Texas Tech University is in compliance with Core Requirement #2.7.1.

The university offers (2003) 116 bachelor's degrees, 103 master’s degrees, and 61 doctoral degrees (including JD). All baccalaureate degrees require satisfactory completion of a minimum of 120 hours of course work. Undergraduate degree requirements may be accessed at the following web site. Click on the Degree Requirements prompt. http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Academics.html#Academic

Graduate degrees at the Master’s level require successful completion of a minimum of 30 hours under one of two basic plans. Plan 1 is a minimum of 24 hours of graduate course work plus 6 hours of thesis research. Plan 2 is a minimum of 36 hours of graduate course work without a thesis. Graduate programs are described at the following link. Click on the Degree Programs prompt, then on the Master’s prompt.  http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/GRADMasters.html

Doctoral degrees require at least 60 hours of graduate work, exclusive of the dissertation and a minimum of three years of graduate study beyond the baccalaureate degree.  Information on doctoral programs is available at the following link: Click on the Degree Programs prompt, then on the Doctoral prompt. http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/GradSchool.html#Doctorate

The university does not recognize life experience or informal service learning and similar experiences as equivalent to formal course work. Undergraduate students may apply to obtain credit for successfully passing examinations under the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), the Advanced Placement Examination, or through the International Baccalaureate program. Procedures for obtaining credit through these programs may be accessed at the following link: Click on the Undergraduate Credit by Examination prompt. http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Admission.html#CLEP

Texas Tech University is in compliance with Core Requirement #2.7.2.

Texas Tech University degree programs are described in the University Catalog at the following link. Click on the Undergraduate Majors prompt.  http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Academics.html.  Undergraduate degree programs are proposed by individual departments or programs. They must be approved by the college or school in which the department/program is housed, be approved by the Office of the Provost, and receive final approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board before they may be implemented. Graduate degrees must pass through a similar approval process, except that the Graduate School also must approve the program. These steps ensure that academic degree programs at Texas Tech University meet the requirements of Core Requirement 2.7.2. The process for new program approval is described in the university Operating Policy Manual, O.P. 36.04 http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP36.04.htm

Texas Tech University is in compliance with Core Requirement #2.7.3.

The Core Curriculum (general education component) of Texas Tech University is described in the University Catalog and is part of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rules (go to the following link and click on Chapter 4, Subchapter B, Transfer of Credit, Core Curriculum and Field of Study Curricula http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/CBRules/tac.cfm) and State law (Chapter 4, Subchapter B, 4.28] and Sen. Bill #148, 75th Legislature [1997]).   The rationale of the Core Curriculum, as stated in the University Catalog, is “to give all graduating students the opportunity to acquire a general knowledge of study areas that have traditionally been regarded as basic to a university education”. The Texas Tech University Core Curriculum requires one or more three-hour courses in each of six broad areas: communication (3 courses), mathematics (2 courses), technology and applied science (1 course), humanities (1 course), visual and performing arts (1 course), and social and behavioral sciences (5 courses). A seventh area, natural (laboratory) science, requires two four-hour courses. The complete undergraduate Core Curriculum is 47 credit hours, which comprises 15 courses (go to the following link and click on the Core Curriculum prompt to access the university’s core curriculum) http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Academics.html#Core.  Individual college general education requirements may exceed the Core Curriculum requirements.

The rational for the seven areas within the Core Curriculum is stated in the university catalog on pages 44-47. The State of Texas requires all state-related institutions of higher education to submit a comprehensive core curriculum assessment report to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on a five-year cycle. Texas Tech University’s first such report is due in October 2004. The university evaluates the courses in the Core Curriculum through regular student course evaluations. In addition, the Core Curriculum Committee, which has representation from all academic schools and colleges, approves new additions to the Core Curriculum to insure that they meet the objectives established for inclusion in the Core Curriculum. All courses in the Core Curriculum are also screened periodically to insure that they continue to meet the Core Curriculum objectives as stated in the university catalog.

Texas Tech University belongs to the Academic Common Market, along with 12 other southern states. The Academic Common Market allows students to qualify for resident tuition for programs in certain uncommon curricula at ACM institutions. The ACM is described in the University Catalog at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/GradSchool.html#Common.
(click on Finances and scroll down to Academic Common Market Program).

The university also maintains joint degree programs with institutions in the United States and abroad. These programs are described in the reports of the individual colleges. In addition, Texas Tech University has formal agreements with 80 consortia and foreign institutions of higher education that provide study abroad opportunities for its students.