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UHD Common Core

The common core of the general education program is designed to provide students with the academic skills and knowledge that constitute the foundation of a baccalaureate education. The specialized course work taken in the major field of study builds upon this foundation, so it is necessary for students to complete core requirements early in their course of study.

Writing and computational skills are especially critical for future academic success. Therefore, In the first semester in which they are eligible to do so, students should enroll in a course that will satisfy the Communication requirement (ENG 1301 or ENG 1302), and a course that will satisfy the Mathematics requirement (MATH 1301, 1310, 1324, or STAT 1312).

Students are encouraged to complete all other common core requirements before enrolling in any upper-division (3000-level and 4000-level) courses.


Students in all University of Houston-Downtown undergraduate degree programs must complete a common core of courses consisting of at least 42 semester credit hours. If any course taken to fulfill a core requirement has a corequisite, the corequisite course must be taken concurrently.

The list below is the official UHD common core course list effective for the Fall 2024 UHD Catalog. The syllabi are samples for each course and the students will get a more specific syllabus from their instructors in the semester in which they take the course.

FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA
HOURS
CORE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-DOWNTOWN TCCNS NUMBER
Communication
6
010
ENG 1301 Composition I ENGL 1301
 
 
  ENG 1302 Composition II ENGL 1302
Mathematics
3
020
MATH 1301 College Algebra MATH 1314
 
 
  MATH 1310 College Math for Liberal Arts MATH 1332
      MATH 1324 Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences MATH 1324
 
 
  STAT 1312 Statistical Literacy  
Life & Physical Sciences
6
030
BIOL 1301 General Biology I BIOL 1306
 
 
  BIOL 1302 General Biology II BIOL 1307
 
 
  BIOL 1303 Human Anatomy & Physiology I BIOL 2301
 
 
  BIOL 1304 Human Anatomy & Physiology II BIOL 2302
 
 
  BIOL 1310 Intro to Biology I  
 
 
  BIOL 1312 Intro to Biology II  
      BIOL 2306 Fundamentals of Nutrition  
 
 
  CHEM 1305 Introductory Chemistry CHEM 1305
 
 
  CHEM 1307 General Chemistry I CHEM 1311
 
 
  CHEM 1308 General Chemistry II CHEM 1312
 
 
  GEOL 1304 Intro to Meteorology  
 
 
  GEOL 1305 Physical Geology  
      GEOL 1306 Historical Geology  
      GEOL 1307 Earth Science I GEOL 1402
 
 
  GEOL 1308 Earth Science II GEOL 1402
 
 
  GEOL 1345 Oceanography  
 
 
  MBIO 1305 Microbiology  
 
 
  MBIO 1310 Intro to Microbiology  
 
 
  NS 1300 Emergence of Modern Science  
 
 
  PHYS 1301 Intro to Solar System Astronomy  
 
 
  PHYS 1302 Intro to Stellar & Galactic Astronomy  
 
 
  PHYS 1307 General Physics I PHYS 1301
 
 
  PHYS 1308 General Physics II PHYS 1302
 
 
  PHYS 2401 Physics I PHYS 2425
 
 
  PHYS 2402 Physics II PHYS 2426
Language, Philosophy & Culture
3
040
ENG 2301 World Lit: Ancient to 17th Century ENGL 2332
 
 
  ENG 2302 World Lit: 17th Century & Beyond ENGL 2333
 
 
  ENG 2305 Literature & Culture  
 
 
  ENG 2309 Film: Beginnings to Present  
 
 
  ENG 2311 American Lit: Beginnings to 1865  
 
 
  ENG 2312 American Lit: 1865 to Present  
 
 
  ENG 2313 Brit Lit: Beginnings to 1800 ENGL 2322
 
 
  ENG 2314 Brit Lit: 1800 to Present ENGL 2323
 
 
  HUM 1301 Ancient Western Culture HUMA 1301
 
 
  HUM 1302 Modern Western Culture HUMA 1302
      LATS 1301 Introduction to Latino Studies  
 
 
  PHIL 1301 Intro to Philosophy  
 
 
  PHIL 2305 Contemporary Ethical Issues  
 
 
  PHIL 2310 The Meaning of Life  
 
 
  SPAN 2301 Intermediate Spanish I  
 
 
  SPAN 2302 Intermediate Spanish II  
Creative Arts
3
050
ART 1301 History of Art: Paleolithic to Renaissance ARTS 1303
 
 
  ART 1302 History of Art: Renaissance to Present  
 
 
  ART 1308 Intro to World Art  
 
 
  ART 1310 Intro to Visual Arts ARTS 1301
 
 
  DANC 1301 Dance in America  
      DRA 1301 Introduction to Theater  
      DRA 1303 Acting: Principles and Practice  
 
 
  MUS 2301 Music Appreciation: Before 1750  
 
 
  MUS 2302 Music Appreciation: After 1750  
American History
6
060
HIST 1305 US History to 1877 HIST 1301
 
 
  HIST 1306 US History after 1877 HIST 1302
 
 
  HIST 1312 Texas History HIST 2301
 
 
  HIST 1314 Ethnic Minorities in American History HUMA 2319
      HIST 1315 Latino History Before 1898 HIST 2327
      HIST 1316 Latino History Since 1898 HIST 2328
Government/Political Science
6
070
POLS 2305 Federal Government GOVT 2305
 
 
  POLS 2306 Texas Government GOVT 2306
Social & Behavioral Sciences
3
080
ANTH 2302 Cultural Anthropology ANTH 2351
 
 
  CJ 1301 Intro to Criminal Justice  
      CRS 1301 Intro to Critical Race Studies  
 
 
  ECO 1305 Contemporary Economic Issues  
 
 
  PSY 1303 Intro to Psychology PSYC 2301
      SOC 1303 Intro to Sociology SOCI 1301
      SOCW 2361 Intro to Social Work and Social Welfare  
      SOCW 2363 Intro to Social Welfare Policy  
Component Area Option
6
090 COMM 1302 Mass Media COMM 1307
 
 
  COMM 1304 Intro to Speech Communication SPCH 1311
 
 
  COMM 1306 Beginning Public Speaking SPCH 1315
 
 
  COMM 1309 Communication & Public Decision Making  
 
 
  COMM 2307 Intercultural Communication  
 
 
  COMM 2309 Interpersonal Communication SPCH 1318
 
 
  COMM 2311 Principles of Public Relations  
 
 
  ENG 1306 Workplace Presentations  
 
 
  UHD 1301 Freshman Seminar: Communication  
 
 
  UHD 1302 Freshman Seminar: Mathematics  
 
 
  UHD 1303 Freshman Seminar: Life & Physical Sciences  
      UHD 1304 Freshman Seminar: Language, Philosophy & Culture  
      UHD 1305 Freshman Seminar: Creative Arts  
      UHD 1306 Freshman Seminar: American History  
      UHD 1307 Freshman Seminar: Government/Political Science  
      UHD 1308 Freshman Seminar: Social & Behavioral Sciences  
      UHD 2301 University Seminar: Communication  
      UHD 2302 University Seminar: Mathematics  
      UHD 2303 University Seminar: Life & Physical Sciences  
      UHD 2304 University Seminar: Language, Philosophy & Culture  
      UHD 2305 University Seminar: Creative Arts  
      UHD 2306 University Seminar: American History  
      UHD 2307 University Seminar: Government/Political Science  
 
 
  UHD 2308 University Seminar: Social & Behavioral Sciences  
TOTAL
42