Senate Bill 25 of the 86th Texas Legislature (2019) led the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to overhaul the framework whereby coursework completed at community colleges can be directly applied towards fulfilling discipline-specific requirements at four-year universities.  Known as the Texas Direct initiative, this builds upon field of study curricula and incorporates the Core Curriculum to facilitate transfers among Texas public colleges and universities.

All public four-year institutions must accept state-approved field of study courses to fulfill lower-division requirements for bachelor’s degrees in majors that correspond to that field of study. If a student takes all the courses in a field of study and then transfers to another Texas public institution of higher education, the field of study is guaranteed to transfer as a block and be applied to the appropriate major. Fields of study are valid only when no substitutions are made. If a student completes only part of a current field of study, then credit for those courses that are successfully completed must apply toward the major.

Field of Study Curriculum

Under the Texas Transfer Framework, a Field of Study Curriculum (FOSC) consists of:

  • Discipline-specific Core Curriculum courses (variable number of credit hours) – These are courses found in most institutions’ Core Curriculum that are particularly relevant to the discipline.  Students successfully completing these courses can apply them towards both the fulfillment of their Core Curriculum requirements and their degree program when they transfer..
  • Discipline Foundation courses (up to 12 credit hours) – These are widely taught, lower-division courses that are considered foundational to the major.  They may or may not be Core Curriculum courses as well.
  • Directed Electives (6 credit hours or more) – These are courses that individual universities expect transferring students to have taken.  They vary by receiving institution, so be sure to work with your advisor to ensure that the courses you take will transfer accordingly.

Note: Fields of study that expired before the Spring, 2026, enrollment deadline at a receiving institution may not be accepted.  Whether a receiving institution accepts credits completed as part of an expired Field of Study Curriculum is at their discretion.

Austin Community College (ACC) currently offers, or previously offered, the following field of study curricula:

Students should always consult with an academic or faculty advisor before pursuing any field of study. In addition, students should consult with an advisor at the Texas college or university to which they are transferring for additional information.