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Student Resources

Comprehensive list of student resources

As a student of the University of Houston, the following information will be critical to you in insuring that your academic pursuits meet with success and that you encounter the fewest financial and academic difficulties possible. Please take a few moments to review each of these areas, and become familiar with the resources detailed below.

The UH Undergraduate Catalog

Produced by the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, the Undergraduate Catalog serves the entire UH community, detailing for students their academic requirements, offering degree plan outlines and course descriptions, and providing a wealth of information about the University of Houston in general.

Older print versions (2005-2007 and earlier) are archived for public reference at the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library.

The UH Core Curriculum

The University of Houston core curriculum consists of a collection of foundation courses designed to support the high standards of education adopted as common for all Texas institutions of higher education.

The University's core curriculum is informed by a series of basic intellectual competencies - reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking, and computer literacy - that are essential to the learning process in all disciplines.

All undergraduate students at the University of Houston are required to complete courses which fulfill this curriculum. The academic categories of the core curriculum are designed to provide students with the breadth and depth of learning needed to realize these essential competencies.

To review the core curriculum, visit the UH Undergraduate Catalog

The UH Academic Honesty Policy

High ethical standards are critical to the integrity of any institution, and bear directly on the ultimate value of your degree in the business community. All UH students, regardless of their chosen discipline, are expected to contribute to an atmosphere of the highest possible ethical standards.

Maintaining such an atmosphere requires that any instances of academic dishonesty be recognized and addressed. The UH Academic Honesty Policy is designed to handle those instances with fairness to all parties involved: the students, the instructors, and the University itself.

As a student of the University of Houston, you are responsible for being familiar with this policy. For further information, see:

The official UH Academic Honesty Policy is published in the Undergraduate Studies Catalog and Graduate Catalog.

Please also note that, in addition to the fundamental UH Academic Honesty Policy, the professional schools, such as the Law Center, the College of Optometry, the College of Pharmacy, and The Graduate College of Social Work, may have their own approved academic honesty policies. For further information, please contact the individual college.

UH Academic Calendar

The UH Academic Calendar - published by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Undergraduate Academic Affairs office - is the official, approved university calendar for class meeting days, official UH holidays, and deadlines related to your financial and academic rights and responsibilities as a student of UH.

You are urged to become familiar with the Academic Calendar, and to contact an advisor if you have any questions about the time-frames surrounding any event or its possible impact on your academic/financial status (for example: drops/withdrawals vs. possible tuition refunds, financial aid, etc.).

To find an advisor:
Students who have been admitted to a particular college or department should seek advising from there. List of Undergraduate Advisors

Other undergraduate students should contact Exploratory Studies in Cougar Village II North, in room N140, 832-842-2100.

For further information, please review the Undergraduate Studies Catalog section on advising.

Where to find Student Academic Forms

To facilitate many of the common activities you will choose or encounter in your academic life, the University of Houston has collected links to the various forms and accompanying information which may be required for each one.

Visit the Academic Forms page to access the Authorization to Release Educational Records form, the General Petition form, Veterans' forms, information on ordering transcripts, and more.

Click here to download the UHS Reference Request & FERPA Release form

Student Research Opportunities

The Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship (PURS)

The Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship (PURS) provides talented UH Juniors and Seniors the opportunity to participate in a research project under the direction of a UH faculty mentor. University Scholars receive scholarship dollars for one semester of research.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF-UH)

Along with the Vice President for Research, The Honors College, the Cullen College of Engineering, and the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the Provost's office contributes funding to the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program at the University of Houston (SURF-UH). The SURF program provides an opportunity for rising UH sophomores, juniors and seniors to participate in a focused, full-time, 10-week research experience under the direction of UH faculty.

Students with Disabilities

The University of Houston seeks to ensure that the educational resources it offers are as widely accessible as possible.

For detailed information, including documentation requirements, listings of available academic support services, test administration policies, parking accommodations/requirements, and more, please see The Center for Students with DisABILITIES website.

If you or someone you know has a temporary or permanent health impairment, physical limitation, psychiatric disorder, or learning disability, we urge you to contact the CSD to learn more about the services available:

Justin Dart, Jr. Center for Students with DisABILITIES
CSD Building #568, Room #110
University of Houston
Houston, Texas 77204-3022

Phone: (713) 743-5400
TDD : (713) 749-1527
Fax: (713) 743-5396
Email: uhcsd@uh.edu

Religious Holy Days: FAQs

Under UH policy a student may be excused without penalty if his or her religious observances conflict with scheduled class meetings, assignments, and/or examinations. The student remains responsible for completing any needed make-up work. An instructor may not deny the opportunity for make-up work, but shall otherwise treat these absences as any other excused absence.

For undergraduate students, see the Religious Holy Days policy in the Undergraduate Catalog.
Graduate Students, see the Religious Holy Days policy in the Graduate Catalog.

Instructors are encouraged to detail their policies on absences in their class syllabus, clearly outlining make-up options and consequences for not complying.

What does the University of Houston recognize as a holy day?
Holy days recognized by eligible religions will be honored. The University follows state guidelines. Eligible religions are considered to be those whose places of worship are exempt from property taxes.

Do I need to inform my instructor before hand?
It is in your best interest to do so. It will give both you and your instructor a chance to outline the best ways for you to complete any needed make-up work, and minimize class disruption. The earlier in the semester you can communicate your needs, the better.

Should I bring letters, notes, or other documentation?
If your instructor's established policies include this requirement for other excused absences, then yes. This should be treated as any other excused absence.

I need to travel, and this will require additional time. Will I be penalized for that time?
For holy days, necessary travel time is considered to be part of the excused absence.

What if the instructor and I disagree about make up work, or even about whether the time I took off should be excused?
For undergraduate students, either you or the instructor may appeal to the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. For graduate students, either you or the instructor may appeal to the Graduate School. All parties must abide by the decision of that office.

For further information about state law, please see the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Administrative Code §4.4 Student Absences on Religious Holy Days; or contact the offices of the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, the Dean of Students, and/or the A.D. Bruce Religion Center to review the policy.