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Page Updated: April 2, 2021

Academic status
This term is used as an indication of a student's academic standing with the university.
Advanced Courses
(or upper-level or upper-division courses), numbered 3000 to 4999, are open to students who have 12 semester hours of credit in a given subject or who have the indicated prerequisites, and to those without the prerequisites who have the consent of the department. In some instances, college/school/departmental requirements may vary. Students should consult individual areas prior to enrolling in advanced courses.
Course numbering system
  • Freshman courses, 1000-1999
  • Sophomore courses, 2000-2999
  • Junior courses, 3000-3999
  • Senior courses, 4000-4999
  • Graduate courses, 5000 and above

The graduate student enrolled in a 5000-level course that meets with a senior-level undergraduate course will be expected to complete additional requirements beyond those expected of undergraduates in the same course.

Courses 2900, 2910, 4900 and 4910, Special Problems, are used upon approval of the department chair or dean for individual instruction in any department to cover course content in special circumstances. Courses 5900, 5910, 5920 and 5930 are used in any department that offers graduate work; courses 6900 and 6910 are used in any department that offers doctoral work.

Double major
A student seeking a double major must consult with an advisor from the second department. If approved, the requirements for the second major are incorporated into the student's degree audit.
Experimental Courses
(1980, 2980 and 4980) are new courses offered on a trial basis for 1-4 hours credit each. Registration is permitted only upon approval of the department chair.
Honors College Capstone Thesis
4951, allows a student in the Honors College to complete an honors thesis as a course within the student's major. The Honors College Capstone Thesis is a major research project prepared by the student with the mentorship of a faculty member in the student's major department. An oral defense is required for successful completion of the thesis.
Major
At least 24 semester hours in a given subject are required for a major, including 12 hours of advanced work. The number of hours required depends on the department selected.
The term “professional field” is used in the College of Business to designate the major for the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees.
Minimum GPA requirement
This term refers to the minimum cumulative grade point average a student must achieve to remain in good academic standing. At the end of the first term of enrollment at UNT, the minimum CGPA requirement is 1.8. In each subsequent term of enrollment, the minimum CGPA requirement is 2.0.
Minor
A minor requires at least 18 semester hours in a given subject, including 6 hours of advanced work. Specific course sequences for a minor are determined by the department offering the minor. Not all degrees require a minor.
Prerequisite
A prerequisite is a course or other preparation that must be completed before enrollment in another course. All prerequisites are included in catalog course descriptions.
Semester hour
A semester hour is the unit of credit at UNT; the credit allows for 1 lecture hour a week for 15 weeks or the equivalent. In course listings, figures in parentheses following the course credit hours indicate the number of contact hours per week devoted to lecture and laboratory. When it appears, the third and final number in these parentheses indicates the number of recitation hours per week.
Special topics
A course designed with substantial transitional content from semester to semester, (e.g. subject matter, discipline category), and with temporary standing (maximum of three years). Repeated submission of paperwork is not needed after initial approval of the course.
Term/semester/session
The academic year includes three terms/semesters: fall, spring and summer. During the summer term, several sessions are scheduled. Presently the options include 3W1 (three weeks one), 5W1 and 5W2 (five week one and two), 8W1 (eight week one), 10W (ten week) and SUM (full summer term).
Track
A track is a group of courses designed for students seeking specialized training toward specific career objectives or a group of courses designed to meet a specific need within a degree program. At the UNT Health Science Center, concentrations under the major are referred to as tracks.
Undergraduate academic certificates
The University of North Texas offers upper-division undergraduate academic certificates to meet workforce needs or to provide students with life/career skills and knowledge and to allow for specialization in academic disciplines. Undergraduate academic certificates require 12-20 hours, the majority of which must be advanced. See “Undergraduate Academic Certificate Programs” for additional details.