Colleges offer an incredible variety of courses. You probably need electives. Try taking something out of your comfort zone and discover new things!
* Denotes courses I took at UT
P.E.
Yes, most colleges have P.E. classes you can take as electives. Some may not count as elective credits towards some degrees, so be sure to check with your degree plan and/or advisor.
P.E. courses offered at UT:
PED 103L - Social Dance
Introduction to popular social partner dances, including swing, waltz, two-step, salsa, tango and more. Emphasis on connecting with a dance partner and the art of leading and following.
PED 105R - Beginning Karate/Tae-Kwon-Do
Includes self-defense.
Prerequisite: No experience required.
PED 106C - Aerobic Walking
No course description available. I would only imagine it's a lot of walking.
Other sports offered:
Basketball
Golf
Swimming
Softball
Racketball
Handball
Volleyball
...and many more!
P.E. courses offered at UT:
PED 103L - Social Dance
Introduction to popular social partner dances, including swing, waltz, two-step, salsa, tango and more. Emphasis on connecting with a dance partner and the art of leading and following.
PED 105R - Beginning Karate/Tae-Kwon-Do
Includes self-defense.
Prerequisite: No experience required.
PED 106C - Aerobic Walking
No course description available. I would only imagine it's a lot of walking.
Other sports offered:
Basketball
Golf
Swimming
Softball
Racketball
Handball
Volleyball
...and many more!
Visual and Performing Arts
Many degrees require a visual and performing arts (or VAPA) credit. These can often be the funnest classes, but some can also be the most difficult (DON'T TAKE ART HISTORY!). Here are the ones at UT most students like:
ART 311K - Painting I
Introduction to painting techniques, composition, and exploration of personal expression.
*T D 301 - Introduction to Theatre
A study of theatrical texts and practices of the past and present.
*T D 303 - Fundamentals of Acting
Basic principles of acting and practical work in scenes from plays.
RTF 301N - Deconstructing Disney's Worlds
No course description available.
*RTF 305 - Introduction to Media Studies
Introduction to historical, cultural, political, economic, and international characteristics of film, television, and other media in society.
RTF 308 - Development of Film and Media
Study of historical development of the film, radio, television, and digital media industries. Overview of the cultural, social, economic, and technological contexts in which media have been produced and circulated.
MUS 307 - History of Rock Music (I've heard this one is really hard)
Studies of the popular music of a selected culture or geographical area.
MUS 101 - Beginner Music Performance
Class instruction in music performance for nonmusic majors and for music majors studying a secondary instrument. Sections are offered in the following instruments: bassoon, clarinet, double bass, euphonium, flute, French horn, guitar, harpsichord, oboe, organ, percussion, recorder, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, tuba, viola, violin, violoncello, and voice.
ART 311K - Painting I
Introduction to painting techniques, composition, and exploration of personal expression.
*T D 301 - Introduction to Theatre
A study of theatrical texts and practices of the past and present.
*T D 303 - Fundamentals of Acting
Basic principles of acting and practical work in scenes from plays.
RTF 301N - Deconstructing Disney's Worlds
No course description available.
*RTF 305 - Introduction to Media Studies
Introduction to historical, cultural, political, economic, and international characteristics of film, television, and other media in society.
RTF 308 - Development of Film and Media
Study of historical development of the film, radio, television, and digital media industries. Overview of the cultural, social, economic, and technological contexts in which media have been produced and circulated.
MUS 307 - History of Rock Music (I've heard this one is really hard)
Studies of the popular music of a selected culture or geographical area.
MUS 101 - Beginner Music Performance
Class instruction in music performance for nonmusic majors and for music majors studying a secondary instrument. Sections are offered in the following instruments: bassoon, clarinet, double bass, euphonium, flute, French horn, guitar, harpsichord, oboe, organ, percussion, recorder, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, tuba, viola, violin, violoncello, and voice.
Cultural Studies, Interesting Literature, and the World Around Us
AMS 311S - America's Reality TV
Reality Television is the most ubiquitous and popular programming on American Television, garnering 50 percent of prime time viewers in 2013. Though most Americans claim hatred of reality shows, the influence of the programming and its reflection of American culture is undeniable; the shows' mediated narratives reverberate with American's desires, fears, and showcase our discourses and discursive production. Through the study of reality television, we can understand ideals and forms of American citizenship, race, gender, sexuality and class. This class will use a variety of disciplines, including American studies, media studies, anthropology, sociology, psychoanalysis, and theoretical lenses, such as affect, performance, and Foulcauldian genealogy to unpack the narratives produced by and around these shows. The class will look at a variety of reality programs, including makeover, identity-based (i.e. The Real Housewives, Shahs of Sunset), competition, and therapeutic shows (Hoarders, Intervention, Couples Therapy) to ask questions about American social life and culture. This class will also explore realms of culture and life where we can follow the bleed over of reality television; that these reality stars' real lives are continually followed on and off the shows speaks to cultural obsessions and fixations that are a part of the reality of American lives.
