Texas Universities Cut Core Course Options
Students starting fall 2027 at Texas Tech, Angelo State and Midwestern State will choose from fewer approved core courses.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Higher Education
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Texas Tech University regents approved removing 21 classes from the school's core course list, leaving 151 approved core courses. Angelo State and Midwestern State regents also approved cuts of 15 and 13 core courses, respectively, for students entering courses beginning in fall 2027.
Why it matters
Core courses are the classes students must take to graduate, so changes to the approved list affect which general-education requirements students can satisfy at these Texas universities. The review was carried out to comply with a 2025 state law requiring regents to examine the classes students must take to earn a degree.
Texas Tech's approved core list drops from its prior total to 151 courses after 21 classes were removed, while Angelo State will have 102 approved core courses and Midwestern State will have 94. The 42-credit-hour core requirement remains unchanged, and the changes take effect for courses beginning in fall 2027.
The players
Brandon Creighton
Texas Tech's chancellor, who took office in November 2025 and imposed restrictions on race and gender instruction.
Texas Tech University
A large public university with roughly 45,000 students whose regents approved removing 21 core courses.
Angelo State University
A public university in San Angelo whose regents approved removing 15 core courses.
Midwestern State University
A public university in Wichita Falls whose regents approved removing 13 core courses.
The details
Faculty committees and system leaders at the three general academic universities began reviewing core courses in May. The chancellor's office reviewed each university's proposed list course by course before regents approved the changes. The removed courses include a literature class focused on social justice and the environment, a women's and gender studies course exploring race, class and gender, and a class on the Holocaust in literature and film, while Texas Tech's approved list still includes 'Introduction to Women's Studies.'
Timeline
May 2026: Faculty committees began reviewing core courses.
November 2026: Texas Tech regents approved the core course removals.
Fall 2027: Core course changes take effect for courses beginning.
Education Landscape
The reviews follow the 2025 Texas law requiring regents to examine which classes students must take to graduate, placing these cuts within a broader state-level revisiting of general-education requirements. Similar course-list reductions were also made at the Texas A&M College Station flagship, which removed 78 classes, and the University of Houston flagship, which removed 97.
Students entering Texas Tech, Angelo State, or Midwestern State courses beginning in fall 2027 should check the current approved core course list before planning their schedules. Students with questions about how the removals affect their degree path should contact their university's academic advising office.
The takeaway
The 42-credit-hour core requirement stays the same even as the list of approved courses shrinks, so students should confirm which courses still count before registering. Those planning to enroll for fall 2027 or later should ask their academic advisers which core options remain available.
Further reading
For broader context on how state policy shapes degree requirements, explore Higher Education coverage.
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