<p>if i didnt meet the criteria for honors as an incoming freshman, can i be accepted later on? like after first semester/first year?</p>
<p>Yes, I believe you can. From their webpage (<a href=“http://www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/about/eligibility.html):%5B/url%5D”>http://www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/about/eligibility.html):</a></p>
<p>"Continuing students qualify to take UHC courses if they have a 3.25 grade point average (GPA), a B+ average. Those who do not meet SAT or GPA requirements may nonetheless be given permission to enroll in a UHC course. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. Flexibility is afforded those students having strong interest and background in a specific discipline. Motivation and genuine interest in the subject are very important.</p>
<p>If you want to take a UHC course, the best thing to do is ask your advisor."</p>
<p>The only real benefit of being “in” the honors college is honors housing. Otherwise, anyone who meets the gpa requirement can take honors courses. I don’t know if it’s possible to get into honors housing if you didn’t meet the honors criteria coming in. It’s not a big deal, though.</p>
<p>There is no such thing as “in” the honors college. That is a stated policy once you actually get here though i realize they send out special letters which make it seem otherwise. That really is just an effort to reassure people that they can do honors college stuff so that they don’t get a million phone calls asking why someone’s son/daughter is not in the honors college. </p>
<p>Anyone with above a 3.25 can apply to Forbes Craig. Every year people who weren’t in Forbes get into Forbes Craig. Whether or not you entered as eligible to take honors courses is not considered.</p>
<p>Isn’t there a degree that one can get by taking a certain amount of honors classes and passing them?</p>
<p>Well, another advantage of being in the honors college is that it sometimes comes with financial awards. I also don’t know if you can take honors classes as a freshman without being admitted to the honors college prior to matriculation to Pitt, although they may make exceptions.</p>
<p>The degree you can get through the honors college is the relatively rare B.Phil (Bachelor of Philosophy) as opposed to the standard B.S. (Bachelor of Science) or B.A. (Bachelor of Art). To get a B.Phil, you need to write and defend (in front of a faculty committee) a senior thesis on your own original research. There is also probably a minimum number of honors courses you need to take, but you’d have to check with the honors college itself.</p>
<p>Ok yeah I knew about the B.Phil but other than that there is no “honors” degree one can get by graduating from Pitt by being a member in the honors college for 4 yrs/taken a certain amountof honors classes, extracuricular activities, gpa, etc. correct?</p>
<p>jshakes–You are correct. No honors degree.</p>
<p>You can get honors from you individual departments that will show up on your transcript, and this depends on the requirements for your particular major/department/school. You can also get an Outside the Classroom Curriculum designation on your transcript. What you are thinking of as an honors degree though, is the B.Phil at Pitt.</p>
<p>Ok I understand. Now how would one get honors in a specific department/major?</p>
<p>^It’s different for every department. Usually it requires a minimum gpa and research.</p>