UNIVERSITY HONORS COLLEGE

The University Honors College (UHC) promotes high attainment among able and motivated undergraduates University-wide. The college attracts outstanding faculty from throughout the University to provide a broad portfolio of academic offerings. These include courses of particular depth and challenge, concentrated academic advising, undergraduate teaching and research fellowships, a distinguished and demanding degree option, and cocurricular endeavors. Student initiative for high intellectual attainment is the main requirement for involvement in these offerings.

Contact Information

University of Pittsburgh
University Honors College
3600 Cathedral of Learning
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
412-624-6880
uhchome@pitt.edu
www.honorscollege.pitt.edu

Admission Requirements

The University’s Honors College is not a membership organization and has no separate admission procedure. Permission for involvement in UHC offerings, such as UHC courses, develops on an ongoing basis depending upon a student’s prior achievement. Entering freshmen having a combined SAT I score above 1350 and ranking in the top 5 percent of their high school graduating class are automatically qualified to take any UHC course whose particular prerequisites have been satisfied. The same is true for continuing students having a GPA of at least 3.25 (B+) in their prior term. Students who do not meet this threshold may nevertheless request permission to take a particular UHC course from a member of the UHC staff or their academic advisor.

Advising

The University Honors College provides special academic and career advising designed to complement the formal advising programs offered by schools and departments. The UHC advising staff is experienced in helping talented students combine seemingly diverse academic interests into educationally sound and appealing plans of study. This includes not only the University’s full range of course, certificate, degree, and other study options, but also national scholarship and fellowship opportunities available to undergraduates. Students seeking UHC counseling are encouraged to make an appointment with a UHC advisor.

Degree Requirements

The availability of a special degree distinguishes an honors “college” from an honors “program.” UHC offers qualified students a unique, competency-based undergraduate degree that is designated the Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil).

There are general degree requirements and special degree requirements for the BPhil. General degree requirements include

• Proof of academic ability.
• Completion of home school degree requirements.
• Accomplishment of an approved UHC program of study. In general, the expectation of an approved program of study is that the curriculum reflects breadth across disciplines and depth within a specific discipline.

The special degree requirements for independent scholarship will typically entail the student’s completing and defending a thesis during the junior/senior years under the tutelage of a faculty advisor. By the last term in residence, the student must publicly present the results of the independent scholarship to a Faculty Examination Committee selected by the faculty advisor. A faculty member from outside the University of Pittsburgh will be an invited member of the committee. Recommendation from the Faculty Examination Committee for the awarding of the degree will be made to the dean of the University Honors College who, after certifying that all aspects of the general and special requirements have been fulfilled, will make a recommendation to the Honors College Advisory Board for final UHC approval. The degree is conferred jointly by the home school and the honors college through a single Bachelor of Philosophy [in discipline] diploma.

Special Academic Opportunities

The Honors Center on the 35th and 36th floors at the top of the Cathedral of Learning is the home of the University Honors College and serves as the hub of its many curricular and cocurricular activities. There are currently four undergraduate publications supported by the honors college: The Pittsburgh Undergraduate Review, a professionally refereed journal of undergraduate scholarship solicited nationwide; The Three Rivers Review, a citywide literary journal; Collision, a journal of nonfiction cosponsored with the Department of English; and the Pittsburgh Political Review, a non-partisan political journal. The Honors Center houses literary discussion groups, a weekly film series, and a weekly lecture series. Interested students are urged to visit the Honors Center, meet the UHC staff, and become acquainted with the latest roster of UHC activities.