Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I get information on graduate schools?
Graduate school information is available through the offices of the Undergraduate Associate Dean of each school, the Career Center, the Health Professions Advising Center, and the Pre-Law Advisor. The Office of Enrollment Services also offers a graduate school fair each spring.
The Health-Related Professions
Healthcare professional programs do not state a preference about an undergraduate major field, thus permitting students to choose degree programs that correspond to their special abilities and interests. Students interested in the health professions may choose any major as long as they meet the minimum requirements stated by the professional school in question. Students who wish to continue their education in any professional program of study should contact the Health Professions Advising Center during their first semester at UT Dallas.
Law
Law school admission committees do not normally state a preference regarding an undergraduate major field of study, thus permitting students to choose degree programs that correspond to their special abilities and interests. A pre-law internship is available for students from across the University who plan to practice law. Students interested in a career in law should contact the pre-law advisor in the Office of Undergraduate Education. The Pre-Law website is located at http://www.utdallas.edu/pre-law/.
Where do I get information on graduate school admission exams?
The Learning Resource Center has information on graduate admissions exams, and offers preparation courses for the GRE, GMAT, and LSAT.
When should I meet with my academic advisor?
Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor several times throughout each semester to discuss their academic progress and difficulties, goals, career opportunities, and course selection. Students should meet with their academic advisor regularly and in a timely manner prior to semester drop deadlines and course registration. All freshmen are required to meet with their advisor in order to register for classes.
Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their academic advisor, especially when they have earned 75 semester credit hours to establish and/or review their degree plan.
How do I find out who my advisor is?
Students are assigned an academic advisor when they enter the University.
http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/ugraddean/advstaff.htm
Choosing a course of study is an introspective decision, and not one that students should make quickly or take lightly. Students should not be alarmed if it takes a few semesters to select a major, or it they change their major. There are resources on campus to help students understand themselves, set career goals, and choose an appropriate major. The Career Center offers career counseling and assessments. Students may also find it helpful to visit faculty and academic advisors in the schools offering degrees in the areas of interest.
How do I learn about scholarships?
Information on scholarships can be found through the Office of Distinguished Scholarships.
For information on outside scholarships contact the Financial Aid Office.
General Scholarship Information
All freshmen admitted to the University for the fall semester are automatically considered for an Academic Excellence Scholarship Award (a scholarship application iis not required). Important factors in the selection of scholarship recipients include SAT or ACT scores, class rank, grade point average, and success in Honors or Advanced Placement course work. In addition, positive weight may be given to the following factors: achievements in work experience, community service, extracurricular activities (leadership), surmounting obstacles to the further pursuit of higher education, socioeconomic background, and status as a first generation college student.
Recipients of the Academic Excellence Scholarship Program may supplement their awards with need-based state or federal aid and/or third party scholarships. Any additional third party scholarships received by the university in the student's name will be refunded to the student in the form of a check. Please refer to the Financial Aid Office website for further information.
Notification of awards will be made on a monthly basis until all the available scholarships have been allocated. Further application materials are necessary only in the case of the Clark Summer Scholars Program.
Academic Recognition Scholarships
For more information, visit
http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/ugraddean/aesprogram.html#recognition
Academic Distinction Scholarships
For more information, visit
http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/ugraddean/aesprogram.html#distinction
For more information, visit
http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/ugraddean/aesprogram.html#honors
Academic Excellence Scholarships for National Merit Scholars
For more information, visit
http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/ugraddean/aesprogram.html#excellence
For more information, visit
http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/ugraddean/aesprogram.html#clark
High School valedictorians enrolling as freshmenwho have not received an Academic Excellence Scholarship award will receive an Academic Distinction Scholarship beginning in their sophomore year. This scholarship is good for six semesters if they earn a per semester GPA of at least 3.00 for UT Dallas course work and complete at least 24 semester credit hours during the first two semesters of enrollment.
