Comparing Plan II and Liberal Arts Honors

The differences between Plan II Honors and the Liberal Arts Honors programs are numerous, as are the similarities. The two programs are equally distinguished and can both boast of many of the brightest and most talented students at the University of Texas at Austin. Plan II and LAH could be considered as close cousins, often sharing information, faculty and special events. But the purpose and design of the programs are quite distinct. Size-wise, the programs are similar. Plan II seeks an entering freshman class of 170-180 each fall. LAH invites about 120 to 140 entering freshmen.

Plan II students can combine Plan II with any other major, degree or honors program (Business Honors, Dean’s Scholars, etc.), but a student may not be in both Plan II Honors and Liberal Arts Honors. Although Plan II and LAH are quite different, pursuing them together would be a kind of “double-dipping” that we don’t allow. Applicants may APPLY to both Plan II and LAH, and may be ADMTTED to both Programs. If admitted to both programs however, the applicant must choose the best fit.

Plan II Honors was established in 1935. We are currently planning a lot of exciting diamond jubilee 75th anniversary events. It is an honors program, but also a major in the College of Liberal Arts. A student does not have to claim or pursue any other major in addition to Plan II. Plan II, as a major, has specific degree requirement courses which are open only to Plan II majors. Major requirements are constituted of core curriculum courses (humanities/liberal arts; sciences; social sciences; math; fine arts). The major requirements, the the Plan II Honors core curriculum, would comprise approximately one/third of a student’s total degree hours; about one quarter of the total hours is the student pursues multiple majors and/or dual-degrees. Plan II is often regarded as the better fit for the student who is looking to study broadly and/or combine majors and degrees. The breadth of the Plan II core curriculum encourages broad study and also allows a huge degree of flexibility enabling majors to easily incorporate multiple majors or concentrations within the usual four-year course of study.

Although Plan II Honors is itself a major, almost 75 % of Plan II Honors majors pursue a second (or third) major in the same college (double-majors) or seek simultaneous degrees with a second major in another college (dual-degree). Triple majors are not uncommon. We’ve seen five majors in four years on more than one occasion (which is certainly not necessary or recommended). Dual-degree programs means that one of the majors is housed in a different college and they require not only more specific major and college requirements, but additional hours. Dual-degree programs are almost always five-year commitments.

Plan II has from 50-70 Plan II Engineers, another 30-50 student combining Plan II and a degree in the College of Communication, more than 100 majors combing Plan II with the McCombs School of Business and another 100+ combining Plan II and a major in the College of Natural Sciences. A few dozen students will combine Plan II with a degree plan in the College of Fine Arts. And, one or two a year will combine Plan II with Architecture—which is usually a six-year commitment.

Liberal Arts Honors, as is it exists now, was created about 15 years ago. LAH is much more focused on the true liberal arts student and frankly discourages applicants seriously considering Business or Communications majors. LAH is not a major however. LAH students have majors in any/every department in the College of Liberal Arts. Liberal Arts Honors is an enhancement honors program, or an “umbrella” program which coordinates all the disciplinary majors in the College of Liberal Arts—other than Plan II. With LAH, a student must choose a major in the College of Liberal Arts (history, economics, English, Spanish, Gov, Geography, Linguistics, etc.). These students are certain of their pursuit of a liberal arts major and degree, even if not 100% sure of which major in the liberal arts. Most however are comfortable and confident of a major choice, whether it’s Sociology or Linguistics; Philosophy or Geography.

Many LAH students may pursue multiple majors in the College of Liberal Arts, but LAH strongly discourages dual-degrees with the Red McCombs School of Business or the College of Communication. LAH does share some majors with the College of Engineering, the College of Fine Arts and the College of Natural Science.

LAH offers honors sections of the University’s core requirements. Plan II’s major requirements are core courses. Plan II has a more rigid set of math and science requirements. The Plan II core includes specific social science course requirements, philosophy and non-US History requirements. We believe that through the Plan II core curriculum, our students experience a binding intellectual undercurrent that unites them and gives them a strong sense of a shared experience.

The “true” LAH student is is usually far more interested in specific disciplinary studies (wanting more history or more English classes) and is somewhat less interested in the proscribed Plan II core curriculum of interdisciplinary arts and science studies.

Rather than a set curriculum of core courses such as Plan II offers, LAH students have one core course in the freshman year and also have the option to take general requirements (such as American history or Government) in honors level sections. LAH students are united by the designation honors, the honors core courses they take inthe first year and the fact that they have a thesis requirement. But that thesis and any specific disciplinary honors required courses are generally coordinated through each student's home department. Some departments have very evolved honors programs. Plan II has a much greater mix of students in other colleges who may vary wildly in current and future interests and career paths, but who are all united by the Plan II core curriculum experience and the Plan II community, which is remarkably strong

Students who pursue the disciplinary honors recognition in their major, (“special honors” in their major discipline) must submit a thesis; all Plan II Honors students must write a senior thesis. If a student pursues honors recognition in History, for example, the student will fall under the aegis of LAH, even if the student did not participate in freshman honors through LAH. But many Plan II students double- and triple-major (sometimes they pursue even four majors) and complete Special Honors in the second major in addition to being a Plan II Honors majors.

Either program would benefit an undergraduate planning to pursue graduate work. An LAH Anthropology major, for instance, would be well-prepared to compete with other Anthropology majors for admission to a graduate program. A Plan II Honors student planning to pursue an advanced degree in Anthropology would be advised from the beginning to include the additional major in Anthropology, along with the Plan II Honors major. She would not only have the Anthopology major under her belt. She would have the additional benefit of the rigorous core curriculum and the “fairy dust” of the Plan II Honors degree, completion of one of the most competitive and highly regarded honors programs in the US. She would be the student who has fulfilled the standard Anthropology requirements and is also quite well-versed in Philosophy, literature, biology and advanced theoretical physics. Graduate schools notice. Medical schools notice. Law schools notice. All the “big” schools, and med schools, law schools and MBA programs know Plan II Honors quite well. The history and tradition of excellence and achievement of the Plan II Honors Program and its alumni carry a great deal of weight.

But all of that by no means implies that LAH is less distinguished. Far from it. LAH is designed differently to offer a challenging honors experience to students who have a different focus than the “typical” Plan II Honors student. In addition to challenging honors level courses, the LAH Programs also provides a lot of the closely-knit community structure and offers many similar organized activities that the Plan II Honors Program offers. LAH students are also eligible for honors housing assignment. LAH includes activities and programs to develop and foster a sense of community, however LAH is NOT major; Plan II Honors is. LAH does not have a core curriculum; majors in LAH pursue different curricula depending on their major. Plan II Honors student share a curriculum and a major and may, or may not combine other majors and degrees with their Plan II Honors major.