What are the admission requirements for the Honors Curriculum option?
For the Honors Curriculum option, first-year prospective students may apply to the David C. Frederick Honors College / Nursing Honors through the regular initial University of Pittsburgh application process. If you choose to apply, you will be asked to answer the one of the following essay prompts: (1) What is something you would like to see change in the world? Explain why. (2) If you had 10 minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your TED Talk be about? (3) What does it mean to be “educated”? Responses should be stated in 500 words or less. The deadline for prospective students to apply is December 1. Applicants will be notified of acceptance on or before March 1.
If you are an upper-division student in the BSN program and you are interested in the Honors Curriculum option, Pitt's David C. Frederick Honors College still admits a limited number of students into its Honors Degree program. Interested students must have a minimum GPA of 3.500 and completed a minimum of 2 semesters (24 credits). Students are required to complete one of the same essay prompts above and submit a letter of recommendation from an instructor or academic advisor. Applications for current students are reviewed once a year with an application deadline of May 31. Applications for upper-division students open in the spring for the following academic year.
Alternatively, students may consider earning an Honors Distinction rather than a BSN-H degree. The Honors Distinction offers a lighter credit load than the Honors Curriculum option. Students can declare their intention to pursue an Honors Distinction after completing at least one semester, but no later than beginning their last semester, at Pitt with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.000.
What are the admission requirements for the Honors Thesis option?
Students interested in the Honors Thesis option can apply for admission to Honors Thesis (BPhil) degree candidacy on a rolling basis after completing at least two semesters of coursework, but no later than beginning their last semester at Pitt, with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.500. Students are required to identify a thesis advisor and submit a brief research proposal (called a Thesis Prospectus) and plan of study to the David C. Frederick Honors College in collaboration with the advisor.
How competitive is the admission to the Nursing Honors program?
Our nursing students are top-notch, and with enough passion and dedication, any student could successfully complete an Honors Thesis (the highest undergraduate distinction). However, typically 2 to 5 nursing students complete an Honors Thesis every year. You will find a repository of recently completed undergraduate Honors Theses here. The Nursing Honors Curriculum option is a newer pathway to earn a jointly conferred BSN-H degree. The Class of 2023 was the first cohort. Based on number and quality of applications, the David C. Frederick Honors College admits approximately 15 to 20 nursing students in this option annually.