Program Requirements
Programs at a glance
Thesis
All CNS Honors students research and write an evidence-based thesis with the guidance of a faculty advisor.
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Dean’s Scholars work with a faculty thesis advisor in the department of their major to complete a Departmental Honors Thesis.
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Polymathic Scholars work with a primary faculty thesis advisor from any department at the University of Texas and a second reader, selected based on their interests and goals, to complete a Programmatic Honors Thesis.
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Health Science Scholars choose to complete either a Departmental Honors Thesis or a Programmatic Honors Thesis.
Departmental Honors Thesis
The requirements and timelines for departmental honors theses are determined by the departments. Students should contact the faculty advisor for the department of their major for more information.
For more information or questions, contact the honors faculty advisor listed in the Honors Advisors and Thesis Guidelines.
See Departmental Thesis Guidelines
Programmatic Honors Thesis
Students seeking to write a programmatic honors thesis will take an asynchronous Thesis Exploration Seminar (NSC 110H) in Fall of their junior year and a two-part sequence of thesis support courses in their senior year (NSC 323 & NSC 371). Students must secure the signature of their primary faculty thesis advisor before they can register for NSC 323 in Fall of their senior year.
For more information or questions, please contact the course instructor, Dr. Stacia Rodenbusch.
Seminars
Fall 2026 CNS Honors Seminars
BioLinks: Connecting Biology to the Real World
Enamul Huq
Tuesday from 3:30-4:30 pm in PAI 5.42
How is biology connected to real world problems? Biology education is not only intricately connected to human health, but also day to day life. This course will emphasize on broad overview of various topics related to our daily life and how those are connected to biology. Each week, a pair of students will present on a topic of their choice. Other students will interrupt and ask questions followed by discussion on the topic.
Rock Music and Meaning
Elizabeth LaBate
Thursday from 10-11 am in PAI 5.42
This seminar examines styles of rock music through a variety of analytical perspectives. With active listening and historical contextualization, the seminar explores how and why people find meaning in music. The seminar is designed for a general audience and no prior musical experience is required.
Surviving College Stress
Jay Brown
Wednesday from 3-4 pm in PAI 5.42
This course provides an introduction in understanding and managing stress with an emphasis on healthy lifestyle behaviors. Specific topics include defining stress, stress prevention strategies and stress reduction techniques.
The Literature of Science
Joshua Roebke (listed as Tepera Holman on Course Schedule)
Monday 2-3 pm
This seminar will meet remotely
Who writes about science and what are they trying to tell us? Poets, journalists, novelists, publicists, historians, and philosophers all write about science, but how do they communicate it differently? Are they even describing the same branch of knowledge? We will read a variety of texts—from tweets to memoirs, essays to poems, and popular articles to humorous sketches—to discuss the many ways that writers communicate science and the ways they depict real and imagined scientists. Each week, we will read some articles, essays, or short book excerpts to debate the merits of different writing styles by either scientists or non-scientists. Basically, we will discuss good writing about science and talk about why it is good and what it means. Students will have the chance to lead a discussion about the writing genre that they prefer or the area of science that they like best. Join if you love to read and love talking about great writing!
Wellness 101: The Honors Student Edition
Brittany O'Malley
Wednesday from 2-3 pm in PAI 4.28
Unique: 49020
This seminar provides an experiential introduction to well-being in the college environment. Students explore personal wellness, the connections between well-being and academic success, and the role of community and relationships in thriving on campus. Through interactive activities, resource awareness, and guest presentations from campus partners—including the Counseling and Mental Health Center and the Longhorn Wellness Center—students develop practical skills for managing stress, supporting peers, and building resilient habits for college and beyond.
Student Voices/Voces de los Estudiantes
Shelly Rodriguez
Wednesday from 12 - 1pm in PAI 4.18
The College of Natural Sciences is one of the largest colleges of science in the United States, with a community of more than 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 700 tenure and non-tenure track faculty members, and 1,200 staff. The college is also a major source of future scientists, doctors, mathematicians, technologists, STEM educators, and entrepreneurs.
As part of CNS and UT Austin, your voice matters. Students in this discussion section will serve as a sounding board and focus group for a variety of college and university initiatives. In this seminar CNS Honors students will have the opportunity to learn about and give input on issues such as: diversity initiatives, college infrastructure, hybrid learning, outreach, and more. This seminar will feature an array of guest speakers selected from college and university leaders looking for student input. This seminar will also be accompanied by optional volunteer activities that engage CNS Honors students with projects and events here at UT and in the community. Sign up and let your voice be heard.
