Overview

The University Scholar Program is a very prestigious and distinguished program for undergraduates at the University of Connecticut. Graduation as a University Scholar is one of the highest academic honors the University bestows on undergraduate students. No more than thirty University Scholars are selected each year.

This highly-selective program offers motivated and academically-talented students the flexibility to craft individualized plans of study during their last three semesters. Centered around a major piece of research or creative work, the plan of study enables University Scholars to focus on topics, issues, or concerns of particular relevance to their intellectual interests. With guidance from a faculty advisory committee, University Scholars may select curricula that are interdisciplinary or more in-depth investigations in a particular field than possible when following a regular, undergraduate Plan of Study. All University Scholars engage in intensive, focused research or project work, culminating in a high-level piece of scholarship or creative accomplishment.

University Scholar status gives undergraduates a number of privileges that may include: access to courses outside the student's official school or college, access to graduate-level courses, freedom from maximum-credit restrictions during a semester and, in some cases, substitutions for general education, departmental and school or college requirements for an undergraduate degree. University Scholars also receive a monetary award in the amount of the General University Fee and some scholars receive course credit fee waivers for summer session classes during each semester of participation and they may request funding for UConn summer session course fees.