Dean's Scholars

While the educational needs of most undergraduates can be readily satisfied through the selection of an appropriate major or combination of major(s) and/or minor(s), the University recognizes that for a select subset of unusually talented and motivated students, this will not be the case. Such exceptional students, driven by an overarching passion or curiosity that transcends typical disciplinary bounds and curricula, often have intellectual aspirations that would be difficult to accommodate within four years by conventional means. These interests may lead to broad interdisciplinary explorations of an issue, or to more intense, in-depth studies in a single field at a level akin to graduate work. In either case, such studies are likely to require an unusually large amount of individualized work, extensive interaction with faculty mentors, and often the academic resources of more than one college.

Because students in this program require administrative arrangements that can be made only at the college level, the students are designated as the responsibility of the college dean, hence the designation "Dean's Scholar" in recognition of the special efforts made on their behalf by the college.

The Dean's Scholar Program exists to serve the needs of these extraordinary students by allowing them to design, in consultation with faculty advisors, imaginative and rigorous individual plans of study to meet the total credit hours required for graduation. It is expected that the course of study outlined by the Dean's Scholar candidate will represent a program that cannot be effectively achieved using other options already available within the University.

The Dean's Scholar Program is available in the Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Arts and Sciences; Business and Economics; Engineering; Health and Nursing Sciences; and Human Services, Education and Public Policy. Ordinarily, it is difficult, however, for students who are seeking professional certification in fields such as accounting, education, engineering or nursing, among others, to become Dean's Scholars if they intend to graduate within four years.

Given the high degree of independent study that will normally accompany a Dean's Scholar program, candidates for this program must present clear evidence before appointment of their ability to pursue such a program successfully. This evidence may include, but is not limited to, excellent grades at the University of Delaware, as well as information from instructors and advisors that indicates extraordinary motivation, insight, and ability. As a result, students will generally be selected as Dean's Scholars during their third or fourth semester at the University (ideally, in time to develop their second semester sophomore schedule).

Initial meeting with Program Director - A student interested in becoming a Dean's Scholar in the College of Arts and Sciences will meet first with Program Director Cynthia Schmidt-Cruz in Jastak-Burgess Hall to discuss the student's general questions concerning the Dean's Scholar Program. At the meeting, the student's specific educational goals and their relationship to existing academic curricula and programs will be discussed. If the discussion indicates that the student's needs will, indeed, be best met through an individual plan of study, the student will then be referred to one or more faculty members at the University who would be appropriate advisors to guide the student's proposal development and work with the student in independent studies, graduate course work, research, foreign experience, internships, and other discovery learning experiences as appropriate.

Work with faculty advisors - Dean's Scholar advisors are faculty whose research and professional expertise enable them to further the particular student's intellectual, academic, and professional goals. They usually come from more than one academic department and/or college, each providing a perspective needed for the proposed plan of study. At least one faculty advisor must come from the academic department whose discipline most closely relates to the student's desired program.

It is expected that the development of the proposal will involve substantial interaction between the student and these advisors. In consultation with the advisors, the candidate will formally apply to the Program by submitting an application which includes a detailed proposal of the course of study and the names of at least three faculty who each agree to serve as the applicant's Dean's Scholar Program advisors. Each of these faculty members must submit a Dean's Scholar Advisor agreement.

The Dean's Scholar Proposal - The proposal should present, clearly and cogently: (1) A statement of the focal question, issue, and/or goals driving the student's plan; (2) an evaluation of why existing options are insufficient in addressing this issue and an explanation of the choice of courses listed in (3); (3) a detailed outline of specific courses, independent study, research projects, internships, etc. that will constitute the proposed plan of study; and (4) an explanation of the role of each individual faculty advisor in the applicant's Dean's Scholar program.

College of Arts and Sciences applicants must also submit a transcript and expect to be interviewed by the college's Dean's Scholar Committee.

Application deadlines and review - Applications will be approved by the chairperson of the department(s) in which the applicant expects to earn a major or the "spirit" of a major (see below). Applications will then be evaluated and approved by the Dean’s Scholar Committee. Deadlines are October 15 and March 15.

A Dean's Scholar must have a major approved by a University of Delaware academic department or college. When a Dean's Scholar's individual program of study crosses two or more traditional disciplines, that program must provide the same depth in a discipline that is achieved in an existing major. Sometimes, the Dean's Scholar will earn an existing major, having requested modifications only in the general college requirements. Often, the "spirit" of an existing major is fulfilled even though some course substitutions are made. In cases where the "spirit" of a major is fulfilled, the Program Director will request that the department in which the traditional major is offered allow the Dean's Scholar to graduate with that major on the transcript.

Within the College of Arts and Sciences, when the Dean's Scholar's program of study does not closely resemble an existing departmental major, the Scholar will graduate with a major in Liberal Studies. When the liberal studies major is used, it is given a content title to be recorded at graduation on the transcript, e.g., "Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, with primary emphasis in [list areas]."

It is often the case that Dean's Scholars have more than one major and one or more minors. Sometimes a master's degree is earned in the course of a Dean's Scholar Program. If a student wishes to earn a Master's Degree, the student must apply and be admitted to a master's degree program no later than the first semester of the senior year.

It is likely that a Scholar's individual program of study will undergo some changes from the set of courses submitted with the student's application to the program. Any such changes are to be made in close consultation with the student's committee of Dean's Scholar program faculty advisors, who must approve the changes on a "Dean's Scholar Change-in-Program" form. This form is submitted to the associate dean for approval. If the student intends to fulfill the "spirit" of an existing major, the chairperson of the department offering that major must also approve the changes.

For a Dean's Scholar's senior check out, the Program Director will review the student's record in comparison with the student's most recently updated proposal and will certify to the Registrar's Office that the student is cleared for graduation.

Print the Student Application Form (MS Word)

Print the Faculty Agreement Form (MS Word)

For additional information, please contact the administrator of the program:

Cynthia Schmidt-Cruz
207 Jastak-Burgess Hall
Telephone: 302-831-0481
E-mail: csc@udel.edu