Discover the world: A&SRC students explore the Maya archaeological site of Uxmal during an international learning experience in Yucatán, Mexico.
A&SRC : The Arts & Sciences Residential College
A&SRC: The Arts & Sciences Residential College
Find Belonging.
Build Confidence.
Lead Beyond the Classroom.
A&SRC’s living-learning communities connect students through intentional mentorship, shared academic experiences, and experiential learning designed to help them grow academically, personally, and professionally.
What is A&SRC?
The Arts & Sciences Residential College (A&SRC) is a residential college within the College of Arts and Sciences, made up of nine living-learning communities where students live together and take shared academic courses.
Students in A&SRC learn alongside peers who share their curiosity, engaging in discussions, collaborative work, and experiences that extend learning beyond the classroom while building a strong, supportive community.
In A&SRC, students:
- Live in a residential community with peers who share their academic interests
- Learn through shared courses, faculty engagement, and collaborative experiences
- Belong to a supportive community that fosters connection and growth
Live and learn alongside peers who share your curiosity.
Learn Through Experiences Beyond the Classroom
Learning in A&SRC extends beyond the classroom. Through hands-on activities, site visits, and immersive experiences, students engage with ideas both on campus and in the broader world.
A&SRC also offers signature opportunities, such as the Explorers program, in which students participate in faculty-led cultural and academic experiences, including travel to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
Learning Through Service
Service and volunteerism are an important part of the A&SRC experience. Through partnerships with local organizations and community initiatives, students have opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom while contributing to the Chattanooga community.
Some Residential Learning Communities place particular emphasis on community engagement, helping students connect their academic interests with meaningful service opportunities.
These experiences deepen students’ understanding of their studies while fostering curiosity, collaboration, and a lifelong love of learning.
Exploring ideas beyond the classroom: students engage with science and discovery through hands-on museum experiences.
Learning in context: A&SRC students encounter ecosystems and cultures through immersive field experiences.
Learning through service: students apply their knowledge while supporting the local community.
Belonging is Our Mission
As a student success initiative, the Arts & Sciences Residential College is designed to help students thrive academically and personally. At the heart of our approach is a strong sense of belonging, cultivated through residential learning communities where students build meaningful connections with peers, faculty, and staff.
Through social events, cocurricular activities, and service, students engage with their academic interests while developing friendships, confidence, and leadership skills. Partnerships across campus—including tutoring through UTC’s Center for Academic Support and Advisement and support from Housing and Residence Life—ensure that students have the resources they need to succeed.
Learn together. Explore together. Grow together.
Building community through shared experiences: A&SRC students prepare tamales together in a hands-on cultural workshop.
Belonging in action: A&SRC students connect through conversation, games, and shared experiences.
Belonging Leads to Success
First-year A&SRC students consistently demonstrate strong persistence and academic performance compared with other first-year UTC students.
Data reflect outcomes for first-year A&SRC students compared with other first-year UTC students.
How A&SRC Works
A structured approach to belonging and student success.
The Arts & Sciences Residential College supports student success through a structured, shared experience. Students join a Residential Learning Community (RLC) centered on a common academic interest, where they live together, take courses together, and engage in programs that extend learning beyond the classroom.
Each RLC is typically sponsored by a department in the College of Arts and Sciences and organized around a distinctive academic or thematic focus.
As part of the experience, students enroll in academic cohort courses alongside fellow community members. These cohort-based courses foster connection, collaboration, and deeper engagement with academic content.
Through programming, service, and interaction with faculty and campus partners, students build relationships, explore their interests, and develop the habits that support success at UTC and beyond.
The structure of each Residential Learning Community is reflected in the courses students take during their first year.
Academic Experience: Cohort Courses
First-Year Course Pathways (Fall 2026–Spring 2027)
As part of A&SRC, students enroll in designated academic cohort courses (ACCs) - shared courses within their Residential Learning Community (RLC). These cohort-based courses are intentionally structured to support your academic progress, build connections with peers, and deepen engagement in your field of interest.
Each RLC includes a defined set of first-year academic cohort courses. Reviewing these pathways can help you understand how your academic experience will be organized and whether a particular RLC is the right fit for you.
