I often talk about goals pertaining to high school homeschooled students seeking dual credit. The truth is that even ONE college class sets you ahead, so do not ever feel behind if you are just starting your dual credit journey! But after you’ve got a few classes under your belt, you may want to have a specific goal in mind. An absolutely fabulous first goal would be to attain the status of “Core Complete” with your college credits as a dual credit homeschooler.
What is being core complete?
History
In 1987, the 70th Texas Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 2183, which established the first core curriculum with a general intent to ensure quality in higher education. The legislation provided for the adoption and evaluation of general education core curricula by Texas public colleges and universities.
Since 1987, every student who received a baccalaureate degree from a Texas public institution of higher education, regardless of the student's academic discipline or major has been required to complete the state's general education core curriculum. The Texas Core Curriculum (TCC) is defined by the Texas Education Code (TEC) Section 61.821 as:
“... the curriculum in liberal arts, humanities, and sciences and political, social, and cultural history that all undergraduate students of an institution of higher education are required to complete before receiving an academic undergraduate degree.”
Elements of the Texas Core Curriculum
The Texas Core Curriculum (TCC) is a 42 Semester Credit Hour (SCH) core curriculum for all undergraduate students in Texas public higher education. Each institution selects the specific courses it will offer to fulfill that framework of the TCC in a way that considers the
individual role and mission of the institution. The TCC implementation at each institution must receive approval from the Coordinating Board and institutions must evaluate the effectiveness of their TCC at regular intervals.
One of the most important provisions of the TCC is that it allows students who successfully complete a 42 semester credit hour (SCH) core curriculum at one institution to transfer the entire set of completed courses to another public Texas higher education institution without having to repeat any core courses. Students who transfer without completing the entire 42-SCH core curriculum also receive credit for each of the core courses they successfully complete.
Although the courses included in the TCC may vary by institution, every Texas higher education institution's core curriculum must include the following Foundational Component Areas and semester credit hours:
Communication (6 SCH)
Mathematics (3 SCH)
Life and Physical Sciences (6 SCH)
Language, Philosophy and Culture (3 SCH)
Creative Arts (3 SCH)
American History (6 SCH)
Government/Political Science (6 SCH)
Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 SCH)
The Component Area Option (6 SCH)
Students have flexibility to choose courses from an institution's core curriculum. However, that flexibility may be limited by the student's major. For example, most science majors have prescribed math and science requirements as part of their degree program requirements. Students should always consult with an academic advisor or counselor at their institution to determine what courses they should take.
Guaranteed transfer
It’s a state law that students who complete the Core Curriculum with at least a 2.0 GPA are guaranteed that their courses will transfer as a block of credit to any Texas public college or university. Individual Core courses must be accepted as well by the transfer institution. Successful completion of the Core Curriculum satisfies your general education requirements and receiving institutions cannot require additional core courses if you have a C average (2.0) or higher.
An excellent website to check transferability of classes between institutions: Texas Common Course Numbering System | TCCNS | Welcome