Bet ya didn't expect such a huge course description for a course on reality TV, did ya?
AMS 321 - Race, Internet, and Social Media
From its earliest incarnations, the Internet has been celebrated as a place where bodily concerns such as race “don’t matter.” A sizable body of research and recent popular online trends have since proven otherwise. This course gives students the vocabulary to critically articulate the relationships between Internet technologies and embodied cultural practices of use that affiliate around “race.” Topics range from early text-based Internet identity tourism to the phenomenon of Asian American YouTube stars to the cultural discourses of “Black Twitter.” The course adopts an intersectional politics and includes attention to gender as well as (dis)ability.
CMS 315M - Interpersonal Communication Theory (considered one of the best courses at UT taught by one of the best professors at UT)
Introduction to the study of communication in relationships; topics include self-disclosure, conflict, long-distance relationships, stereotyping, and persuasion.
CMS 316L - Interviewing Principles and Practices
Introduction to interviewing theory, emphasizing the acquisition and application of interviewing skills.
INF 322T - Children's Literature
Evaluation, selection, and proper and creative use of books and other media with children.
UGS 302 - Game of Thrones
Explores contemporary reception of some important themes in classical literature, specifically the description and narratives of succession and civil war. Readings based on George Martin's Game of Thrones exploring how it relates to classical antecedents like Statius' epic poem, the Thebaid, Vergil, and Lucan. Discusses narrative, processes of transformation from antiquity to the present day, and the presence of the classics in current media.
UGS 302 - Race and Culture in Post-Racial America
Postracial America: race and culture in contemporary America. Topic description: The meaning and significance of Obama's victory, the extent to which America can be called a post-racial society, and how race still matters within contemporary American culture, particularly in relation to music, sport, and the media.
UGS 303 - Extraterrestrial Life
Considers the likelihood of other advanced civilizations in our galaxy using what we know about the origin and evolution of stars, planets, life, and civilizations. How to make an informed decision about each factor to arrive at your own estimate of the number of such civilizations. Considers how to communicate with other civilizations and the issues of travel. Communicates a scientific worldview including astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, anthropology, and technology.
UGS 303 - Life and Death Decisions
Students are asked to consider various styles of ethical thinking and in the process consider moral dilemmas and specific unavoidable life and death questions. Explores boundaries and dilemmas that surround our ability to control the life and death process in the context of eugenics, in vitro fertilization, abortion, and neonatal care.
UGS 303 - Russian Sci-Fi
Trace the ways in which the bizarre and the unexpected are featured in art, music, literature, and film of the last hundred years.
UGS 303 - Wacky Comedy
Comedy, especially wacky or silly comedy, is a major component of popular culture, and enjoys great market success in many media, formats, and platforms. Understanding its appeal and how it works in the total cultural system helps us understand our own civilization and our cultural history.
Note: UGS (or undergraduate studies) courses are ONLY available to first-year students. All UT students are required to take one UGS course (usually during their 1st semester).
Reality Television is the most ubiquitous and popular programming on American Television, garnering 50 percent of prime time viewers in 2013. Though most Americans claim hatred of reality shows, the influence of the programming and its reflection of American culture is undeniable; the shows' mediated narratives reverberate with American's desires, fears, and showcase our discourses and discursive production. Through the study of reality television, we can understand ideals and forms of American citizenship, race, gender, sexuality and class. This class will use a variety of disciplines, including American studies, media studies, anthropology, sociology, psychoanalysis, and theoretical lenses, such as affect, performance, and Foulcauldian genealogy to unpack the narratives produced by and around these shows. The class will look at a variety of reality programs, including makeover, identity-based (i.e. The Real Housewives, Shahs of Sunset), competition, and therapeutic shows (Hoarders, Intervention, Couples Therapy) to ask questions about American social life and culture. This class will also explore realms of culture and life where we can follow the bleed over of reality television; that these reality stars' real lives are continually followed on and off the shows speaks to cultural obsessions and fixations that are a part of the reality of American lives.
Bet ya didn't expect such a huge course description for a course on reality TV, did ya?
AMS 321 - Race, Internet, and Social Media
From its earliest incarnations, the Internet has been celebrated as a place where bodily concerns such as race “don’t matter.” A sizable body of research and recent popular online trends have since proven otherwise. This course gives students the vocabulary to critically articulate the relationships between Internet technologies and embodied cultural practices of use that affiliate around “race.” Topics range from early text-based Internet identity tourism to the phenomenon of Asian American YouTube stars to the cultural discourses of “Black Twitter.” The course adopts an intersectional politics and includes attention to gender as well as (dis)ability.