- CAS Explorers— First-Year Course Pathway
Fall
- USTU1250 - The First Year Experience: Project Undecided
- ENGL2510R - Topics in Literature: Fantasy
Spring
- USTU1300 - Exploring Majors and Decision Making
- Content Creators— First-Year Course Pathway
Fall
- ART1010 - Studio Processes
Spring
- COMM1999R - Content Creators in Action
- Helping Hands— First-Year Course Pathway
Fall
- USTU1250 - The First Year Experience: Helping Hands
- SOC1150 - Sociology of Social Problems (SB)
Spring
- AFST2550 - Introduction to Africana Studies (CZ or SB)
- Life Out Loud— First-Year Course Pathway
Fall
- USTU1250 - The First Year Experience: Life Out Loud
- LTAM1750 - Introduction to Latin American Studies
Spring
- MLNG1500 - World Cinema (CZ or HF)
- MEDIC— First-Year Course Pathway
Fall
- CHEM1250/BIOL 1250 - The First Year Experience: MEDIC
- CHEM1110 - General Chemistry I
- CHEM1110L - General Chemistry I Lab
Spring
- CHEM1120 - General Chemistry II
- CHEM1120L - General Chemistry II Lab
- Mocs in STEM— First-Year Course Pathway
Fall
- MATH1250/PHYS1250/CHEM1250 - The First Year Experience: Mocs in STEM
- MATH1730 Combined Precalculus
Spring
- MATH1950 - Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
- Music Row— First-Year Course Pathway
Fall
- MUS1250: The First Year Experience: Music Row
- MUS1710 - Musicianship I
- MUS1730 - Musicianship Lab I
Spring
- MUS1720 - Musicianship II
- MUS1740 - Musicianship Lab II
- POLIS— First-Year Course Pathway
Fall
- PSPS1250 - The First Year Experience: Political Science
- PSPS1010 - American Government
Spring
- PSPS1030 - Controversies in Public Policy
- Sustainable Mocs— First-Year Course Pathway
Fall
- BIOL1250/ESC1250 - The First Year Experience: Sustainable Mocs
- ESC1500 - Introduction to Environmental Science I
- ESC1500L - Introduction to Environmental Science I Lab
Spring
- ESC1510 - Introduction to Environmental Science II
Explore the Residential Learning Communities below to find your fit.
Find Your Community
A&SRC includes nine living-learning communities designed for full-time, first-year students living in Decosimo Apartments. Explore the options below to find the community that fits your interests and goals.
- CAS Explorers
For first-year undecided (pre-major) students who are exploring majors within the College of Arts and Sciences.
Students engage in shared coursework and activities designed to help them discover academic interests and pathways across CAS disciplines.
Requirements:
- Undeclared status
- 3 credits of Humanities/Fine Arts general education available
Learn more about CAS Explorers
- Content Creators
For first-year students majoring in Communication or Art (BA) who want to develop digital content creation skills.
Students build skills in storytelling, media production, and creative collaboration.
Requirements:
- Declared major in BA: Art or BS: Communication
Learn more about Content Creators
- Helping Hands
For first-year students interested in community service and servant leadership.
Students engage in service-learning experiences and explore social issues through community partnerships.
Requirements:
- Interest in community service and leadership
- Sociology or Anthropology major preferred
- 3 credits in Behavioral/Social Sciences or Humanities/Fine Arts available
Learn more about Helping Hands
- Life Out Loud
For first-year students interested in world cultures, languages, and global perspectives.
Students explore culture through film, music, literature, and shared experiences while engaging in conversations that deepen their understanding of the world.
Requirements:
- Pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree
- Interest in languages, cultures, and global exploration
- Language majors/minors and related BA fields encouraged
Learn more about Life Out Loud
- MEDIC
For first-year students preparing for professional healthcare programs (medicine, dentistry, veterinary, and related fields).
Students complete foundational coursework and explore healthcare pathways.
Requirements:
- Meet prerequisites for CHEM1110 (Chemistry I)*
- No prior credit for CHEM1110/L or CHEM1120/L
Learn more about MEDIC
*CHEM1110 Prerequisites: Math ACT score of 22 or above, or completion of MATH 1130 (College Algebra) or MATH 1710 (Precalculus I) with a minimum grade of C.
- Mocs in STEM
For first-year students majoring in STEM disciplines within the College of Arts and Sciences.
Students build strong foundations in math and science through shared coursework and peer collaboration.
Requirements:
- Declared STEM major (Math, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geology, Environmental Science)
- Meet prerequisites for MATH1730
- No prior credit for MATH1730 or MATH1950
Learn more about Mocs in STEM
*MATH1730 Prerequisites: Math ACT score of 24 or above, or completion of MATH 1130 (College Algebra) with a minimum grade of C.
- Music Row
For first-year students majoring in music who want a collaborative and creative community.
Students engage in shared coursework and creative experiences that support their development as musicians and performers.
Requirements:
- Declared major in Music
- Meet prerequisites for MUS1710 and MUS1730
- No prior credit for MUS1710, MUS1720, MUS1730, or MUS1740
Learn more about Music Row
- POLIS
For first-year students interested in political science, public service, and civic engagement.
Students explore political systems and public issues while developing skills in analysis, discussion, and civic participation.
Requirements:
- Declared major in Political Science and Public Service
- No prior credit for PSPS1000, PSPS1010, or PSPS1030
Learn more about POLIS
- Sustainable Mocs
For first-year students interested in sustainability and the natural environment.
Students explore environmental issues through shared coursework and experiences that connect science, policy, and real-world impact.
Requirements:
- Declared major in Environmental Science, Biology, or Geology
- No prior credit for ESC1500 or ESC1510
Learn more about Sustainable Mocs
- Writers' Collective (Not available Fall 2026)
For first-year students interested in creative writing and literary expression.
This community is not available for Fall 2026.
Students explore creative writing through workshops, discussion, and collaborative feedback.
Learn more about Writers' Collective
Ready to get started? Here’s how to join A&SRC.
Start Your A&SRC Journey
Joining A&SRC is as easy as 1-2-3!
Follow these three simple steps to get started.
All first-time UTC students must attend New Student Orientation before beginning their first semester.
Register for New Student Orientation
Join a Community Built for Your Success
Find your place in A&SRC—and start your journey today.
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