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Core Curriculum

In order to provide a solid foundation for students’ education and to make transfer between colleges and universities as smooth and seamless as possible, each state-supported institution of higher education in Texas has adopted a core curriculum. Every Texas higher education institution's core curriculum must include the following Foundational Component Areas and semester credit hours (SCH):

  • 010 - Communication (6 SCH)

  • 020- Mathematics (3 SCH)

  • 030 - Life and Physical Sciences (6 SCH)

  • 040 - Language, Philosophy and Culture (3 SCH)

  • 050 - Creative Arts (3 SCH)

  • 060 - American History (6 SCH)

  • 070 - Government/Political Science (6 SCH)

  • 080 - Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 SCH)

  • 090 - The Component Area Option (6 SCH)

Through the Texas Core Curriculum, students gain knowledge of 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 that are essential for learning.

Each core curriculum course must include three or four, out of six, Core Objectives. Definitions for the six Core Objectives for the Texas Core Curriculum are as follows:

  1. Critical Thinking Skills (CT) - creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information

  2. Communication Skills (COM) - effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication

  3. Empirical and Quantitative Skills (EQS) - manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions

  4. Teamwork (TW) - ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal

  5. Social Responsibility (SR) - intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities

  6. Personal Responsibility (PR) - ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making

Components of the core curriculum can be transferred in a block from Tarrant County College to another Texas public college or university to be substituted for the corresponding core curriculum of the receiving institution.

TCC designates core curriculum courses completed by a student on the official transcript. If a student satisfies all component areas, the statement “Texas Core Curriculum Completed (Month/Year)” will appear on the transcript. Students who transfer without completing the core curriculum receive academic credit for each of the courses they successfully completed in the TCC core curriculum.

A student concurrently enrolled at more than one institution of higher education should follow the core curriculum requirements in effect for the institution at which the student is classified as degree-seeking.

Tarrant County College has established the 42-semester-credit hour core curriculum listed below.

010 - Communication (6 SCH)

Composition

One three-credit-hour course

  • ENGL 1301 - Composition I

Speech and Communication Skills

One three-credit-hour course

  • SPCH 1311- Introduction to Speech Communication

  • SPCH 1315 - Public Speaking

  • SPCH 1321 - Business and Professional Communication

020 - Mathematics (3 sch)

One three-credit-hour course

  • MATH 1314 - College Algebra

  • MATH 1316 - Plane Trigonometry

  • MATH 1324 - Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences

  • MATH 1325 - Calculus for Business and Social Sciences

  • MATH 1332 - Contemporary Mathematics (Quantitative Reasoning)

  • MATH 1342 - Elementary Statistical Methods

  • MATH 2412 - Pre-Calculus Math

  • MATH 2413 - Calculus I

030 - Life and Physical Sciences (6 sch)*

Two four-credit-hour laboratory science courses

  • BIOL 1406 - Biology for Science Majors I (Lecture + Lab)

  • BIOL 1407 - Biology for Science Majors II (Lecture + Lab)

  • BIOL 1408 - Biology for Non-Science Majors I (Lecture + Lab)

  • BIOL 1409 - Biology for Non-Science Majors II (Lecture + Lab)

  • BIOL 2401 - Anatomy and Physiology I (Lecture + Lab)

  • BIOL 2402 - Anatomy and Physiology II (Lecture + Lab)

  • BIOL 2406 - Environmental Biology (Lecture + Lab)

  • BIOL 2421 - Microbiology for Science Majors (Lecture + Lab)

  • CHEM 1405 - Introductory Chemistry I (Lecture + Lab)

  • CHEM 1411 - General Chemistry I (Lecture + Lab)

  • CHEM 1412 - General Chemistry II (Lecture + Lab)

  • CHEM 2423 - Organic Chemistry I (Lecture + Lab)

  • CHEM 2425 - Organic Chemistry II (Lecture + Lab)

  • GEOL 1401 - Earth Science for Non-Science Majors I (Lecture + Lab)

  • GEOL 1402 - Earth Science for Non-Science Majors II (Lecture + Lab)

