Programs and Activities

The HSS Program offers students a unique educational experience at the University of Texas at Austin: the atmosphere of a small school, with all of the advantages of a large research university. The program supports a wide range of activities and programs that encompass social, recreational, and academic areas, planned by the Health Science Scholars Council. All Health Science Scholars are automatically admitted to the Freshman Research Initiative. After the FRI, their activities diverge according to their interests. But everyone engages, most of them intensively, in multiple activities ranging from the obvious and expected — research, health care, service — to music ensembles, camping expeditions, even rugby. UT-Austin boasts over 1,000 student organizations, and you'll find Health Science Scholars in dozens of them. 

Research Experiences on Campus

  • Freshman Research Initiative The FRI is an acclaimed three-semester sequence that begins with the Research Methods course and then places students into a spring semester research laboratory where they learn important research techniques.  Summer internships and additional independent inquiry in the fall semester of the sophomore year complete the FRI experience.  Students then have the opportunity to become mentors for incoming FRI students and to continue their research.
  • Natural Sciences Undergraduate Research Forum Held on a Friday afternoon in April, more than 200 research posters are put on display by students engaged in their undergraduate research. About 100 scientists from academia, national labs, and industry show up to judge the posters and award substantial cash prizes for the best work in each discipline.
  • CNS Honors Thesis Symposium Held annually in April, graduating honors students from all three college honors programs present their research in panel sessions. Student panels run concurrently, and each panel is moderated by a UT-Austin faculty member.

Friday Lunches

  • Health Science Scholars gather on Fridays for a free catered lunch while interacting with a speaker or adding to their professional development.

Field Trips

  • In the Fall, the Health Science Scholars go camping as a group. In the spring, they visit medical school campus to tour facilities and engage with faculty and admissions staff. 

Summer Research and Clinical Experiences

International Health Programs

Health Professions Resources