Mathematics and AI
Rachel Ward
Tuesday from 2-3 pm in PAI 5.42
This course explores the mathematical foundations of modern artificial intelligence through historical contexts. The course also explores how modern AI systems are being used as powerful tools for producing new mathematics.
The Science of Play
Amy Bryan
Friday from 1-2 pm in PAI 5.42
Explore the biology of play and its importance to health and well-being across the life course. Discover how play supports learning, develops creativity and resilience, and provides an outlet for emotions and psychological processes. (Re)connect with your playful self and practice using play to enhance self-care and deepen social connections.
Science on Trial: Evidence, Experts, and the Courtroom
Brian Roberts
Thursday from 2-3 pm in PAI 5.42
“Bench Science” is not a course about chemistry labs. Rather, it explores the fate of science when it enters the courtroom. The legal system in the United States, and everywhere else, has long wrestled with the challenge presented by science in the courtroom, whether it relates to standards of admissible scientific evidence to reconciling the inherent caution of science with the demand for finality by the law; the law is binary, science is not.
The course is not designed to be pedantic, rather it engages students in discussion throughout as they ponder everything from the influence on jurors of celebrity junk science and too much consumption of CSI shows on YouTube to how shifting ideas about the philosophy of science have influenced legal doctrine. A basic understanding and discussion of this sometimes-surreal reality are the principal objectives of the course.
Health in All Policies
Stacy Jorgensen
Wednesday from 1-2 pm in PAI 5.42
From seat belts to vaccines to safe drinking water, we will learn how public health considerations impact decisions affecting our everyday lives.
Health Communication
Michael Mackert
Thursday from 12:30-1:30 pm in PAI 5.42
This seminar will focus on health communication and its role in individual and public health, including issues such as public health campaigns, prescription drug advertising, and depictions of health in the media.
Power of Connection
Nina Palmo
Monday from 2-3 pm in PAI 5.42
In May 2023, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a report calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness and isolation gripping the United States. The report emphasized that the health effects of loneliness are worse than the consequences of physical inactivity and obesity, and that the mortality impact is like smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day. Dr. Murthy argues that we need to take action to improve our health and well-being as individuals and as a society. His book, The Power of Connection, explores the research behind loneliness and offer some practical tips for addressing it on a social and individual level.
Honors Courses
Honors Science Courses
Students in CNS Honors have access to several honors versions of foundational science courses. Examples include Honors Chemistry, Honors Biology, and Honors Statistics. These honors courses have smaller class sizes than the general versions and are taught by faculty recognized for their teaching excellence.
UGS 303 / Originality in the Arts and Sciences
Students in Dean’s Scholars, Health Science Scholars and Polymathic Scholars are automatically admitted to the Freshmen Research Initiative. UGS 303, restricted to students in these programs, satisfies the research methods course requirement for the FRI. As its name implies, the course prepares students to undertake original research in both the hard sciences and the humanities. The final project is a competition that requires students, working in teams, to develop an idea for a grant, consult with relevant faculty on constraints, cost projections and current research in the field, and deliver their proposal to the class.
NSC 109/Sophomore-level Thesis Pathway Courses
Students begin their senior thesis journey during their sophomore year. These courses are customized to each of our three programs. Dean’s Scholars take a research thesis planning course, Health Science Scholars take a Capstone planning course, and Polymathic Scholars take Field Invention, where they create a personalized field of study. All of these courses are designed to provide early support to students in their journey toward writing a successful senior thesis.
NSC 110H /CNS Honors Seminars
One of the advantages of being a CNS honors student is having access to these unique small seminars, which connect students with the university’s best teachers and top researchers. The format of NSC 110H seminars is simple: Faculty select a topic they're passionate about, lead discussions organized around a few readings, and let each student lead part of a class on one of the readings. The seminars foster the honors community by bringing together students in each program and fomenting lively, productive exchanges.
Thesis Planning Workshops (Course names vary)
All honors students, except Texas Computer Science & Business Honors students, will complete a thesis that they begin during their second year through their seminars and classes. Special workshops help students with their progress on their theses as they work towards completion during their senior year.