Start with the official degree plan
UT Dallas offers a large catalogue across seven academic schools, so “courses at UT Dallas” is best approached through the degree and catalogue year rather than a university-wide sample list. The 2026 Undergraduate Catalog groups academic programmes by school and presents the actual requirements for each degree. Start with the intended credential, then inspect its program page for required courses, choices, prerequisites, concentrations, electives and special conditions. The public course schedule answers a different question: which sections are scheduled in a particular term. A course appearing in the catalogue does not guarantee it will run at the time a student needs it.
How the undergraduate curriculum is organized
The 2026 catalog describes three broad areas in degree plans: the Core Curriculum, the program major and electives. It states that the undergraduate core contains 42 semester credit hours. Within the major, students may see preparatory courses, major-core classes required of everyone, major-related classes and guided electives or concentrations. These categories matter when comparing degrees: two programs with the same title family may require different mathematics, laboratories, project courses or related fields. Applicants should open the plan for the exact major, note course prerequisites and sequencing, and check whether recommended courses can be replaced by approved alternatives.
Compare academic areas, not just labels
The catalogue separates degrees among the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology; Behavioral and Brain Sciences; Economic, Political and Policy Sciences; Engineering and Computer Science; Interdisciplinary Studies; the Naveen Jindal School of Management; and Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The catalogue lists examples such as Animation and Games, Neuroscience, Criminology, Computer Science, Healthcare Studies, Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, and Molecular Biology. Those names indicate breadth, not equivalent content or career guarantees. Compare the required course lists: for example, a technology-oriented business degree may combine computing and quantitative analysis with management, while a computer science degree follows its own programming, systems and mathematical sequence.
Use a worked catalogue comparison
A useful comparison begins with a shared academic interest and then follows the actual degree rules. The catalog’s BS in Computer Information Systems and Technology, for instance, has a 42-credit core and identifies Applied Calculus I or approved alternatives among its preparation; it also includes information technology, business, statistics and a listed internship/community-engagement structure. That example should not be generalized to Computer Science or every Jindal School degree. A student weighing two programmes can mark the courses that overlap, identify prerequisites that must be taken early, and note any internship, lab, capstone or project requirement. This reveals the practical shape of each plan more clearly than titles alone.
Concentrations, minors and double majors
A degree page may offer concentrations or options within a major, while minors are defined by the academic unit that offers them. The 2026 catalog says minors are open to students across schools where offered, subject to prerequisites and the minor’s own requirements; it generally specifies at least 18 semester credit hours, including at least nine upper-division hours, while individual units may require more. The catalog also lists prescribed double-major combinations and explains that a student may earn a double major or a double degree, but not both. Check the exact catalog page and consult an adviser before planning overlapping credits: a course that counts for one requirement may not automatically satisfy another.
Course availability and transfer planning
The university directs students to CourseBook for semester schedules, syllabi and faculty vitae. Use the catalog to understand what the degree requires, and CourseBook to inspect current sections, delivery mode, instructor information and term availability. The undergraduate curriculum page also notes that students are responsible for completing degree requirements and choosing appropriate courses; lower-division freshman and sophomore prerequisites should be completed as required by the degree. Texas-approved field-of-study coursework may transfer and substitute for appropriate lower-division requirements, though additional field-of-study requirements can remain. Transfer students should obtain an official evaluation and compare accepted credit with the current degree audit instead of assuming a course title will transfer one-for-one.
Read academic support and special conditions
Course plans can include sequencing, substitutions, honors, teacher certification, internships or fast-track options. These details are programme-specific. The AHT catalog page, for example, notes that teacher certification pathways are available in particular Literature or History majors and advises students to meet with academic and Teacher Development Center advisers. It also describes a fast-track route for exceptional students to begin a master’s before finishing the bachelor’s degree. Such features are examples of options, not automatic entitlements; eligibility and timing depend on the relevant school and current plan. Check the catalog footnotes as well as the main requirements, because exceptions and programme restrictions may appear there.
A practical course-selection checklist
Before choosing a programme, save the catalog year and exact degree page; list the foundational courses and prerequisites; compare required major-core courses with guided electives; check the total hours and any concentration; and identify labs, internships, capstones or fieldwork. Then use the term schedule to check whether the necessary courses are available in the sequence you need. For transfer credit, ask how the institution will apply it to the named degree. For a minor or double major, confirm the rules with the relevant advisers. The catalogue is an academic planning document and can be updated, so use the current official version and ask the department about any page that conflicts with an advising or degree-audit record.