About
Plan II Honors Program
The University of Texas at Austin
Established in 1935, Plan II is a challenging interdisciplinary curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Plan II differs from most honors programs in that its core curriculum is itself a major. Over a third of the courses required for a Plan II degree are limited to Plan II students. Plan II students also have access to other honors-level courses at the University. The remaining classes are chosen from the extensive list of the University's departmental offerings. Many of these classes will be as challenging as honors courses.
- a year-long freshman course in world literature from the ancients to the present
- three semesters of interdisciplinary tutorials and seminars which develop and refine students' analytic and synthesizing capacities
- a year-long philosophy course for sophomores
- a semester of honors social science
- two semesters of non-US history
- a four-semester honors sequence in modes of reasoning, theoretical math or calculus, life sciences, and physical sciences
- a senior thesis, a major independent research and writing project, which is the culmination of a student's academic program in Plan II
In addition, students must satisfy University and College requirements with courses in both US government and history, a fine arts/humanities sequence, foreign language proficiency, and additional math or science.The elective hours incorporated into the Plan II curriculum provide flexibility if Plan II students choose to complete the equivalent of a second major in a particular subject area. For instance, a student might take electives in English in preparation for English graduate school. Someone wanting a career in banking might concentrate elective hours in economics, or even the Business Foundations certificate program. Many students complete the premed curriculum or a pre-law concentration in conjunction with their Plan II major and go on to medical school or law school. Often, Plan II students take an additional year and simultaneously earn a second degree––in business, engineering, or architecture, for example. Hence, it is possible through the electives to achieve some degree of specialization in tandem with the broad-based Plan II curriculum.
Admission to Plan II is competitive and is separate from admission to UT-Austin. In 2001, the program received over 800 applications for the 180 freshman spots. The average SAT score of the 2001 freshman class was 1427. Seventy-nine percent graduated in the top 5 percent of their high school class, and 72 percent had National Merit distinction. However, admission to Plan II is not based on scores and grades alone; other criteria include a lively spirit of intellectual adventure; a genuine desire for a broad education in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences; and the capacity for imagination and originality.
See: profiles of Plan II graduates since 1995
Read what faculty and alums say about Plan II, the history of the Plan II Honors Program, and quotations from the media.
Caliber of Faculty
Plan II prides itself on having top-notch professors teaching even freshman courses. The world literature class, for example, may be taught by a member of UT's Academy of Distinguished Teachers, while seminars are taught by specialists in their fields.
Student-Faculty Interaction
Plan II's small classes encourage students to get to know their professors both in the classroom and outside of it. Independent research projects and senior theses often develop from these early contacts.
Academic Advising
Two academic advisers specializing in Plan II are available to help students select courses, determine areas of concentration, set long-term goals--or simply adjust to college life. In addition, peer advisers are available to assist students with routine matters, while the Plan II director, associate director and other Plan II staff and faculty also provide advice and guidance.
Community
Plan II students develop a strong sense of community through shared classes, student organizations, and a home base in the Plan II office. The Plan II Students Association sponsors book discussions with faculty, arts organizations (theater, music, publications, and exhibitions), a freshman retreat to a hill country ranch, and occasional picnics and parties. The Plan II Student Room is equipped with computers and other equipment for student use. Students often stop by the office to check out the latest news, to chat with other students and the staff, or simply to grab a cookie from the Plan II cookie jar.
Quotes
"The Plan II Honors Program is in all respects excellent. Moreover, it is nearly a perfect example of a front-loaded honors program, one that directs most of its resources to laying a foundation in the first two years and then leaves students to engage in maximum self-realization. It is one of the least expensive state programs, not just relatively but absolutely. . . This is one of the best bargains in American higher education."
Ivy League Programs at State School Prices
Arco-Prentice Hall, Robert R. Sullivan, 1994
"In many ways, Plan II is the ideal community, a microcosm of the 'real' world that includes philosophers, engineers, artists, businessmen, economists, poets, and architects. Through discussion with future leaders in a variety of fields, I have received an empowering perspective that guides my own approach toward community-building.
"Though I came to the University thinking that I would become a practicing architect, I have realized through my Plan II classes that the improvement of entire communities––not just single structures––is my real passion. The Plan II curriculum has freed me and many other students to discern for ourselves who we are––and who we want to be."
Sara Galvan
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Architecture, 2001
(majors: Plan II Honors, Spanish and Architecture)
Truman Scholar 2000, Rhodes Scholar 2001
Contact Us
Plan II Honors Program
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University STA, G3600
Austin, TX 78712-0569
(512) 471-1442 fax: 512-471-7449
Physical location: WC Hogg 4.104
