete the Walk Application during the spring semester and then a Graduation Application during their final semester. 

December graduates who will have more than 15 hours remaining after May, or who want to walk the following year instead, can participate in the following year May ceremony after officially graduating in December.

CNS Ceremony details are available here.

University-wide ceremony details are available here.

Steps for participating in graduation (for those who are not graduating yet, or who previously graduated in a December):

• Complete the Walk Application on the CNS graduation website during the spring. This is typically available by late January and due in March.  
• Keep an eye out for additional emails from CNS and/or “Marching Order” regarding the ceremony RSVP details for you and your guests.
• The University-wide ceremony on Saturday evening also requires a separate RSVP ticket for graduates. 

SoHE currently offers a Food & Society Certificate. Learn more about the requirements and application process here.

We do not currently offer any other official minors or certificates in our areas. However, you are welcome to take courses within SoHE though as long as they are open, not reserved, and you meet any required prerequisites.

Most SoHE classes are available to non-majors, however some are restricted to majors only. Ex. some upper-division PBH courses are reserved to PBH majors only and will be designated as “reserved” in the course schedule.

If a class is open and the student meets the pre-reqs, you may add or waitlist for the class. Please note that priority into SoHE classes are given to SoHE majors first.

There are several certificate options across UT that you can look into in the CNS Certificate and Minors website here. 

Many of our students choose to do a Business Minor, Healthcare Minor, Entrepreneurship Minor, Bridging Disciplines Program Certificate, Pre-Health Professions Certificate, or Food and Society Certificate but you are welcome to do any minor or certificate available at UT. Note that if a minor is brand new for a new degree catalog year, you must update to that catalog year to pursue the minor. 

BSA majors are required to complete a Minor or Certificate as part of your degree requirements.

BS majors can pursue a Minor or Certificate as an optional add-on but it is not required.

If you want to take enough courses to have the equivalent of a minor (typically 12-15 hours, 6 of which are upper division), you can do that and claim to have the equivalent of a minor on your resume, but this will not be reflected on your UT transcript.