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University of Pittsburgh    
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
 
  Mar 29, 2024
 
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Honors Degree


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The Honors Degree* program consists of a structured program of curricular and co-curricular activities that provides an enhanced academic experience which includes opportunities for interdisciplinary study for students at the University of Pittsburgh. 

The Honors Degree program requires 24 credits to be completed upon graduation. Of these 24 credits, a minimum of 18 credits of University Honors College approved academic course credits and a minimum of 6 experiential course credits are required. The 18 academic course credits may include courses with the University Honors College course attribute value (honors courses); courses with the Civic Learning course attribute value; graduate-level courses; courses which are used to fulfill the following (including courses which do not have the University Honors College attribute): Leadership and Ethics Certificate ; Conceptual Foundations of Medicine Certificate ; Engineering for Humanity Certificate ; Engineering Science ; Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Minor ; Global Health Certificate ; Pitt Business Honors Program; Politics and Philosophy, BA ; Public Communication of Science and Technology Certificate Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability ; and any additional course work beyond those used for the 6 credit experiential course work requirement. The 6 experiential credits may include courses with the Civic Learning + Engagement course attribute value, as well as academic research, independent study, study abroad, internships, or co-op programs, all of which require completed credits to appear on the transcript. In addition to the curricular requirements, students are required to complete the Honors Outside the Classroom Curriculum that provides non-credit enhanced experiences for honors students. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 upon graduation is required for completion of the Honors Degree program. Upon successful completion of the program, students receive a degree/diploma jointly-conferred by the UHC and their primary school/college of admission. Students admitted to the Honors Degree program in their first year will be granted priority access to the honors living learning community within the residence halls. Students who remain in good academic standing in the Honors Degree program will also be granted priority registration throughout their time as undergraduate students (priority registration for students admitted to the Honors Degree program as a first-year student begins with spring term enrollment).

*On October 5th & 28th, 2021 the Honors Degree was updated.

Admissions Requirements


The admissions process includes criteria for three categories of students:  first-year admits, external transfers, and internal (Pitt) transfers.

  1. Admission for first-year students is conducted by Pitt Admissions and is based on evaluation of high school transcript, extra-curricular activities, and response to an essay prompt.
  2. Admission for external transfer students is conducted by Pitt Admissions and is based on the evaluation of the completion of a minimum of two college semesters (24 credits) that meet the University of Pittsburgh criteria for transfer and review of an essay prompt.
  3. Admission for internal transfer students (current Pitt students in all campuses) is conducted by the University Honors College and is based on an evaluation of a current Pitt transcript with minimum GPA of 3.50 after completion of two semesters (24 credits), review of an essay prompt, and one academic letter of recommendation from an instructor or academic advisor.

Requirements for Students in the School of Social Work*


  • Minimum GPA: 3.25
  • 18 credits (6 courses) of Honors Courses
  • 9 credits from our BASW program. All of our honors courses are required**
  • 6 experiential credits (including research, independent study, approved study abroad via Pitt Panther programs; SOCWRK 1025 /SOCWRK 1027 )***
  • Completion of the Pitt Honors OCC ***

* On September 20, 2021 University Honors College (UHC) approved to establish a new pathway toward a jointly-conferred degree with the School of Social Work. This option would be in addition to the existing Bachelor of Philosophy option. In order to maintain accurate records the update was made on 9/30/2021.
**The directed study in Research SWRES 2023 can be substituted for either  or SOCWRK 1000 - INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK .

***These are requirements established by UHC

Social Work Course Sequence Options


This presents three ways in which students could complete the 9 credits of Honors-designated BASW classes.

Additional


Students must complete an additional 9 credits of Honors-designated courses (3 courses). At least six (two courses) of the nine credits must satisfy social work co-requisites:

  • Africana Studies (3 crs.)**
  • Anthropology (3 crs.)**
  • Economics (3 crs.)
  • English Composition (3 crs.)
  • Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies (GSWS) (3 crs.)** (Any course with a GSWS class attribute)
  • Human Biology (3 crs.)
  • Political Science (3 crs.)**
  • Psychology (3 crs.)**
  • Religion/Spirituality (3 crs.)** (Any course with a Religious Studies class attribute)
  • Sociology (3 crs.)**
  • Statistics (3 crs.)

A maximum of three credits (1 course) can be any other course with an Honors designation.

Total Credits: 24


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