Everything You Need to Know About Honors Programs at the University of Texas at Austin

LIBERAL ARTS HONORS (LAH)

LAH is a college-wide program that embraces 140 freshmen each year. Started in 1990, it is considered a small liberal arts college within the larger research university. Students in the program still have a declared major. For example, you might major in Mexican American Studies within the Liberal Arts Honors program. But students also get to strengthen their critical thinking skills through required LAH classes, such as “Reacting to the Past” and “Ideas of Civic Engagement.”

The multi-disciplinary approach offers an interactive and flexible curriculum that stresses real-world application. Liberal Arts Honors students often study abroad and participate in internships. They see themselves as global citizens and natural leaders. The program provides talented students with enriched learning opportunities as they move through their college years. If students want to “be the change they want to see in the world,” this program is for them.

LAH admissions requirements: 

• Apply for LAH Honors on the ApplyTexas or Coalition application or via the online Honors Application
• Expanded resume
• A commitment to a liberal arts education 
• Writing skills, as demonstrated in essays (writing is a key component of the program)
• A challenging academic course load; for example, taking AP/IB classes where offered and maintaining a full senior year course load
• Leadership positions, especially those gained by committing to one or two organizations throughout high school 
• LAH short answer essay
• LAH Personal Statement
  

LAH Short Answer Prompt

At the University of Texas at Austin, we say that what starts here changes the world. The Liberal Arts Honors Program seeks change agents, students who are going to draw upon a liberal art education to make lifelong contributions to society that will make life better for their fellow citizens in the 21st century. Please tell us succinctly and imaginatively how a liberal arts education will help you become such a change agent and what contributions you expect to make.

(250 words)

LAH Personal Statement Prompt

Help us get to know you better. Please write five sentences (numbered 1–5) that give us some insight into you, your life, your interests and your experiences. There are no right answers — feel free to be creative and think outside the box.

PLAN II HONORS

Plan II is an interdisciplinary arts and science honors major with a core curriculum. This curriculum builds from one year to the next, with specific courses offered in a carefully designed order to empower students with problem solving abilities, analytical skills, and writing prowess. The work culminates in a capstone thesis, an extensive independent research and writing project.

Students working toward a Plan II degree are allowed to take electives, but they must follow the Plan II core curriculum requirements. The Plan II Honors requirements range from a year-long world literature course from the ancients to the present, to a four-semester sequence in modes of reasoning, theoretical math or calculus, life sciences, and physical sciences.

Many students in this program are planning on graduate school, whether in economics, history, medicine, or law. Often, Plan II students take an additional year and earn a second, specialized degree––in business or architecture, for example. It is intellectually rigorous. These are students who enjoy engaging in scholarly debate both inside and outside the classroom, who aren’t afraid of leading discussions, and who seek rigor in their coursework.

Plan II is often compared to an Ivy League-style of education. Admission is competitive, with around 1.400 applications for 175 freshman spots. Admission criteria is holistic, often taking into consideration a student’s intellectual spirit, imagination, and originality, as well as leadership skills and the desire for a broad education. In other words, if your student loves to learn and enjoys being challenged, this may be the right home for them.

Plan II admissions requirements: 

• Apply for Plan II Honors on the ApplyTexas or Coalition application or via the online Honors Application 
• Note: Plan II is housed in the College of Liberal Arts, so Liberal Arts must be one of the two college choices 
• Expanded resume
• The Plan II personal statement 
• A short answer essay response
  

Plan II Short Answer Prompt

If you could add one required course—on any topic—to your high school’s curriculum, what would it be and why? What would you have liked to learn that wasn’t available to you?

Limit your response to no more than 250 words.

Plan II Personal Statement Prompt

This is five sentences that allow you to tell the reviewer about yourself. Use these five sentences to describe yourself, your life, and your experiences that, taken together, form an accurate view of who you are and why the interdisciplinary nature of the Plan II honors program appeals to you. This is your chance to shine. Don't list what was provided in other areas of your application. Be creative! Be unique! Be you!

THE CANFIELD BUSINESS HONORS PROGRAM (CBHP)

CBHP offers students with academic abilities and leadership skills the analytical tools and interpersonal skills needed to thrive as a business leader. The CBHP is a degree program within the highly-ranked McCombs School of Business. It provides intellectual challenge and professional development for students, while also providing a smaller community group in the McCombs environment.

CBHP courses are accelerated and modeled after those in the MBA program. In fact, the McCombs School's most experienced faculty teach CBHP classes. There's an emphasis on class discussion and presentations, case study analysis, and research on actual business decision-making. The small class size (generally 30-45 students, restricted to students in the program) encourages deep interaction between students and faculty and creates a welcoming learning community.

CBHP provides students with training, networking opportunities, and support during their college years. Admissions is competitive, but according to UT, those who do find a spot feel that the effort it took to get accepted pays off. 

CBHP admissions requirements: 

• Submit regular UT application
• List "Unspecified Business" as the first choice major
• Apply to Honors application 
• Answer the "Canfield Business Honors Program" essay prompt
• Submit a letter of recommendation from an academic source (e.g., teacher, professor)
  

CBHP Short Answer Prompt

Canfield Business Honors is more than a major and program at the University. It is a community. During the last four years of high school, what community have you had the most impact in and how did you achieve that impact?

