Texas Tech University regents voted Wednesday to eliminate 21 courses from the university’s core curriculum, a change that will take effect for students beginning in the fall 2027 semester. The revision leaves 151 core options and maintains the requirement of 42 credit hours, directly affecting how Lubbock residents plan their undergraduate degrees.
According to Lubbock Lights, the courses removed include “The Holocaust in Literature and Film” (GERM 2312) and “Literature, Social Justice, and the Environment” (ENGL 2310) from the Language, Philosophy, and Culture division, as well as “Intersectionalities: Race, Class, and Gender in a Global World” (WGS 2305) and “Belonging and Intercultural Communication in the Workplace” (HRDV 2303) from Social and Behavioral Sciences. Regent Shelley Sweatt clarified that the courses will still be offered as electives or within majors and minors, but will no longer satisfy core requirements.
The overhaul follows Senate Bill 37, passed in 2025, which mandates that public university governing boards review core curricula at least every five years. Sweatt explained that faculty committees began the review in May, after which the chancellor’s office evaluated each course individually. The Academic, Clinical and Student Affairs Committee’s recommendation was recorded as final in the official agenda, which lists January 1, 2027, for certification and fall 2027 for implementation.
Students are advised to check their catalog year and degree audit in DegreeWorks and consult advisers to determine how the changes affect completed or planned coursework. “Removing a course from the core is not the same as removing it from the catalog,” Sweatt said, emphasizing that the courses remain available for other purposes.
At the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Texas Tech System luncheon on Sept. 8, 2026, Chancellor Brandon Creighton noted that Texas Tech’s review set a precedent for other Texas university systems, a point reported by KTTZ. For comparison, Texas A&M‑College Station removed 78 of 260 core courses, while West Texas A&M in Canyon eliminated both African American history courses from its core, according to a board exhibit cited by News From The States.
What’s next: The revised core list will be certified on Jan. 1, 2027, and applied to fall‑2027 enrollment. Students should verify their degree plans before the semester begins and may attend upcoming advising sessions hosted by the university’s academic affairs office.
Sources: lubbocklights.com
