University of North Texas academics

Colleges and schools

The University of North Texas confers degrees from thirteen colleges and schools.

Students in any major may apply to join the Honors College, a program based on a course of academic study and composed of students who have access to honors classes and to a wide array of special programs and privileges. Membership is open to undergraduates regardless of their major, and graduates of the College are entitled to wear the Honors College Medallion upon commencement.

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences is the academic heart of the University of North Texas.

The Department of Philosophy and Religion Studies is a leading program for the study in environmental ethics and environmental philosophy, distinguished by a focus upon 'field' philosophy, where philosophers work with scientists, engineers, and policy makers. It is also the home of the journal Environmental Ethics [1] founded in 1979.

The college is also home to the Department of Political Science which housed International Studies Quarterly, one of the premier journals of international relations until January, 2009.

Currently the Department of Political Science houses the American Political Science Review [2], the premier political science journal in the world.

The Department of History has emphases in Texas and military-history. [3] The department offers doctoral degrees and houses the Texas State Historical Association, the Barsanti Military History Center, and publishes the journal Military History of the West. The department houses a large Hispanic and Military oral history collection [4] and hosts an annual conference on military history. The military oral history collection contains the nation's largest number of interviews with Pearl Harbor survivors. In 2009, the department hosted the regional Phi Alpha Theta conference.

College of Business

The University of North Texas College of Business has constructed a $60 million Business Leadership Building with cutting-edge, 21st century technology for providing high quality business education. Ground breaking took place December 2009.

The College is accredited by AACSB International, and a rigorous and comprehensive peer review process ensures that students are earning a national caliber degree. All constituents can be assured that the College meets the highest of standards and is committed to continuous improvement. In November 2008 the college changed its name from College of Business Administration to College of Business.

College of Engineering

In the spring semester of 2004, UNT opened the College of Engineering at its Discovery Park (formerly Research Park) campus in Denton. Bachelor's degrees are offered in information technology, computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, engineering technology (with focus areas in electronics, mechanical, manufacturing, or construction), and materials science. UNT also offers a degree in Mechanical and Energy Engineering. This new program provides knowledge in the basics of mechanical engineering and alternative energy. The Mechanical and Energy program at UNT is the first program of its kind in the United States. Master's degrees are offered in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, engineering technology, materials science, and mechanical and energy engineering. Doctoral degrees are offered in computer science and engineering, and materials science.

College of Information

The College of Information (COI) was created in May 2009—formerly, The School of Library and Information Sciences (SLIS). This new college offers programs in a range of traditional and non-traditional information fields, including school library media, information science, legal information services and US News and World Report third-ranked medical informatics and medical librarianship program. UNT SLIS, which is accredited by the American Library Association, offers classes at its campus in Denton, in Dallas and Houston, and in Georgia, Nevada, and Minnesota. The school also hosts the University's Interdisciplinary Information Science Ph.D. program. This is one of two universities nationwide to offer this type of blended course in one cohesive college, instead of requiring two degrees.

College of Music

The University of North Texas College of Music is a comprehensive music school with the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Approximately one-third of all North Texas music students are enrolled at the graduate level and it ranks among the top five music schools in the country.

The College of Music is known for its competitive standards and rigorous coursework. It includes recognized programs in composition, theory, history, performance, jazz Unt.edu, and education. Additionally, the college hosts an extensive collection of early music period instruments and is supported by the one of the largest music libraries in the U.S., with thousands of scores, periodicals, books, and recordings.

UNT features a symphony orchestra conducted by David Itkin and a symphonic wind ensemble directed by Eugene Migliaro Corporon and associate director Dennis W. Fisher. Their most public and flagship choir is the UNT A Cappella Choir, conducted by Dr. Jerry McCoy. Dr. Lyle Nordstrom directs the various early music performance ensembles, including the UNT Baroque Orchestra, the Collegium Singers and several smaller early music chamber ensembles. Current renowned professors in the music history and theory area are Dr. Frank Heidlberger, Dr. Margaret Notley, Dr. Timothy Jackson, Dr. David Schwarz, Dr. Albert W. Wily, and Dr. Paul E. Dworak.

