Texas Universities Slash Core Curriculum Offerings to Comply With New 'Foundational' State Law

Public universities in Texas are drastically shrinking their core curriculum offerings. Driven by a 2025 state law mandating that general education be strictly "foundational," institutions like the University of Houston and the University of Texas at Austin are cutting hundreds of specialized classes from their required course lists. For incoming students, this means fewer niche options to satisfy basic degree requirements, a shift toward traditional subjects like Western civilization and broad U.S. history, and a more streamlined path to graduation.[1][2][3]

The mechanism driving this statewide overhaul is Senate Bill 37 (SB 37). Passed by the Texas Legislature and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in 2025, the legislation requires all public higher education institutions to review their core curricula. The law stipulates that general education courses must be foundational to a sound postsecondary education, necessary for civic and professional life, and free from ideological coercion.[4][5]

To comply with the mandate, university boards must certify their updated curricula by early 2027. The immediate result has been a sweeping purge of highly specialized courses that had gradually accumulated in university catalogs over the past two decades. Administrators argue that the core had become a haphazard grab bag of classes, making it difficult for students to navigate and for the state to ensure a consistent educational baseline.[3][4]

The University of Houston provided the first major glimpse of how this law translates into practice. In late August 2026, the University of Houston System Board of Regents unanimously approved a proposal to slash roughly 40 percent of the courses from the flagship campus's core curriculum. The decision dropped the number of core-eligible courses from 241 to just 144.[1][2][6]

The cuts at the University of Houston targeted classes that reviewers deemed too narrow or specialized to serve as foundational knowledge. However, the exact criteria for removal have sparked intense debate. Among the roughly 100 classes dropped from the core were "Intro to Global Climate Change," "Introduction to LGBT Studies," and "Introduction to Women's Studies."[1][2]

University counsel confirmed that faculty and academic leadership were consulted during the review process, noting that some courses were removed simply due to low historical enrollment or because they had not been offered recently. Officials also emphasized that courses dropped from the core curriculum will largely continue to be offered as electives or major-specific classes, ensuring they are not entirely erased from the university catalog.[2][6]

Despite these assurances, some faculty members have criticized the review process for a lack of transparency. During the board meeting, professors argued that administrators exerted a heavy hand in the redesign. One classical studies director noted that five out of his department's six core-eligible courses—including a popular class on Greek and Roman mythology—were eliminated without a clear explanation of why one was kept while the others were cut.[2][6]

While the University of Houston focused on trimming its existing list, the University of Texas at Austin is taking a different approach by rebuilding its core curriculum from the ground up. UT Austin's current system features a sprawling array of more than 600 core-eligible courses. Under a new proposal unveiled by President Jim Davis, the university will replace that system with a highly structured, limited set of foundational classes.[3]

The UT Austin plan, developed by a 22-member faculty task force, reduces the total number of required core credits from 42 to 36. This reduction is designed to give students more flexibility in their overall course selections and free up time for electives or double majors. The new 36-credit core will be consolidated into three distinct pillars: 15 credits in Arts and Humanities, 12 credits in STEM, and 9 credits in Social Sciences.[3]

Within these pillars, the university is shifting its focus toward broad, overarching themes. New courses will be developed to cover subjects such as Western civilization, the principles of American politics, and masterworks of literature. In the STEM category, the curriculum will explicitly incorporate education in artificial intelligence and computer science, reflecting a mandate to prepare graduates for the modern workforce.[3]

The overhaul at UT Austin also places a renewed emphasis on traditional academic skills. The task force recommended that writing instruction be heavily integrated and tailored to specific subject matters across all core classes. Furthermore, the university plans to prioritize small, in-person classes for the core curriculum, moving away from massive online lectures to foster direct engagement and critical thinking.[3]

Proponents of the statewide changes argue that the reforms are a necessary corrective to decades of academic bloat. Lawmakers and conservative advocates assert that the previous system allowed students to graduate with degrees rooted in niche activism rather than versatile, foundational skills. By aligning the core curriculum with workforce needs and civic principles, supporters believe the state is increasing the tangible value of a Texas college degree.[4][5]

Conversely, academic critics worry that the strict interpretation of "foundational" education is being used to sideline important contemporary issues. Faculty members have expressed concern that removing specialized courses from the core will inevitably lead to registration bottlenecks in the remaining classes and a sharp decline in enrollment for the courses that were cut, potentially threatening the viability of certain academic departments.[1][2]

The transition will be phased in over the next few years to minimize disruption for current enrollees. UT Austin plans to pilot its new core courses in the fall of 2027, with full implementation slated for the fall of 2028. Current students will be allowed to complete their degrees under the existing structures, ensuring that credits already earned will not be invalidated by the sudden shift in state policy.[3]

As Texas universities finalize their reviews, the state is setting a precedent that could influence higher education policy nationwide. The tension between providing a standardized, workforce-aligned foundation and maintaining a diverse, specialized academic catalog highlights a fundamental debate over the purpose of a modern university education. For now, Texas students entering public universities will face a narrower, more prescribed path through their first two years of college.[1][3][4]