The University of Texas at Austin Top Questions

What are the academics like at The University of Texas at Austin?

Brittany

Unsure as of yet

Zoya

- Do professors know my name? Yes! If you make an effort to talk to them, they are super nice! - Favorite class: I love all my psychology classes, they subject matter interests me and the professors are always entertaining and very committed. - Least favorite class: Art history, I am not an artsy person and I believe that learning material related to about 100 slides for just one exam is asking a little too much! - How often do students study: The more you study, the better you will do. Lower division courses should not be taken lightly, many of them are tricky because they seem easy but in the end you may not get the grade you thought you would. Its all about building a good gpa right from the start. - Class participation is common in smaller classes and in the school of liberal arts. Alot of professors are eager to know what students have to say. - Do students have intellectual conversations outside of class? Yes. We carry what we've learnt in our heads and it comes out at some point or another. - Are students competitive? Somewhat. It depends on the class. Those professors which have a grading system such that they will award only a certain number of A's does lead to competition. Plus, when a lot of smart students enter a school, what happens? thats right, competition happens. - Most unique class ive taken: Art in the lives of ancient romans! Though art is not my strong subject, i absolutely love how much knowledge and appreciation this class has given me for Roman art and architecture. Also, it really wants to make me visit Rome. - My major is Psychology in the college of liberal arts and i am also a pre-med student. My interest in psychology, especially child psychology, has developed at UT with the exceptional courses and professors who have challenged me intellectually and increased my knowledge base. I chose to go for a liberal arts major because I wanted to broaden my interests as well as continue on my career path towards medical school. - Do I spend time with professors out of class? Yes! All professors hold office hours which are solely for students to come and talk to them or ask questions. Its a waste not to go to office hours because professors are just sitting there, waiting for you! Other than that, you can also set up appointments with most professors to talk about anything from career advice to possible research positions in their labs. - How i feel about this school's academic requirements: They are tough, but not that tough. UT has a certain standard, but it is not elitist. - Education in this school is geared towards: Getting a job, learning for it's own sake as well as building your personality!

Daanish

At UT- Austin, you will find your self in classes filled with hundreds of students. It is difficult for the teacher to know you by name but it is not impossible. You just have to go to the teacher's office hours after class on a weekly basis for them to really get to know you. The business school is one of the top schools in the nation and if you're lucky to get admitted, you are almost certain of a bright future, of course with good academic standing though. Being one of the Public Ivy Schools, UT Austin is tough academically. You'll find the library filled with students everyday and much higher class averages compared to other state schools. How? Because of the Prestige the university carries. Usually the Top 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}(i think its 8 now) percent are guaranteed admissions to UT - Austin, and thousands of kids apply to transfer with at least 3.5 GPA's to get into the school (Unless you CAP - a program under the UT system where some of the UT sister schools, example: UTSA, UT- Arlington, etc allow you guaranteed transfer admission into the University with a 3.2 GPA. You must be chosen by the University to be a part of the Program choose you accept it)

Daanish

At UT- Austin, you will find your self in classes filled with hundreds to students. It is difficult for the teacher to know you by name but not impossible. You just have to go to the teacher's office hours after class on a weekly basis. The business school is one of the top schools in the nation and if you're lucky to get admitted, you are almost certain of a bright future, of course with good academic standing though. Being one of the Public Ivy Schools, UT Austin is tough academically. You'll find the library filled with students everyday and much higher class averages compared to other state schools. How? Because of the Prestige the university carries. Usually the Top 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}(i think its 8 now) percent are guaranteed admissions to UT - Austin, and thousands of kids apply to transfer with at least 3.5 GPA's to get into the school (Unless you CAP - a program under the UT system where some of the UT sister schools, example: UTSA, UT- Arlington, etc allow you guaranteed transfer admission into the University with a 3.2 GPA. You must be chosen by the University to be a part of the Program choose you accept it)

Daanish

At UT- Austin, you will find your self in classes filled with hundreds to students. It is difficult for the teacher to know you by name but not impossible. You just have to go to the teacher's office hours after class on a weekly basis. The business school is one of the top schools in the nation and if you're lucky to get admitted, you are almost certain of a bright future, of course with good academic standing though. Being one of the Public Ivy Schools, UT Austin is tuff academically. You'll find the library filled with students everyday and much higher class averages compared to other state schools. How? Because of the Prestige the university carries. Usually the Top 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}(i think its 8 now) percent are guaranteed admissions to UT - Austin, and thousands of kids apply to transfer with at least 3.5 GPA's to get into the school (Unless you CAP - a program under the UT system where some of the UT sister schools, example: UTSA, UT- Arlington, etc allow you guaranteed transfer admission into the University with a 3.2 GPA. You must be chosen by the University to be a part of the Program choose you accept it)

