Dean's Scholars is a four-year honors degree program for highly motivated and talented students with a demonstrated interest in scientific research. Students earn a Bachelors of Science honors degree in any of the majors offered by the College of Natural Sciences.

Students take smaller courses developed specifically for honors students and complete an innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum that features more elective hours than standard degree plans. 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.

But the greatest benefit of the program is the community of students. 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. They support, inspire, and learn from each other. Many become lifelong friends. 

Dean's Scholars go on to enter Ph.D., M.D. and other professional programs at leading institutions around the world. They've won some of the most prestigious graduate fellowships in the nation, including Marshall Scholarships, Gates Foundation Scholarships and National Science Foundation Fellowships.

For a much more in-depth look at the Dean's Scholars program, including its faculty steering committee, criteria for selection, and an examination of the program's culminating research experience, see the Handbook, located in the Current Students section at the left. And for a closer look at life as a Dean's Scholar, check out the Prospective Student website, created by current Dean's Scholars for students considering the program.