Students in Dean's Scholars begin with a science-intensive courseload in their first semester. But the BS-Honors degree allows students to venture well beyond the College of Natural Sciences, and students can take advantage of this latitude beginning in their second semester. The following is a typical course timeline, with Honors- and DS-specific coursework included. Many DS students elect to take courses during at least one summer, but completing the BS-Honors degree by itself in four years does not require this. After the first semester, "BS degree coursework" here refers to either or both major and non-major courses. 

Year 1

• BS degree coursework (fall and spring)
• UGS 303 / Originality in the Arts and Sciences (fall)
• Freshman Research Initiative lab hours (spring)
• NSC 110H / DS First-Year Seminar (fall and spring)

Year 2

• BS degree coursework (fall and spring)
• Freshman Research Initiative lab hours
• NSC 110H Honors Seminar (fall and spring)

Year 3

• BS degree coursework (fall and spring)
• NSC 110H Honors Seminar (fall and spring)

Year 4

• BS degree coursework (fall and spring)
• NSC 110H Honors Seminar (fall and spring)
• Departmental research/thesis seminars (fall and spring)

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

• UGS 303 / Originality in the Arts and Sciences
  Students in Dean's Scholars, Health Science Scholars, and Polymathic Scholars are automatically admitted to the Freshmen Research Initiative. This course, restricted to students in these programs, satisfies the research methods course requirement for the FRI. As its name implies, the course prepares students to undertake original research in both the hard sciences and the humanities. The final project is a competition that requires students, working in teams, to develop an idea for a grant, consult with relevant faculty on constraints, cost projections, and current research in the field, and deliver their proposal to the class. 

• NSC 110H / CNS Honors Seminars
  One of the advantages of being a CNS honors student is having access to these unique small seminars, which connect students with the university’s best teachers and top researchers. The format of NSC 110H seminars is simple: Faculty select a topic they're passionate about, lead discussions organized around a few readings, and let each student lead part of a class on one of the readings. The seminars foster the honors community by bringing together students in each program and fomenting lively, productive exchanges.