Daanish

At UT- Austin, you will find your self in classes filled with hundreds to students. It is difficult for the teacher to know you by name but not impossible. You just have to go to the teacher's office hours after class on a weekly basis. The business school is one of the top schools in the nation and if you're lucky to get admitted, you are almost certain of a bright future, of course with good academic standing though. Being one of the Public Ivy Schools, UT Austin is tuff academically. You'll find the library filled with students everyday and much higher class averages compared to other state schools. How? Because of the Prestige the university carries. Usually the Top 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}(i think its 8 now) percent are guaranteed admissions to UT - Austin, and thousands of kids apply to transfer with at least 3.5 GPA's to get into the school (Unless you CAP - a program under the UT system where some of the UT sister schools, example: UTSA, UT- Arlington, etc allow you guaranteed transfer admission into the University with a 3.2 GPA. You must be chosen by the University to be a part of the Program choose you accept it)

Betsy

Lucia

I have been lucky to have been a part of many great classes. The last two years at UT, I have had many seminar courses with a small number of students. Despite the campus' large size, my upper division courses have not exceeded 20 students. In many cases, I have had classes with no more than 10 students, giving me the opportunity to really develop a relationship with my professors and classmates. It is very challenging but rewarding. I have learned a lot through discussion based courses that involve heavy reading loads, but it's rewarding and has definitely prepared me for graduate level work.

Christine

The classes are pretty challenging, but the professors and teaching assistants (TAs) will try their best to help you. If you go to their office hours a lot, they will start to know who you are, which is very good because you can ask them for a recommendation in the future. Some professors even provide online chat if you aren't able to attend their office hours in person. Some classes are huge, but some classes are small. It isn't really competitive because there is so many people. My major is nursing, and I really love my college because I got to know almost everyone in my class. We all help each other when it comes to studying or trying to understand a concept. Class participation is very common. I haven't seen a half empty class throughout the 4 years of university.

Zen

Given the huge amount of courses, one review for them all is insufficient. You can always find a course you want (and petition the department if it is unavailable) and find some peculiar offerings as well - "Literary Marriages From Hell," for example. Few departments here are truly lacking, given the size of this institution. The business school, of course, boasts a lot of amenities and inspiring professors. Other departments tend to vary, although I never once had a professor whose credibility and intelligence I doubted (teaching style, perhaps). Professors for the most part - especially in the honors programs - are accessible and friendly. Aside from the business school, learning here is mostly geared towards learning's sake, although there are plenty of career services on campus if one desires to seek them.

Jason

For the most part, you get out what you put in. If you take the time to talk to your professors, go to their office hours, and ask questions in class, then you will get to know your professors, and they will know you as well. As an underclassman, most of your classes will probably be large (100+ students). However, as you progress and move into your upper division classes, you will notice the size of your classes begins to dwindle down to a moderate size (30-50 students). Every major is different at UT. I can't speak for them, but I can talk about advertising and the College of Communication. As the highest ranked advertising department in the nation, the course work is rigorous. You are among the most revered professors in the nation, and they hold you up to a very high standard. That is not to say they are not friendly or willing to help. More often than not, you can find the College of Communication professors walking around the campus with students discussing current news and class projects. Regardless of your major, you will have to put in the work in order to get the grades you want. It is not easy, but it is certainly doable.

Addison

There are a lot of different types of teaching styles and classes offered at the University of Texas at Austin. Some classes, like discussion sections or labs, are small and others can be a little larger (250-300 students), like an introductory lecture class. Most professors here make an effort to get to know their students and give them every opportunity to succeed, and the students in turn respect their professors and participate inside and outside of class. Students aren't really competitive, but it does depend on what type of major you are in. However, no matter your major, the professors and their respective classes are not only geared towards bettering their students for the job market, but also providing them with an education that can aid them in every aspect of their lives.

Alyssa

That's not just our tagline, that is FACT. Only a few days ago, researchers at UT identified a body of water the size of the great lakes... on a moon that orbits Jupiter! Our advertising program is ranked #1 in the nation. Our business school is one of the highest caliber ones in the country. Our professors want to get to know us and they want us to do well. Classes are hard, but you actually learn. Studying is required.. a lot, but you will leave with so much more knowledge than you came with.

Faith

To change the world, The University of Texas at Austin is the best place to start. The academic life at this institution is geared toward the acquisition of knowledge in order to better people as individuals, as well as to prepare them for what tough challenges lay ahead for our generation. From social work majors to biomedical engineering majors to political communications majors, everyone can expect to receive an education that goes beyond just "quality". Professors expect a lot out of their students and courses can be quite rigorous, but the professors are also more than willing to take the time in office hours or over email to help students go more in-depth into the material. Lower division classes provide students the opportunity to experience a typical lecture-style course, while upper division classes give students the specific attention they need, both to the relevant material of their major and to their learning process.

