A UT student's back-to-school guide
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University of Texas students head back to school Monday. Photo: Tim Warner/Getty Images
University of Texas students, faculty and staff head back to school Monday with changes underway inside the classroom — and a new Longhorn football season less than two weeks away.
Why it matters: Expect more traffic around Austin as tens of thousands of students return to class.
- St. Edward's University, Concordia University and Huston-Tillotson University will also start the fall semester Monday.
What we're watching: UT leadership could take further steps to mollify the conservative-minded state Legislature, which controls state university pursestrings.
- In recent years UT has set up conservative-minded schools and institutes on campus, even as it has faced lawmakers' efforts to weaken tenure protections.
Here's how changes will shake out at UT.
Core curriculum overhaul
UT unveiled plans this month to remake the core courses undergraduates must complete to graduate.
- UT's proposed core would be organized around arts and humanities, social sciences and STEM, with students taking 36 credits across the three pillars — down from the current 42 credit hours.
- "It's intended to come around the whole idea of a baseline of Western civilization, and then invite you to now go explore something different," UT President Jim Davis told The Daily Texan earlier this month.
- UT plans to begin offering new core courses next fall, but the requirements won't go into effect until at least fall 2028.
Department consolidations
Some students are returning to newly consolidated liberal arts departments. Seven ethnic and gender studies departments are now two new departments.
- The Department of Social and Cultural Analysis brings together African and African Diaspora Studies, American Studies, Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
- The Department of European and Eurasian Studies combines French and Italian, Germanic Studies, and Slavic and Eurasian Studies.
Texas football is back
The Longhorns open their season at home against Texas State on Sept. 5, with kickoff set for 2:30pm at DKR.
- A week later, Texas hosts Ohio State at 6:30pm — a rematch of last year's 14-7 Longhorns loss in Columbus.
- Quarterback Arch Manning returns for his second full season as the starter.
What to watch: Texas will play seven games at DKR this season, including SEC matchups against Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Arkansas. The Longhorns travel to College Station to face Texas A&M on Nov. 27.
The bottom line: From a changing curriculum to a packed football schedule, Longhorns are returning to a campus that will feel a bit different this fall.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that new core courses at the University of Texas start in fall 2027 (not this fall).