  • GEOL 1403 - Physical Geology (Lecture + Lab)

  • GEOL 1404 - Historical Geology (Lecture + Lab)

  • GEOL 1405 - Environmental Science (Lecture + Lab)

  • GEOL 1445 - Oceanography (Lecture + Lab)

  • GEOL 1447 - Meteorology (Lecture + Lab)

  • PHYS 1401 - College Physics I (Lecture + Lab)

  • PHYS 1042 - College Physics II (Lecture + Lab)

  • PHYS 1403 - Stars and Galaxies (Lecture + Lab)

  • PHYS 1404 - Solar System (Lecture + Lab)

  • PHYS 1415 - Physical Science I (Lecture + Lab)

  • PHYS 2425 - University Physics I (Lecture + Lab)

  • PHYS 2426 - University Physics II (Lecture + Lab)

040 - Language, Culture and Philosophy (3 scH)

One three-credit-hour course

  • ENGL 2322 - British Literature I

  • ENGL 2323 - British Literature II

  • ENGL 2327 - American Literature I

  • ENGL 2328 - American Literature II

  • ENGL 2332 - World Literature I

  • ENGL 2333 - World Literature II

  • HIST 2311 - Western Civilization I

  • HIST 2312 - Western Civilization II

  • HIST 2321 - World Civilizations I

  • HIST 2322 - World Civilizations II

  • HUMA 1301 - Introduction to Humanities I

  • PHIL 1301 - Introduction to Philosophy

  • PHIL 1304 - Introduction to World Religions

  • PHIL 2306 - Introduction to Ethics

  • PHIL 2316 - Classical Philosophy

  • SPAN 2311 - Intermediate Spanish I

  • SPAN 2312 - Intermediate Spanish II

050 - Creative Arts (3 scH)

One three-credit-hour course

  • ARTS 1301 - Art Appreciation

  • ARTS 1303 - Art History I (Prehistoric to the 14th century)

  • COMM 2366 - Film Appreciation

  • DANC 2303 - Dance Appreciation

  • DRAM 1310 - Theater Appreciation

  • DRAM 2366 - Film Appreciation

  • HUMA 1315 - Fine Arts Appreciation

  • MUSI 1306 - Music Appreciation

  • MUSI 1307 - Music Literature

  • MUSI 1310 - American Music

060 - American History (6 sch)

Two three-credit-hour courses

Choose one from the following:

  • HIST 1301 - United States History I + or

  • HIST 2327 - Mexican American History I

    Choose one from the following:

  • HIST 1302 - United States History II or

  • HIST 2328 - Mexican American History II or

  • HIST 2301 - Texas History

070 - Government and Political Science (6 sch)

Two three-credit-hour courses

  • GOVT 2305 - Federal Government (Federal Constitution & Topics)

  • GOVT 2306 - Texas Government (Texas Constitution & Topics)

080 - Social and Behavioral Science (3 sch)

One three-credit-hour course

  • ANTH 2346 - General Anthropology

  • ECON 2301 - Principles of Macroeconomics

  • ECON 2302 - Principles of Microeconomics

  • GEOG 1301 - Physical Geography

  • GEOG 1302 - Human Geography

  • GEOG 1303 - World Regional Geography

  • PSYC 2301 - General Psychology

  • SOCI 1301 - Introduction to Sociology

090 - Component Area Option (6 sch)

Composition

One three-credit-hour course

Choose one from the following:

  • ENGL 1302 - Composition II + or

  • ENGL 2311 - Technical and Business Writing

Health and Wellness

One one-credit-hour course

  • KINE 1164 - Introduction to Physical Fitness and Wellness

Overflow (Extra) Hours *

Two semester-credit-hours

The two overflow (extra) semester-credit-hours are met by completing the Life and Physical Sciences requirement.

Total Semester Hours: 42

* Taking two four-credit-hour laboratory science courses allows a student to earn eight semester-credit-hours; six of which are counted to meet the Life and Physical Sciences requirement. The other two semester-credit-hours are considered overflow (extra) hours and are used to complement the Component Area Option (Code 090) requirement.