Core Curriculum & Uniform Graduation Requirements

The Core Curriculum and Uniform Graduation Requirements are designed to give every Texas Tech student a strong academic foundation while preparing them for success beyond graduation. These requirements ensure that all students develop critical skills in communication, problem-solving, and ethical reasoning, while also gaining a broad understanding of the world through study in the arts, sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

This site provides information on the courses and categories that meet these requirements, guidance for faculty and students, and links to policies and resources. Whether you are planning your degree path or reviewing curriculum options, this is your central resource for understanding how the core and graduation requirements support your academic journey at Texas Tech.

Texas Core Curriculum Objectives

Through the Texas Core Curriculum (TCC), students gain a foundation of knowledge about human cultures and the physical and natural world, develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world, and advance intellectual and practical skills essential for all learning.

Definitions for the six core objectives for the TCC are as follows:

• Critical Thinking Skills (CT)- creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information.
• Communication Skills (COM)- effective development, interpretation, and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication.
• Empirical and Quantitative Skills (EQS)- manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions.
• Teamwork (TW)- ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.
• Social Responsibility (SR)- intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsiblity, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.
• Personal Responsibility (PR)- ability to connect choice, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making.

Core Foundational Component Areas

The Texas Higher Education Coordiating Board (THECB) decides which Foundational Component Areas comprise the core curriculum. All undergraduate students must complete a 42 semester credit hour program of general education core curriculum courses, which serves as the common foundation for all majors. 

• Communication (9 hours)
• Mathematics (3 hours)
• Life and Physical Sciences (6 hours) + Lab Sciences (2 hours, University Graduation Requirement)
• Language, Philosophy, and Culture (3 hours)
• Creative Arts (3 hours)
• American History (6 hours)
• Government/Political Science (6 hours)
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 hours)

Updates to the core are made periodically, and a complete list of Texas Tech University's Core Curriculum courses can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog.

The Texas Tech University core curriculum complies with Texas statutes and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rules.