Honors College Confusion

[SteveC]

<p>Pitt freely admits that it can be a little hard to understand. The UHC website says

The UHC is something of a paradox: Though headquartered in a beautiful suite of rooms on the 35th and 36th floors at the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning, we are not a bricks-and-mortar school within the University. And while UHC offers specific courses and the Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil) degree, these options are available to any student (in any major) who demonstrates academic excellence in the classroom plus achievement in independent research and scholarship.</p>

<p>Perhaps it is best to think of the UHC as a state of mind. That’s why our motto says we’re dedicated to “life above the neck.” You don’t enroll in the honors college, and we don’t offer membership; rather, you become an honors college student by taking more challenging courses than your peers and tapping into the many and varied academic resources of the University.

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<p>Like danicaliforniax1 says, if you have a 1400 SAT or 32 ACT or better and are in the top 5% of your high school class, you’re automatically eligible to take UHC courses. If you don’t, you can still take UHC courses as a freshman with approval from your advisor or the professor. After two terms, you’re eligible to take UHC courses if you keep a 3.25 GPA.</p>