Major Sequence describes the set of courses normally taken in the last two years of undergraduate study, in which students put to use the tools and concepts learned in Basic Sequence courses. Students must apply to take Major Sequence courses with an online application.
You should apply for Major Sequence when you have 7 or fewer hours remaining in Basic Sequence. If you need more information or advice before applying, contact your departmental advisor.
Application Deadlines
October 1 for admission the following spring
March 1 for admission the following summer or fall
Applications received by these deadlines will receive a decision prior to the next registration period. Late applications will be processed in the order they are received.
Essential Requirements for Conditional and Full Major Sequence
The following three requirements must be met by all major sequence applicants:
- RHE 306 must be completed and posted to your record.
- Students must achieve the required GPA for their major’s set of Basic Sequence courses. ASE, BME, CHE, EE, GEH, ME, and PEN majors must earn a 2.5 Basic Sequence GPA, while ARE and CE majors must earn a 2.0 Basic Sequence GPA.
- Students must be in satisfactory academic standing (cannot be on engineering or scholastic probation).
In addition, to be accepted into:
- FULL MAJOR SEQUENCE, all Basic Sequence courses must be completed.
- CONDITIONAL MAJOR SEQUENCE, less than seven hours of Basic Sequence courses remain. Once these courses are completed, you will be admitted into Full Major Sequence.
Basic Sequence GPA
Only courses taken in-residence at UT Austin are used in the Basic Sequence GPA calculation. Credit by exam, UT Extension and transferred work is credited toward your degree, but does not contribute to your Basic Sequence GPA.
Visit the Basic Sequence GPA calculator to determine your Basic Sequence GPA.
Transfer Course Work and Lacking Basic Sequence Courses
If students have pending transfer coursework, have not claimed credit for a Basic Sequence course, or have not registered for a course they are lacking in Basic Sequence during the review of Major Sequence applications, then they will be removed from Conditional Major Sequence and placed back in Basic Sequence. Though the student’s schedule will not be altered, he or she will be reinstated to conditional major sequence and their application updated once:
- transfer coursework posts to the student transcript, or
- the student registers for lacking Basic Sequence courses by the 12th class day of the current semester, or
- the student claims credit for a Basic Sequence course that is lacking.
If you have any questions, please speak with an advisor in your department or reference the Undergraduate Catalog ('12-'14).
FAQs
- Should I wait to apply for Major Sequence until I have completed all of my Basic Sequence?
- It depends. Conditional Major Sequence is for students who have less than seven credit hours of basic sequence coursework remaining for the application semester and need upper level courses to fulfill the 12-hour, full-time student status requirement. Speak with your departmental advisor if you have questions about whether or not you should apply this semester.
- I was ruled ineligible for Major Sequence. What are some possible reasons why?
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- You have not completed the Basic Sequence courses in the requested degree plan.
- You are lacking eight or more credit hours of Basic Sequence courses.
- You have not earned the minimum basic sequence in residence GPA required of your degree plan.
- You are subject to scholastic probation and/or engineering (formerly academic) probation.
- You have not completed, nor does your UT-Austin record show credit for, RHE 306.
- I'm ineligible, what should I do now?!
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If you are ineligible, you must either re-apply or appeal the decision. You may enroll in Basic Sequence or other required courses for which you have the proper prerequisites. You may not enroll in any Major Sequence courses. If you are registered for any Major Sequence courses, you must drop them. Failure to do so may result in these courses being dropped at a later date with no possible refund.
You should appeal as soon as possible. Your department will evaluate the appeal and render a decision. In many cases, a decision will not be rendered until after your current semester grades post. Appeals will be routed to the department for a decision and will be accepted so long as a decision can be made. Generally, after the 4th class day in a long semester and after the 2nd class day in the summer, it is too late to appeal since students can no longer adjust their class schedules easily.
You should be honest and describe/explain any special circumstances that you believe have contributed to your situation. You should discuss why you are in the situation you are in, what your plan is to improve your situation, and what your academic and career goals are.
- I'm applying to UT as a transfer student. Should I also apply to major sequence?
- A student's application to Major Sequence is considered only after the student has been admitted to the university. Admission to the university, however, does not imply or guarantee admission to a Major Sequence in the Cockrell School.
- I'm a junior in physics and am applying for internal transfer to engineering. Can I apply to Major Sequence?
- UT Austin students applying to transfer into or within the Cockrell School must be approved for their internal transfer before their Major Sequence application for their new major will be considered.
- I transferred between engineering majors. Do I need to reapply for Major Sequence?
- Yes.
- I entered the Cockrell School of Engineering before the summer of 2003. Does that mean anything special?
- Why yes! So glad you asked. For students who entered the Cockrell School prior to the summer of 2003, the minimum Basic Sequence GPA is 2.5 for BME, CHE, EE, ECE, ME, and a 2.0 for ASE, ARE, CE, GEH, PEN.