Scholarship Opportunities for Non-AES Recipients
Students who enroll at UT Dallas without an Academic Excellence Scholarship are eligible to apply for the Recognition Scholarship after completing a minimum of 24 UTD credit hours and achieving a cumulative GPA of at least 3.75. Students who have earned at least 90 cumulative hours are not eligible to apply. The number of semesters awarded will be based on the number of cumulative hours the student has and are made each year after spring semester grades are recorded and evaluated. The deadline date to apply is June 1st. The applications are available in the Green Center (GC16) or online. Scholarships will be awarded until all funding has been exhausted.
Eugene McDermott Scholars Program
McDermott scholars are chosen annually. Selection and reappointment are determined primarily on the basis of academic distinction with outstanding citizenship, ethics, and leadership attributes considered as significant secondary qualifiers. The Mcdermott Scholars Award covers all expenses of a four-year academic education at UT Dallas and includes a diverse array of extracurricular experiences including internships, travel and cultural enrichment.
For more information, visit http://www.utdallas.edu/mcdermott/
Gaining and Maintaining Scholarship Eligibility
Students must qualify fully for admission to UT Dallas in order to be eligible for a scholarship award. Academic Excellence Scholarship students must remain in good academic standing to insure their continued eligibility for scholarship support.
Students may be placed on scholarship probation for failing to attain the prescribed GPA or failing to complete a sufficient number of semester credit hours. Students are allowed two probationary periods within the duration of their scholarships. Students who are placed on probation must sign and submit a Probation Contract along with a completed Advisor Meeting Form to the AES Office. A minimum of four meetings with an advisor is required. Failure to meet either the GPA or the semester hour requirement following a second probation notice will result in termination of scholarship support.
More information available at http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/ugraddean/eligibility.html
Non-Texas residents who receive an award from the Academic Excellence Scholarship Program automatically receive a non-resident tuition exemption.
How do I learn about work study?
College work study employment is available to students on the basis of demonstrated financial need. For more information on job availability and requirements, students should contact the Career Center.
How do I learn about financial aid?
Students should contact the Financial Aid Office for complete information.
How do I learn about part-time jobs?
Part-time jobs, both on- and off-campus, internships, full-time jobs, and on-campus interview schedules are posted through UT Dallas Careerworks. All students register for Careerworks through the Career Center website.
How do I learn about career opportunities?
The Health-Related Professions
Law
Career Center
Co-op Education
At the Career Center students can fully access all the services needed for the development of their long-range career plans. The staff provides students with career counseling and may evaluate and test in the areas of skills analysis, interest identification, and values clarification. Computer-assisted career information searches and a Career Resource Library contain occupational and employer information.
The Career Center provides pre-employment preparation assistance through mock interviews and a variety of workshops on such topics as resume writing, business letter writing, identifying marketable skills, interviewing skills, and conducting an effective job search. Representatives of business, government, industry, education, and social agencies recruit UT Dallas students at Career Expos and through on-campus interviews. The Career Center also manages the Internship/Cooperative Education program for all majors, except for students in EE/CS majors.
The Health-Related Professions
Students who wish to continue their education in the fields of medicine, dentistry, or allied professional areas should contact the Health Professions Advising Center during their first semester at UT Dallas.
A pre-law internship is available for students from across the University who plan to practice law. Students interested in a career in law should contact the pre-law advisor in the Office of Undergraduate Education. More information online at http://www.utdallas.edu/pre-law/.
The Internship/Cooperative Education Program places students in work assignments related directly to their fields of study. The experience provides students with an opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to practical settings while responding to the immediate needs of employers. In addition, students are able to stay in school and earn money to defray college expenses, clarify academic interests, and target specific job markets.
Internships may be taken for credit depending on the student's degree program requirements. UT Dallas has a flexible co-op program and arrangements include the following:
- Parallel: full- or part-time work and full- or part-time school.
- Summer: full- or part-time summer employment.
- Alternating Semesters: full-time work alternating with semesters of full-time school.
For more information about the program, interested students should contact the Career Center.
What co-curricular activities are available?
A wide variety of co-curricular activities are available both through Student Life and through the various departments. Sources for obtaining information include the Mercury, This Week at UT Dallas, the campus bulletin boards, banners hanging in the Union, Green Pit, and the Library, and Student Life web site.
this page last updated November 21, 2008
