Dean's Scholar Program
What is a Dean's Scholar?
While the educational needs of most undergraduates can be readily satisfied by selecting an appropriate major or combination of major(s) and/or minor(s), the University recognizes that this will not be the case for a select subset of unusually talented and motivated students. 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.
What is the Dean's Scholar Program?
The Dean's Scholar Program exists to serve the needs of 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. The course of study outlined by the Dean's Scholar candidate is expected to represent a program that cannot be effectively achieved using other options already available within the University.
Given the high degree of independent study that will normally accompany a Dean's Scholar program, candidates for this program must present clear evidence of their ability to pursue such a program successfully before appointment.
This evidence may include, but is not limited to, excellent grades at the University of Delaware and 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).
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.
PLEASE NOTE: The material here refers only to the Dean's Scholars Program in the College of Arts and Sciences. To become a Dean's Scholar in another college at the University of Delaware, consult the dean of the relevant college.
A Dean's Scholar must have a major approved by a University of Delaware academic department or college. When a Dean's Scholar's program of study crosses two or more traditional disciplines, that program must provide the same depth in a discipline 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.
The document linked below is a recent Dean's Scholar proposal in the College of Arts and Sciences. While the program you hope to put in place might not have any of the same focus that this one does, what this student demonstrates is precisely what the Dean's Scholar Program requires of its students: the imagination and drive to create a program that pulls coursework, professorial resources and support, passion and drive together in a compelling and meaningful way.
This student has more than a good idea; she has the tenacity, conviction, and entrepreneurial spirit to seek out support from key faculty in diverse departments, articulates her ideas and goals persuasively, and therefore provides significant evidences that she will succeed in her endeavor.
A student interested in becoming a Dean's Scholar in the College of Arts and Sciences will meet first with Program Director 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.
Write a proposal
The proposal should present, clearly and cogently:
- A statement of the focal question, issue, and/or goals driving the student's plan;
- an evaluation of why existing options are insufficient in addressing this issue and an explanation of the choice of courses listed in (3);
- a detailed outline of specific courses, independent study, research projects, internships, etc. that will constitute the proposed plan of study; and
- an explanation of the role of each individual faculty advisor in the applicant's Dean's Scholar program.
Please note: If the applicant expects to earn a major or the "spirit" of a major, a supporting letter from the chair of the department must be included.
College of Arts and Sciences applicants must also submit a transcript and expect to be interviewed by the College's Dean's Scholar Committee.
Proposals and all supporting material, when complete, should be sent as attachments to: Chantelle Batson, Dean's Office, College of Arts and Sciences, via cbatson@udel.edu.
Application deadlines and review - Candidates will be interviewed. Successful proposals will be approved by the Dean's Scholar Committee. Deadlines for receipt of all materials in the Dean's Office are October 15 and March 15.
Download and print application materials:
