University Scholars
BUILDING BRIDGES TO YOUR FUTURE
The University Scholars major allows high-ability students to chart their personalized educational journey in close consultation with faculty advisers and mentors. The UNSC major fosters a love of interdisciplinary discourse in the Liberal Arts and Sciences that affirms the student’s unlimited potential in the rich academic and co-curricular offerings of Baylor University.
Why Choose University Scholars
University Scholars offers exceptional students the freedom to shape their own course of study within a rigorous liberal arts framework. Without traditional major or minor requirements, students design individualized curricula that reflect their intellectual passions, guided by close faculty mentorship and supported by the academic resources of Baylor’s Honors College.
Learn More about University Scholars
The University Scholars program gives students the freedom to design an individualized course of study built around their unique academic interests and career goals. By combining multiple disciplines into a customized degree plan, students work closely with faculty to create an educational experience that reflects their intellectual curiosity and prepares them for a wide range of graduate programs, professional schools, and careers. Hear from Dr. Jeff Hunt as he explains how University Scholars empowers students to pursue an education as distinctive as their ambitions.
I chose University Scholars because it gave me the flexibility to think creatively and build each semester around a theme I cared about, like social justice or international development,” Jarvis said. “Being able to approach a single topic from multiple disciplines helped me think more holistically about the world’s most pressing challenges.
University Scholars News
Baylor University’s Honors College is pleased to welcome Richard Rankin Russell, Ph.D., professor of English, as the new director of the University Scholars Program. A longtime Baylor faculty member, accomplished scholar and dedicated mentor, Russell brings more than two decades of experience teaching and mentoring undergraduates, along with a longstanding connection to University Scholars.
Baylor University students and recent graduates continue to be awarded the most prestigious scholarships and fellowships at the national and international levels – winning Fulbright U.S. Student Grants and Rotary Global Grants.
Honors College graduates Ashleigh Jarrous, Isabel Kau, and Kristen Nakamura, were recently named the 2025 recipients of the F. Ray Wilson Award for Best Thesis, a recognition that celebrates excellence in the scholarship of undergraduate thesis writers in Baylor’s Honors Program.
University Scholar Abhinav Rajkumar joins researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Heart Institute for life-saving medical research