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Core Curriculum

​​​​The Core Curriculum is a set of courses that provides the knowledge, skills and experiences you need to suc​ceed in co​llege and in life. Whatever your academic or career goals, the Core Curriculum can help you to launch a successful future. Here’s why:

  • It builds a solid academic foundation with personal flexibility. Completing the Core ensures you build fundamental skills on a solid educational base. But it’s also flexible enough that you can choose the courses that will apply to your chosen field of study while completing your Core requirements.
  • You can earn an associate degree with just a few more courses. Take your block of Core courses (42 credit hours), and with just 18 additional hours, you can earn an associate degree. Go right to work with your new skills, or transfer your Core Curriculum to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor’s degree.
  • Transfer is guaranteed. It’s a state law that students who complete the Core Curriculum with at least a 2.0 GPA are guaranteed that their courses will transfer as a block of credit to any Texas public college or university. Individual Core courses must be accepted as well by the transfer institution. 

Get specific information on the Core Curriculum, read answers to frequently asked questions about the Core or learn about the history of the Core selected by Dallas College.

What’s in It for Me?

  • Value. Get a top-quality education without breaking the bank. Our low tuition rates are the best educational bargain around! One three-hour credit course for in-county students is only $​​237, or just $948 for a full semester-load of 12 credit hours — and there are no hidden fees. Compare that with UNT’s $1,451, UTA’s $1,401 or UTD’s $2,729* for just one three-hour class.
  • Quality. Going to Dallas College gives you the opportunity to learn from top-notch professors who have impressive credentials but choose to teach in the intimate community college setting. To us, you’re not a number but a person with individual learning needs and dreams that we can help you reach. And in the community college setting, you’ll get the time you need to talk to your professors in smaller classes, have access to all of our facilities and enjoy a wide range of support services and activities. You’ll get the same degree of academic challenge as you would at a four-year college or university but with more personalized support.
  • Guaranteed transfer. It’s a state law that students who complete the Core Curriculum with at least a 2.0 GPA are guaranteed that their courses will transfer as a block of credit to any Texas public college or university. Individual Core courses must be accepted as well by the transfer institution.

    Successful completion of the Core Curriculum satisfies your general education requirements, and receiving institutions cannot require additional core courses if you have a C average (2.0) or higher.

Associate Degree Options

The Core Curriculum is the very basis of these associate degree programs:

* Only the A.A.T. degrees with specializations in Foreign Language and Mathematics include the complete Core.

Get Started

Complete the admissions process and meet with a Success Coach (Advisor) to discuss your educational and career goals. 

Check the current class schedule at the college you plan to attend to see what classes are offered in a given semester. See the browsable class schedules of Dallas College.

Want to Know More About the Core?

Check out our frequently asked questions.


* University tuition figures are estimates provided for comparison purposes only. Tuition and fees at UNT, UTA and UTD may vary based on several factors, including your major and whether you choose a guaranteed tuition plan.