CMS 315M - Interpersonal Communication Theory (considered one of the best courses at UT taught by one of the best professors at UT)
Introduction to the study of communication in relationships; topics include self-disclosure, conflict, long-distance relationships, stereotyping, and persuasion.
CMS 316L - Interviewing Principles and Practices
Introduction to interviewing theory, emphasizing the acquisition and application of interviewing skills.
INF 322T - Children's Literature
Evaluation, selection, and proper and creative use of books and other media with children.
UGS 302 - Game of Thrones
Explores contemporary reception of some important themes in classical literature, specifically the description and narratives of succession and civil war. Readings based on George Martin's Game of Thrones exploring how it relates to classical antecedents like Statius' epic poem, the Thebaid, Vergil, and Lucan. Discusses narrative, processes of transformation from antiquity to the present day, and the presence of the classics in current media.
UGS 302 - Race and Culture in Post-Racial America
Postracial America: race and culture in contemporary America. Topic description: The meaning and significance of Obama's victory, the extent to which America can be called a post-racial society, and how race still matters within contemporary American culture, particularly in relation to music, sport, and the media.
UGS 303 - Extraterrestrial Life
Considers the likelihood of other advanced civilizations in our galaxy using what we know about the origin and evolution of stars, planets, life, and civilizations. How to make an informed decision about each factor to arrive at your own estimate of the number of such civilizations. Considers how to communicate with other civilizations and the issues of travel. Communicates a scientific worldview including astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, anthropology, and technology.
UGS 303 - Life and Death Decisions
Students are asked to consider various styles of ethical thinking and in the process consider moral dilemmas and specific unavoidable life and death questions. Explores boundaries and dilemmas that surround our ability to control the life and death process in the context of eugenics, in vitro fertilization, abortion, and neonatal care.
UGS 303 - Russian Sci-Fi
Trace the ways in which the bizarre and the unexpected are featured in art, music, literature, and film of the last hundred years.
UGS 303 - Wacky Comedy
Comedy, especially wacky or silly comedy, is a major component of popular culture, and enjoys great market success in many media, formats, and platforms. Understanding its appeal and how it works in the total cultural system helps us understand our own civilization and our cultural history.
Note: UGS (or undergraduate studies) courses are ONLY available to first-year students. All UT students are required to take one UGS course (usually during their 1st semester).
Foreign Languages
UT offers courses in pretty much every language imaginable. Some languages you've probably never heard of:
Yoruba
Yiddish
Sanskrit
Tamil
Telugu
Urdu
It's probably a good idea to take a course in a language you'll actually use, such as Spanish, French, or even American Sign Language.
Yoruba
Yiddish
Sanskrit
Tamil
Telugu
Urdu
It's probably a good idea to take a course in a language you'll actually use, such as Spanish, French, or even American Sign Language.
Courses No Longer Offered at UT
Under-water Basket Weaving
Fencing
Bowling
*Training the Speaking Voice (one of the best courses I took at UT)
Fencing
Bowling
*Training the Speaking Voice (one of the best courses I took at UT)
A Note on Electives and Transferring Course Credit
Be careful on the dual credit courses you take and the AP courses you transfer. Any dual credit course you take automatically transfers. Some may count towards your degree, some may count as electives, and some may not count towards anything at all. AP, on the other hand, let's you choose which courses to claim credit for. I only transferred ONE AP class, and that one counted towards my degree. The rest didn't count, so why add on extra hours I don't need?
Either way, the state of Texas has an "excessive credit" rule. If you earn 30 hours MORE than what your degree requires, you will be charged out of state tuition, which is A LOT more than in-state tuition. What does that mean? Let's say your degree requires 120 hours (most do). If you are in college, and you have 150 hours and you STILL have not earned your degree, you're gonna have to start paying WAY more per semester for your tuition. Granted, dual credit courses you took that counted towards your high school diploma DO NOT COUNT towards the rule (that means blow-off classes that you took just to boost your GPA DO COUNT). This also means that if you transfer a lot of hours, you're not going to have room to take cool, meaningful classes that make attending college an incredible experience. Choose wisely.
Either way, the state of Texas has an "excessive credit" rule. If you earn 30 hours MORE than what your degree requires, you will be charged out of state tuition, which is A LOT more than in-state tuition. What does that mean? Let's say your degree requires 120 hours (most do). If you are in college, and you have 150 hours and you STILL have not earned your degree, you're gonna have to start paying WAY more per semester for your tuition. Granted, dual credit courses you took that counted towards your high school diploma DO NOT COUNT towards the rule (that means blow-off classes that you took just to boost your GPA DO COUNT). This also means that if you transfer a lot of hours, you're not going to have room to take cool, meaningful classes that make attending college an incredible experience. Choose wisely.
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