Justin

My favorite class that I have taken while at UTD is BA 3301 Employment Law. The professor made the class really fun to attend. The learning experience was definitely worthwhile. Many of the students are competitive, considering many of them are international students. School of Management is the largest school at UTD, more than half of the students who attend UTD are in the school of business. UTD has a very high standard for academic requirements, which speaks volumes about its reputation in comparison to other schools in Texas.

Jerry

Academic educational quality is uneven, especially if you are not in an honors program. The student quality varies a lot (partly due to the 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} law). A student who scored 1500 on the SAT might very well be sitting next to one who scored 1000. Most of the basic classes are jokes, especially the non-science/math ones. I've found my liberal arts requirements (English, Sociology, Philosophy, Government) to be absolute jokes. The TA's graded extremely leniently on written exams (when they were offered) and sometimes the tests were all multiple choice or even true/false. I made 98+ averages in these classes with minimal studying. Bad papers I wrote 20 minutes before the start of class garnered sparkling grades. You can make an A without learning or retaining any knowledge whatsoever. I tutor and edit papers and found many students struggled in these (to me) seemingly blow off classes. Some students could not write at a high school level, much less a collegiate one. The Business School is the hardest school to get into, but many outside of the B-school also consider it the easiest school to get grades in/graduate from. While many of my fellow McCombs students would vehemently deny this, I find it to be, outside of Accounting, true. On Accounting, the program at UT is ranked #1. 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the graduates go on to work at a big 4 firm. Accounting is demanding and one of the gems at UT. But most of the classes offered at McCombs, such as Management, International Business, Marketing, and MIS are not difficult, and require a minimal amount of studying. The fact is, there really isn't anything substantial that you can learn from a BUSINESS class, leading towards the light workload in most McCombs classes. However, McCombs in the last year or so has been promoting and implementing the "group project" as a key part of the learning experience. Classes in the past that used to be all independent work, now all require a group project. This teaches students how to work successfully in teams, which is a great skill in itself. No other school's require th amount of collaborative work that McCombs students engage in. Grade inflation does seem to be a problem in many classes, going to class everyday and doing the required work will earn you at least a B. One of my instructors curved to department standards, or so she claimed, which meant 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} A's, 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} B's, 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} C's, which I felt to be excessively high in an already easy class. No one fails anything(besides accounting). Another instructor gave completion grades on essays. My MIS class had no homework, because it was all done in class, by following the instructors lead (aka copying her code). It's hard to learn when the instructors don't teach much and many students simply don't care about learning. Many are grade whores and choose classes based on grade distributions or try to cop-out of basic requirements by taking classes online or at ACC. They want A's, not knowledge. Intellectual curiosity is absent. The instructors are a mixed bag. There are a lot of foreign professors and even more foreign TA's, especially in the quantitative fields, and many of them commit the three sins of teaching. First, they have no personality. Second, they speak soft heavily accented English. Third, most of them hate teaching undergraduates. All of this leads to dismal educational experiences. I once had a class with a Japanese Professor and an Iranian TA. Suffice to say, neither of them made much sense, so I did most of the learning myself. So if you are an engineering major that's bad at calculus, don't expect the prof's or the TA's to be of much help. On the other hand, I've had some enlightening and truly wonderful professors in some of my classes. Many of UT instructors, especially in the lower level classes and at the business school, are lecturers or adjuncts, so you might not actually be taking class with a "professor"! Advising at UT is unhelpful. All advisors do is look at your classes and make sure you are on pace to graduate. They aren't much help for anything else. You have to be a self-starter, no one will be there to hold your hand.

Jesse

None of my classes were favorites. Class discussion is common, however, they tend to favor only one or two philosophies of thought. They tend to shun and berate other ideas of thought that are different or unique. Students do not have intellectual conversations outside of class. Students are highly competitive, opportunistic, aggressive, manipulative, curt, flippant, and sarcastic. None of my classes were unique.

Brett

UT has some of the best and highest ranked schools in the nation, including the College of Communication and the Red McComb's School of Business. While most of your basic courses are lectures of 300 or more students, the farther along you go the smaller and more personal your classes become. Once you are into your upper division major courses, you'll start to see your professors more as friends and mentors who want to see you succeed, rather than see you fail.

Ryan

Most excellent. The English Department was the best. The arts and humanities rock at UT. Now, all the science, engineering, architecture, etc. rock as well. It's tough to get into UT, but it is worth it.

Travis

The class sizes are pretty big, but the instruction level is head and shoulders above most other colleges. The professors have office hours and usually are very able to help you if you need it.