Is there a curriculum associated with HSH?

HSH is designed to provide opportunities to a broad spectrum of high-caliber students interested in health sciences.  Students who fit this profile have varied pre-professional degree requirements and graduation objectives and can select from a variety of degree plans and majors in the College.  For example, students interested in pharmacy can apply to PharmD programs after the first two years. Some pre-med students will claim several semesters of AP credit and finish a BS en route to an MD in 3 years, while some students may instead take extra time to fully explore all the resources offered here at UT.  Rather than constrain HSH students within a specific, prescribed degree plan, this program will provide opportunities that are flexible and that can be customized as per a student’s interests and objectives.

What is the difference between Health Science Honors (HSH) and Dean’s Scholars (DS)?

The College of Natural Sciences Honors Program is divided into two cohorts, HSH and DS.  This was done to maintain one of the most important features of our honors concept- small cohort size.  HSH is UT's first honors program specifically for students interested in the health professions, and it allows us to provide customized opportunities and resources directed towards both extensive career exploration in the varied fields of health sciences and top-notch pre-professional and pre-graduate academic and extracurricular preparation.

HSH provides you priority access to the College's honors courses, our nationally recognized Freshman Research Initiative and an extensive array of clinical and research internships. During your four years in HSH, you will participate in special seminars and workshops led by faculty and health-care professionals. These opportunities are designed to let you explore the health-related sciences and professions as we challenge you to find just the right professional school and career.

I applied to DS, why am I in HSH?

Elite students were identified by a faculty committee within the Dean’s Scholars Honors Program applicant pool.  Among the top honors applications, HSH admission was offered to those applicants that expressed a strong interest in careers in health sciences or health sciences related research.  DS admission was offered to those applicants that expressed a strong interest in or preparation for the pursuit of a research degree.

What if I've been accepted to HSH but I want an honors degree?

The honors degree plan in the College of Natural Sciences – the Dean’s Scholars Honors Option is structured around an honors research thesis. Students accepted into HSH will be able to complete the same first-year honors courses and participate in research their first year. Should you decide a research degree is right for you, we will facilitate your transfer into the Honors Option for your major.

Are scholarships available for HSH?

Although HSH will not have any incoming freshman scholarship unique to the program in 2010, the College of Natural Sciences awards over $200,000 each year in scholarships to Health Science Students.  HSH honors students, once matriculated, will be prime candidates for these awards. In future years, we intend to redirect some of these monies to recruiting scholarships as well.

What about National Merit Scholarships?

While UT no longer offers the National Merit scholarships, there are many other sources of scholarship funding at UT, including the scholarships given out by the College.   Often when the cost of living and overall cost of attendance at UT is compared to our peer institutions across the country, many find that going to UT is still less expensive.

Are HSH student eligible for Honors Housing?  How do we indicate we’d like to live in honors dorms?

Students in the College of Natural Sciences Honors Program (both HSH and DS) can select that they’d like to be considered for housing in the Honors Dormitories.  Applications for housing must be completed online- see the Housing Web Site for instructions.

Can you be in both Dean’s Scholars and Health Science Honors?

No. Both DS and HSH are part of the College of Natural Sciences Honors Program, and feature smaller courses developed specifically for honors students, priority access to the college's honors courses, dedicated academic advising, and participation in our nationally recognized Freshman Research Initiative. Although seminars, speakers and opportunities will be customized for each group, most events will be cross-listed so that students whose interests overlap can participate.  There will, however, be community building and social events unique to each cohort.

Can you be in Health Science Honors and another Honors program outside of the College of Natural Sciences?

Since one of our main goals was to increase the number of honors-caliber students recruited to UT and served by honors program resources, we do not currently allow co-enrollment with other honors programs at UT. However, most HSH events will be cross-listed within the UT honors community so that students whose interests overlap can participate.

What if I'm accepted to DS but I am pre-med?

The Dean’s Scholars Honors Program and the Health Science Honors Program are both part of the College of Natural Sciences Honors Program, and although seminars, speakers and opportunities will be customized for each group, most events will be cross-listed so that students whose interests overlap can participate.  There will, however, be community building and social events unique to each cohort.