AY 25-26 Core Communication (010) Guidance
The purpose of this message is to clarify the Core Communication (010) requirement following the dissolution of the Skills and Experience Flags and to explain how students and advisors can identify courses that will fulfill the writing intensive course of this core area for the 2025-2026 academic year. Please note the phrase “writing intensive course” will be used in the interim while we await updated core 010 requirements following faculty governance procedures.
The Core Communication (010) requirement is a 6-credit hour requirement. Students are required to complete RHE 306 (or equivalent) and 3 hours of a writing intensive course.
06/02/25 Update: We have received questions about approving new courses for Core Communication (010) for 25-26 AY. Typically, the core course proposal system is open a year before the academic year for which approvals are sought. For example, approvals for the 25-26 AY were approved in spring of 2024. This aligns with timelines to seek approval from Faculty Council, then Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Currently, there are no plans to approve any new courses for Core Communication. Once Core Curriculum Advisory Committee (CCAC) reconvenes in the fall, criteria and guidelines for Core Communication will be determined.
For Summer/Fall 2025
Courses that were previously approved to carry a Writing Flag through Fall 2025 will fulfill the writing intensive course requirement through Fall 2025. Please note, the course schedule no longer includes notation for Flags. Instead, students and advisors can search for these courses by selecting English Composition (010)* under the Core Curriculum search in the course schedule. On the search results page, courses approved for 010 will show the C1 core icon. See the screenshots below for reference.
On our website (linked below), you'll find separate lists of summer and fall 2025 courses that do not carry the 010 Core Communication code that will still fulfill the Core Communication (010) writing intensive requirement through Fall 2025. These lists include courses approved for other Core areas that can count toward the writing intensive requirement if the student has already satisfied the associated Core area.
For example, ARC 318L is approved for the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Core and has a Writing Flag approval through Fall 2025. If a student has already completed the VAPA requirement with a different course, ARC 318L can be used to meet the writing intensive requirement for Core Communication.
*On May 27, 2025, English Composition (010) was changed to Communication (010).
Core Communication 010 Courses
- List of courses which will pair with RHE 306 (or equivalent) to satisfy Core Communication (010).
List of summer and fall 2025 courses that are not core-coded as 010 but will pair with RHE 306 (or equivalent) to satisfy Core Communication (010).
Note: Courses with other core codes (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 93) can only satisfy Core Communication (010) if the student has already satisfied the associated Core area. The sheet labeled 256 courses without 010 includes courses offered in the summer that do not carry Core Communication (010) but will satisfy the requirement. The sheet labeled 259 courses without 010 includes courses offered in the fall that do not carry Core Communication (010) but will satisfy the requirement. The sheet labeled 259 courses with other core includes courses that do not carry Core Communication (010) but carry another core code.
For Spring/Summer 2026
Academic Affairs consulted with leadership in each of the CSUs to determine which courses that had previously been approved as Writing Flags should satisfy the writing intensive requirement. It is important to note that not all previously approved Writing Flag courses will count—courses approved at the topic- or instructor-level will not count for the writing intensive requirement, and, as mentioned above, courses approved for other areas of the core will not count for the writing intensive requirement.
Working with the colleges and schools, we have identified over 425 courses that will be approved for the core 010 requirement for spring and summer 2026. Students and advisors should plan to use the same search process in the course schedule described above.
For Fall 2026 and beyond
We are engaging with the faculty governance committees to define criteria for the Communication requirement for fall 2026 and beyond. We will provide updates to the advising community as those decisions are made.
For More Information
Information about the core curriculum, including information about core petitions, can be found on this website. We have also added a list of courses that will satisfy the writing intensive course for the 010 requirement under Student and Advisor Resources. Also, we recommend the Registrar’s FAQ page for additional information: https://registrar.utexas.edu/staff/flags.
We appreciate your patience while we navigate these changes. We understand the complexities of this situation as you communicate with students – current and incoming. As additional guidance and information becomes available, we will send out communication and make edits to our website.
Last updated Monday, June 2, 2025.