Limit 250 words.

THE TURING SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Turing Scholars Program is an honors program hosting approximately 150 students that is designed to challenge outstanding Computer Science undergraduates. The program's curriculum offers an accelerated path through the department's core CS curriculum, which itself is the nation’s 8th-ranked computer science program. 

If you are admitted to the Turing Scholars Honors Program as a freshman, you take the special sections of the freshman classes and the special sophomore Turing Scholars classes. The Turing program also provides honors versions of popular upper-division classes and includes an undergraduate honors thesis that allows students to explore cutting-edge research. There is a minimum number of honors classes that you must complete in order to graduate as a Turing Scholar in Computer Science.

The Turing Scholars Honors Program considers a range of applicants, from those new to computer science to those who have taken so many CS classes that they would place out of the freshman sequence. But a demonstrated interest in computer science through classes or personal projects is definitely a plus for applicants. 

Based on information from UT and student feedback, along with stats for placement in summer jobs and internships, scholarship awards, and corporate endorsement, it's clear that the Turing Scholars Honors Program is a valuable and enriching program. 

Turing admissions requirements: 

• Honors application 
• Expanded resume
• A letter of recommendation from a math or science teacher
• The program looks for highly motivated students with strong math and science backgrounds, with a demonstrated interest in computer science through classes or personal projects
• Evidence of leadership as exhibited by significant extracurricular involvement helps as well
  

CBHP Short Answer Prompt

Describe your significant activities, employment, and achievements, particularly those relevant to the study of computer science. Also describe your educational and career goals.

Please limit your response to no more than 500 words.

College of Natural Sciences (CNS) honors programs

College of Natural Sciences honors programs fall into three categories: college programs, departmental programs, and academic distinctions.

College Honors Programs

CNS's college honors programs allow motivated students to take advantage of the resources of one of the largest science colleges in the world. Each program is designed to foster faculty-student collaboration and to promote exploration of academic, cultural, and social interests. Students can apply to one of three cohorts.

Dean's Scholars

A four-year Bachelors of Science honors degree program for students with a demonstrated interest in scientific research. 

• Students receive training in research methods, develop their own research projects, and write theses under the direction of faculty in the College of Natural Sciences. Each Dean's Scholar has a faculty mentor, an academic advisor who meets with them from their first semester to their last, and a peer mentor.
• Dean's Scholars take classes together, attend special dinners hosted by faculty members, hear guest speakers during weekly Friday lunches, and take weekend field trips to places such as the McDonald Observatory and the Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Texas. 
• Dean's Scholars go on to enter PhD, MD, and other professional programs. 
  

Health Science Scholars

An honors program for future health professionals. 

• HSS students have a long track record of community service in high school, and they continue serving each semester at the University of Texas, whether in health care or another area of need.
• Students in HSS learn to communicate effectively. They are required to write papers in the sciences and the humanities, and to present their work orally. For their culminating project, they write a substantive research thesis and present their findings at either the CNS Honors Symposium or another research forum open to the public.

Polymathic Scholars

An honors program for science majors with multidisciplinary interests beyond or within the sciences. Students in his program are the Renaissance people in the College of Natural Sciences.

• Polymaths begin their studies with "Originality in the Arts and Sciences," a course that emphasizes authentic, creative research. In their second year, with guidance from faculty, they design a field of study shaped by their own questions. They discover who's working on those questions and begin developing the knowledge and skills to answer them.
• Polymaths practice writing and presenting their work before groups large and small. Their studies culminate during their last year in a substantial research thesis and presentation at the annual Honors Symposium. 
• Polymathic Scholars are intellectually diverse. Graduates often pursue PhDs and MDs.

Departmental Honors Programs

Turing Scholars (Computer Science) (see above)

Honors in Advanced Nutritional Sciences (Human Ecology)

HANS offers students the opportunity to perform cutting edge research to optimize human health and disease prevention. 

Honors in Advanced Human Development and Family Sciences (Human Ecology)

HAHDFS is an accelerated program for undergraduates interested in how children develop, how families form and function, and how individuals and their family relationships change across the life span. 

Texas Honors Computer Science and Business (Texas CSB)

Texas CSB is a new integrated honors degree program between the Canfield Business Honors Program and the Department of Computer Science. Texas CSB provides a rigorous four-year undergraduate curriculum aimed at preparing students for top technology careers.

Academic Distinctions and Honors Events

Academic distinctions and honors events celebrate and recognize exceptional achievement through departmental honors, honors societies, and special events.

CNS Honors Admissions requirements:

• Honors application 
• Expanded resume
• The program looks for signs of a committed interest in science or math, and success in advanced classes in those subjects
• The materials include essays and letters of recommendations, one of which must be from a science or math instructor
• The program also looks for evidence that the student has researched and understands the target program
  

UT Austin has a special way of looking at applications from students who want to go to their school. It's called the fit-to-major model, and it means that they look at everything in your application—your grades, test scores, essays, resume, and recommendation letters—to see how well it matches up with the major you want to study. They really want to find students who have shown that they're interested and good at the things they'll be learning about in their major. They also want to see that you've done things outside of school that relate to what you want to study.

Choosing the right major is super important because it's the biggest part of your application. UT Austin wants to see that you understand why you picked your major and how it fits with what you want to do in the future.