THE PROVOST’S OFFICE
Academic Excellence Through Education, Research & Service
We partner with the campus to ensure all students succeed and thrive, faculty and staff are supported in their research and scholarship and the campus community has the support it needs as a world-class public research university.
156
Undergrad Degree Programs
376
Graduate Degree Programs
$1.14b
Research Funding
#7
Public University in the U.S. U.S. News & World Report, 2024
#1
Among U.S. universities in research financed by the National Science Foundation (NSF)
1,674
Fulbright
Scholars
28
Marshall
Scholars
31
Rhodes
Scholars
Latest News
A Night at the Telescope
The University of Texas at Austin offers unmatched opportunities for undergraduates to conduct research firsthand — for some, as soon as their freshman year. Situated within the College of Natural Sciences, the Harlan J. Smith Scholars program invites astronomy students to observe and take data on a 107-inch telescope at McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. Karl Gebhardt, chair of the Department of Astronomy, started the program a year ago, and he continues to bring students to the observatory each semester.
Scientists Successfully Harvest Chickpeas From ‘Moon Dirt’
As the U.S. plans to return to the moon with the upcoming Artemis II mission, a question endures: What will future lunar explorers eat? According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, the answer might be chickpeas. Scientists have successfully grown and harvested chickpeas using simulated “moon dirt,” the first instance of this crop produced in this medium. The research, which was conducted in collaboration with Texas A&M University, is described in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.
And Just Like That, It’s 30 Years Later. Did We Follow the Campus Master Plan?
In the late 1990s, UT along with Cesar Pelli & Associates undertook an ambitious makeover of the campus. Studying that plan is a fascinating look back and a study in big-picture thinking, incremental progress and unforeseen change, as we prepare for a new campus master plan.
Spanish Castle Magic
They are part and parcel of any description of the style of our campus: Spanish tile roofs. “Red tile roofs are a positive identifier of the UT building character,” the Campus Master Plan book stated in 1999. “It is one of three major building elements (the other two being limestone and golden bricks) that is crucial to the historic environment.” It was simply a happy accident that the school colors of The University of Texas at Austin wound up being the dominant colors of its core campus, orange and white.
Longhorns Bring Their Expertise to SXSW 2026
Soon, Austin will be chock-full of thought leaders, musicians, filmmakers and attendees from around the world for the 2026 South by Southwest (SXSW) conferences and festivals. This year, faculty, staff and students will showcase their expertise through panel discussions, roundtables, short films and more. If you’re participating in the festivities, be sure to check out these expert Longhorns at SXSW and SXSW EDU.
Scientists Map Deadly Hantavirus, Bringing Treatments One Step Closer
Hantaviruses, transmitted from rodents to people, have a death rate approaching 40%. They’re found around the world, and because no approved vaccines or treatments for them exist, they’re among the pathogens of highest concern for future pandemics. They made news in the United States last year when Betsy Arakawa, the wife of actor Gene Hackman, died from a hantavirus infection in New Mexico.