BSN Honors

What is University of Pittsburgh Nursing Honors Program?

While the traditional BSN program provides a rigorous didactic and clinical curriculum to help students meet the essential BSN competencies, the Nursing Honors program is designed to enrich this experience and provide more applied training and immersive experiential learning in translating evidence into nursing practice. This program introduces students to competencies beyond the BSN level—opening doors for additional career opportunities beyond direct clinical care (e.g., graduate school, leadership roles, etc.) By completing the Honors Program, students earn a dual degree from the School of Nursing and the David C. Frederick Honors College, designated as a BSN-H degree.

There are two paths to earning a jointly conferred Honors degree – the Honors Thesis option (referred to as a Bachelor of Philosophy in schools/department outside the School of Nursing) and the Honors Curriculum option. Alternatively, students can earn an Honors Distinction, not degree, which offers a lighter credit load than the Honors Curriculum option.

Why enroll in the Nursing Honors program?

As a nursing honors student, you will learn how to become a lifelong learner and detective, possessing a toolkit necessary to advance the nursing discipline and impact patient outcomes through the creation and application of scientific knowledge and evidence-based practice. You will also develop a competitive career portfolio for employers and for admission to top-tier graduate schools.

Benefits of participating in the Nursing Honors program include: (1) a special Honors degree jointly awarded by the School of Nursing and the David C. Frederick Honors College upon graduation, (2) priority course registration to help you complete the curriculum requirements, (3) priority access to Honors housing communities and activities, and (4) access to academic advisors and scholar mentors to support your academic experience.

Is the Nursing Honors Program right for me?

Completing the Nursing Honors Program can be a very rewarding and beneficial experience. The Nursing Honors program is designed to equip students with essential skills that will help them become future leaders who will foster impactful change in nursing discipline.