Common Curriculum Pathway Guide for Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) (Including Dallas, Collin and Tarrant County Community Colleges)

An Introduction for Transfer Students

SMU welcomes transfer students from all colleges and universities! Transfer students comprise a large and important component of the total student body and their diverse academic backgrounds enrich the educational experience for all students. SMU’s Transfer and Transition Services assists prospective transfer students with planning programs of study that are compatible with SMU degree requirements.

The Common Curriculum

All undergraduate students entering SMU beginning in summer and fall 2020 will complete The Common Curriculum (CC), which replaces the University Curriculum.  The Common Curriculum emphasizes the values of a liberal arts education – learning to read, write and think critically while acquiring a basic understanding of human society. 

The following outline represents Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) courses which satisfy requirements of SMU’s Common Curriculum. If you are transferring from a college or university outside of Texas, click on the SMU course for a course description which may be used to select/compare courses at your current institution. Careful review of these equivalencies should facilitate a seamless transfer to the University and minimize the likelihood of lost credits in the process.

The CC consists of two main coursework sections:

• Foundation courses teach students how to read and write critically, develop basic quantitative reasoning skills, and expose them to a second language.
• Breadth courses introduce students to the ways in which intellectual traditions organize and construct knowledge and fundamental ideas in various disciplines.

Please keep in mind the following policies and information about the CC when planning your program of study at a Texas college or university using TCCNS or elsewhere:

• CC requirements can be met through any part of your undergraduate career, including work in the major or minor, elective courses and approved activities. The number of courses and/or credit hours required to complete the CC will vary according to your academic background, preparation, major, curricular and co-curricular choices.
• TCCNS courses approved for the CC have been carefully vetted. Courses not listed as approved must demonstrate specific Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) to satisfy requirements.
• Credit earned by examination such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credit may only satisfy Quantitative Foundation, the Second Language Foundation and up to 3 Breadth courses.
• Keep syllabi from all of your transfer courses. You will need them to determine transfer applicability once you arrive at SMU.

Proficiencies and Experiences Graduation Requirements

All students must demonstrate certain Proficiencies and Experiences (P&E) in order to graduate from SMU. P&Es are met through credit-bearing course work or approved, non-credit activities that have been identified as meeting that requirement.

P&E’s are not specific courses but instead demonstrate that students have developed and refined skills in writing, quantitative applications, and oral communication. P&Es can also be satisfied when undergraduates apply curricular knowledge to the diverse, global communities in which they will live and work.

Students must complete one of each of the P&Es. Unless indicated below, transfer credit does not automatically satisfy P&E’s. If you believe a transfer course meets the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for a particular P&E, you may petition the office of the CC.

An Undergraduate Degree

An undergraduate SMU degree is comprised of:

1. Courses in your major
2. Courses that fulfill the Common Curriculum requirements (which may also count for your major and/or minor)
3. Elective courses (which may be used towards a second major or minor)

By carefully using specific SMU Equivalency Guides for colleges and universities in Texas and across the country, all of your work should transfer to SMU and fall into one of these three categories.

Apply Now!

Click here for more information about transferring to SMU.