A close community at a powerhouse university
Dean’s Scholars is the first step towards a successful career in the sciences for many students.
The Dean’s Scholars Honors Program, established in 1983, is the oldest honors program in the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. Students have gone on to become professors, surgeons, Teach for America teachers, Silicon Valley engineers, and more. United by their hunger for knowledge, all of these alumni are using their Dean’s Scholars education to change the world.
Research
Though some Dean’s Scholars have performed research prior to arriving at UT Austin, many have not. That’s no problem! Dean’s Scholars are automatically admitted to UT’s nationally-recognized Freshman Research Initiative.
World-Class
Many Dean’s Scholars are recognized by faculty as hard-working and successful. In faculty labs, Dean’s Scholars can take advantage of UT’s world-class resources, including the McDonald Observatory and the Texas Advanced Computing Center.
High-Ranking
UT is an R1 research university, meaning that it occupies the highest tier of research recognition for US universities.
More Than Just Academics
Although it is an honors program with academic requirements, Dean’s Scholars is focused on its founding purpose: building a community. The best and brightest students in the College of Natural Sciences come together in Dean’s Scholars to relax and support one another amidst the pressures of their rigorous courses of study. While Dean’s Scholars do study together and challenge one another, they also have plenty of fun together. Home-cooked dinners hosted by faculty, weekend field trips, and social events constitute the core of the Dean’s Scholars community. Students in Dean’s Scholars often find that their undergraduate experience is defined by their friends and experiences in the program as much as their lessons in the classroom.
Dean’s Scholars have a diverse set of interests
The honors degree plans provide more elective hours than normal degree plans, allowing you to pursue exactly what interests you! For example, Dean’s Scholars use the extra elective hours to pursue a certificate, a minor, a second major, or just take more classes (even graduate classes!) in their field. The Dean’s Scholars degree is capped with an honors thesis, showcasing the students’ research projects. For more information, see the College of Natural Sciences’ list of honors degree plans.
Personalized Advising
One of the best parts of being a Dean’s Scholar is our access to personalized advising. We have an honors-specific academic advisor, and all Dean’s Scholars have access to faculty mentorship as they move through their degree. Your faculty advisor will help you with questions about classes, research, and planning your future. These unique resources ensure that you are able to customize your education to suit your unique needs.
Dean’s Scholars Seminars
Dean’s Scholars have access to exclusive honors seminars that allow you to interact with top faculty in a small classroom setting. Topics vary wildly and have ranged from politics, infectious diseases, and social entrepreneurship, all the way to banjo lessons! These one-hour weekly seminars help you expand your knowledge, work on your presentation skills, and take a fun break from your other classes.