North Texas was the first university in North America to offer a degree in Jazz Studies in 1947. The College of Music is noted for building a world-class jazz program along with the world-renowned One O'Clock Lab Band, which is often highlighted on the campus radio station KNTU. Jazz musician Stan Kenton donated his entire library to the music department, and the Stan Kenton Jazz Recital Hall is named in his honor. Just a few notable alumni of the North Texas jazz program include Lou Marini, Lyle Mays, and Bob Belden, as well as countless members of the orchestras of Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Norah Jones and Maynard Ferguson.

In striving to build leaders in all areas of music education, the school of music also has several other music ensembles including a marching band known as the Green Brigade Marching Band under the direction of Dr. Nicholas Williams, as well as jazz strings, opera theatre ensembles, and Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, African, Indian and Indonesian percussion ensembles. UNT also has 2 steel drum bands. [5]

The UNT percussion department ranks in the top five of all percussion programs in the United States. The program is notorious for producing highly successful musicians and prominent educators in the field of percussion. The UNT Drumline has dominated the field of indoor percussion for twenty years. Through innovative compositions and drill design the UNT Drumline continues to set the standard for all indoor programs throughout the world.

College of Public Affairs and Community Service

The College of Public Affairs and Community Service (PACS) is based in Chilton Hall. PACS includes at least 17 departments, centers and institutes, including Anthropology, Applied Arts and Sciences, Applied Economics, Applied Gerontology, Behavior Analysis, Criminal Justice, Rehabilitation, Social Work and Addictions, and Sociology. PACS also offers several post graduate programs, including a master's degree program and Ph.D. program in sociology.

The Emergency Administration and Planning program (EADP) is part of the PACS Department of Public Administration. UNT offered the first bachelor's degree program for emergency management in the United States in 1983. In the years since, the EADP program has drawn students from throughout the US and internationally from Barbados, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Sweden, and Taiwan. Students in the program often benefit from UNT's proximity to Region VI headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), also in Denton (which provides federal disaster assistance to Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) as well as to the dozens of state and local government entities in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

The Department of Public Administration also offers a master of public administration (MPA) degree that provides professional education for persons pursuing a management career in government or non-profit organizations. The MPA degree at UNT is one of the oldest and most respected in the country. In 2008, U.S. News and World Report ranked the UNT MPA program as being the best in Texas and the Southwest in the field of city management/urban policy, and 9th nationally. In 2005, the department launched a doctoral program offering a Ph.D. in public administration and management.

College of Visual Arts and Design

Art has been a vital part of UNT since it was first taught there in 1894, just four years after the institution was founded. As of 2008-09, CVAD has the 10th largest enrollment of any art and design school accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, and has the largest enrollment of any art institution that also awards doctorates. The MFA program at CVAD is ranked in the upper 30% of programs nationally, among the 23 highest ranked public university art and design programs. The college offers thirteen undergraduate and graduate degree programs that lead to the BA, BFA, MA, MFA, and Ph.D. degrees as well as graduate certificates in art museum education and arts leadership. A nationally and internationally recognized faculty provides CVAD's 2000 students excellent role models upon which to pattern their career. The college hosts four student galleries in Denton and Dallas, along with the main UNT Art Gallery which exhibits the work of nationally known artists. The college advertises that a number of internationally known artists, designers, and scholars are UNT alumni, including Jesus Moroles, Ron English, Nick Cave, Jeff Elrod, Robert Longo and Bill Worrell. The CVAD also houses the Texas Fashion Collection in the Welch Street Complex as well as PRINT and NTIEVA. See art.unt.edu.

Mayborn School of Journalism

The Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism was established September 1, 2009. The department of journalism was previously under the College of Arts and Sciences. The Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism is also under the umbrella of the Mayborn School. The Graduate Institute was named for Frank W. Mayborn in 1999 after a generous gift from the Frank W. & Sue Mayborn Foundation Advise and Consult Fund at Communities Foundation of Texas Inc.

Toulouse School of Graduate Studies

The Toulouse School of Graduate Studies at the University of North Texas offers over 111 master's and 50 doctoral programs in all nine colleges listed above plus a Master of Arts and a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science

One of the highlights of UNT is the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. TAMS is an early entrance college program that annually admits around 200 gifted high school students into full-time college studies following their 10th grade year. This program has produced numerous Intel Talent Search finalists and semi-finalists, Goldwater Scholars, and National Merit Scholars.