Handbook

Admission Selection

The Dean’s Scholars program is highly selective, admitting forty-five to fifty freshmen each year, as well as a small number of upper-class students. Dean’s Scholars seek the intellectual challenge and stimulation of an interdisciplinary program emphasizing scientific research.  Factors in the admission decision are the student’s high school and/or college grades, class rank, the rigor of the courses the student has taken, the quality of the required application essays, a strong recommendation from a math or science instructor, and the student’s interest in math and/or scientific research as demonstrated by extracurricular activities. As Dean’s Scholars, students are oriented toward research and encouraged through their work to perceive the world as presenting questions that can be answered through experimentation.

Program Requirements

Dean’s Scholars is a four-year honors degree program for highly motivated and talented students with a demonstrated interest in math and/or scientific research. Students earn a Bachelor of Science Honors degree, available in most of the majors offered by the College of Natural Sciences.

To remain in good standing in Dean’s Scholars, students are expected to maintain at least a 3.50 grade point average. Students who do not may be dismissed from the program by the faculty director.

Degree Plans

Dean's Scholars complete the BS-Honors degree. Requirements specific to Dean's Scholars can be found in the Program Requirements section above. BS degree plans for each CNS major that offers a BS can be found here

Honor Code

The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.

The code above was created by University of Texas at Austin students, staff, and faculty and was adopted by the university in 2004.