Interdisciplinary, Innovative Honors
Dean’s Scholars students earn a Bachelor’s of Science honors degree in majors offered by the College of Natural Sciences. They take smaller courses, developed specifically for honors students, and complete an innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum that features more elective hours than standard degree plans. Students receive training in research methods, develop their own research projects and write theses under the direction of faculty. Each Dean’s Scholars student has a faculty mentor, an academic advisor who meets with them from their first semester to their last and a peer mentor.
-
Research from the start: Automatic admission to the Freshman Research Initiative and a required, faculty-mentored honors thesis
-
Interdisciplinary honors curriculum: Small, honors-only courses with broad elective freedom across sciences and beyond
-
Personalized mentoring: Dedicated honors advising plus long-term faculty and peer mentors
-
Exclusive learning experiences: Dean’s Scholars–only seminars, faculty-hosted dinners, and research-focused field trips
-
Tight-knit community: A cohort model that emphasizes collaboration, belonging, and lifelong connections alongside academic excellence
Courses and More
Dean’s Scholars earn honors degrees in almost any College of Natural Sciences major. Every Dean’s Scholars Honors degree plan also includes:
- An Introduction to Research Methods course
- Interdisciplinary seminars developed specifically for Dean’s Scholars
- A Critical Reading and Persuasive Writing course
- A requirement of 6 honors-level courses from at least 4 math and science disciplines
- Hands-on research and an honors thesis
- Up to 30 hours of elective hours chosen by the student under the guidance of a faculty advisor
Each major has its own specific set of requirements as well.
Four Years at a Glance
Students in Dean’s Scholars begin with a science-intensive course load in their first semester. But the B.S. Honors degree allows students to venture well beyond the College of Natural Sciences, and students can take advantage of this latitude beginning in their second semester. The following is a typical course timeline, with Honors- and DS-specific coursework included. Many DS students elect to take courses during at least one summer; however, completing the B.S. Honors degree by itself in four years does not require this.
Year 1
- BS degree coursework (fall and spring)
- UGS 303 / Originality in the Arts and Sciences (fall)
- Freshman Research Initiative lab hours (spring)
- NSC 110H / DS First-Year Seminar (fall and spring)
Year 2
- BS degree coursework (fall and spring)
- Freshman Research Initiative lab hours
- NSC 110H Honors Seminar (fall and spring)
Year 3
- BS degree coursework (fall and spring)
- NSC 110H Honors Seminar (fall and spring)
Year 4
- BS degree coursework (fall and spring)
- NSC 110H Honors Seminar (fall and spring)
- Departmental research/thesis seminars (fall and spring)