Important Information for all Undergraduate Students

Texas Success Initiative — State Requirements

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a state statute requiring all undergraduate students - new students, transfer students, and international students - who enter a Texas public institution of higher education to either: (A) Demonstrate readiness for college level reading, writing, and mathematics before enrolling in college level academic coursework by achieving the statutory threshold(s) on the state approved readiness assessments or (B) Meet one of the conditions for exemption from the testing requirement. Students must satisfy all TSI requirements before receiving a baccalaureate degree. Students who do not meet TSI requirements must usually complete developmental coursework to attain TSI compliance.

All first-year and transfer students coming into the University of North Texas must have completed TSI testing or have a documented exemption before registering for classes. Your registration will be delayed if TSI status cannot be determined before your orientation session.

Exemptions: Students are exempt from readiness testing if any of these exemption categories apply. If you are TSI Exempt, please fill out the TSI Exemption Form (pdf) with the appropriate documentation and send it to the START Office.

If Not Exempt: UNT accepts scores from the ACCUPLACER, ASSET, COMPASS, or THEA tests for assessment purposes. These state-approved tests measure college-level readiness in reading, mathematics, and writing. Minimum score thresholds required to demonstrate college readiness in each subject area are as follows:

Minimum Required Scores for College Readiness (by Subject)

If you are not TSI Exempt, complete testing before coming to orientation. START offers weekly ACCUPLACER testing for UNT students for a $30 fee. Contact the START Office to schedule a testing time. Information about other locations where TSI assessments are offered is on the START Office website. The START Office must receive the scores prior to orientation and course registration. If START does not have scores, your registration for classes will be delayed. You may provide your official score report or exemption information to the START Office via US Mail, fax, or email:

START Office
University of North Texas
1155 Union Circle #305217
Denton, TX 76203-5217
Phone: 940.565.4403
Fax: 940.565.4324
E-mail: academic.readiness@unt.edu

Music Related Testing

All students interested in being involved with the College of Music during their time at UNT - should plan to attend the music session and theory exam at 9:30 a.m. on Day 3 of orientation to find out more about music minors, auditioning for any of the performance groups, the possibility of taking private lessons, and music theory placement for the fall semester. Students who have successfully auditioned for the College of Music and have already taken and successfully passed the music theory placement exam do not have to attend this session. Anyone intending to major in music must attend this session on Day 3 of orientation and take the Music Theory Placement Exam. Anyone considering a music minor  or simply being involved in a band, choir, or orchestra should also attend this session and take the Music Theory Placement Exam at this time. Ability to enroll in Music Theory courses for the fall semester depends on placement testing and music standing. The Music Theory Placement Exam and information session will be available at 9:30 a.m. on Day 3 of each orientation session. The Music Theory Placement Exam measures the basic music theory you will need to function well at the beginning of your studies in the College of Music. Click here for materials and practice exams.

Math Placement

Based upon your rank in class and SAT/ACT scores, you are given a default math placement level. You may change your default math placement level at any time by providing a qualifying score on the ACCUPLACER College-Level Mathematics Test. You can study for this test and take it as often as you like before you go to orientation. You can also take the ACCUPLACER College-Level Mathematics Test during testing time on Day 3 of orientation. For information on how to better prepare for the ACCUPLACER College-Level Mathematics Test, please visit the Academic Advising and Placement Page (UNT Department of Mathematics).

You want to be sure that the classes you take are the right classes for your major and fit your long-term goals, so it is very important for you to talk with your advisor during orientation about your schedule before you register for classes.

Click here (pdf) to learn more about the math requirements for your specific major. Also, learn what your assigned math level means (pdf).

For a more full explanation of each math level, click here (pdf).

Foreign Language Placement and Exam for Credit

Students may earn up to 14 hours of college credit depending upon their placement level.

The requirement for the Bachelor of Arts degree and some Bachelor of Science degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences is the attainment of proficiency in one foreign language at the level of 2050 (Intermediate Language II). Other colleges and schools may require students to demonstrate proficiency of foreign lanuage as well. Please see the list of degree requirements for your program in the course catalog, or contact your advisor for additional information.

The sequence of language at UNT is: 1010, 1020, 2040 and 2050. Some students come to UNT with AP or CLEP credit that may apply towards the requirement. Please see the Credit By Exam website to determine application of credit earned for AP/CLEP.

If you have skills in French, German, Latin, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Spanish, or Chinese, you should consider taking a placement exam for possible credit during your orientation session.

The foreign language placement/credit exam will be available in the Foreign Languages Department starting at 9:30 a.m. the third day of each orientation session. For more information, contact the Department of World Languages and Literatures at 940-565-2404.