Students receiving the Purdue Trustees Scholarship or the Purdue Presidential Scholarship are invited to participate in the Dean's Scholars program. Students may also enter later if they meet the criteria for credits (at least 60 remaining credits), GPA (at least 3.5), and application. More information about the formal process follows.
Dean's Scholars
- enroll by Summer Transition, Advising and Registration (STAR) during the summer before fall classes of their first year,*
- participate in Dean's Scholars events,
- enroll in AGR 101 for their first fall semester,*
- complete at least 12 hours of honors courses,
- maintain excellent grades (GPA of 3.25 or higher),
- enroll in a minimum of 15 credit hours each semester that they're in residence at the West Lafayette campus,
- complete a creative scholarly work (bachelor's thesis or other project),
- participate at least once in the annual undergraduate poster symposium, and
- receive Dean's Scholar designation at graduation.
* These criteria do not apply to students who enroll in the program as transfer or continuing students.
The requirements and the flow of the Dean's Scholars program are below.
Purpose:
The Dean's Scholars Program provides incoming undergraduate students or current students who have achieved high academic status the honor of being designated as “Dean's Scholars." In addition, the program will motivate students early in their academic programs to participate in rigorous and stimulating academic courses, research, and enrichment activities.
Criteria:
- All students who enter Purdue University College of Agriculture as recipients of the Board of Trustees Scholarship or the Presidential Scholarship are offered admission to the Dean's Scholars Program as are others fulfilling the following criteria:
- 3.8/4.0 High School GPA and 1800 SAT/ACT 27 and above
OR
- Valedictorian of high school
- First semester students will be asked to accept a Dean's Scholar status by STAR and must accept the invitation prior to fall semester.
- Second semester freshman, sophomores, and transfer students with 60 credits remaining at Purdue may apply if they have a GPA equal to or greater than 3.5. A written essay stating why the student is interested in being a Dean's Scholar is part of the formal application process. Review of applications will be administered by the Office of Academic Programs and the Departmental Honors Coordinator from the department in which the student is enrolled.
Requirements:
- First semester students will enroll in an honors section of AGR101 - 1 credit.
- Each year a student is designated as a Dean's Scholar, the student is advised to complete three credit hours of honors courses. At graduation each Dean's Scholar will have a minimum of 12 credits of honors courses. Honors courses can be courses or sections of courses approved for honors credit by the College of Agriculture Curriculum and Student Relations Committee, a University Honors (HONR) course, a course with honors designation taught in another College (School) in the University, a 600-level course, or a regular course or section of a course in which a special honors project is required in addition to the regular course requirements. For a regular course or section of a regular course to receive a temporary designation as an honors course, the student must complete the Honors Contract Course form. S/he will need to obtain the signature of Dr. Whittaker or his designee as the “Honors Unit Director."
- Students must complete at least 15 credits during regular academic year semesters in which they are resident at the West Lafayette campus.
- Students must maintain a cumulative GPA equal to or greater than 3.25 at the end of each semester as a Dean's Scholar. If a student's GPA drops below 3.25, the student has one semester to re-establish the minimum GPA before losing the designation of Dean's Scholar. Students have only one opportunity to re-establish the minimum GPA.
- A Scholar's Contract must be developed by the end of the student's first semester sophomore year or by the end of the first semester a sophomore student or transfer student becomes a Dean's Scholar. A Scholars Contract includes:
- A working plan for meeting the 12 credit hours of honors courses.
- A creative scholarly work such as a bachelor's thesis, laboratory project, or design project (3-6 credit hours); three credits of which may be used as part of the 12 credits of honors courses.
- Annual participation in Dean's Scholars events. (Must participate in 8 events in order to receive the Honors Designation at graduation.
- Participation (at least once) in the Undergraduate Research & Poster Symposium . (Students will also be encouraged to present their project at a regional or national meeting and to publish their results, if appropriate.)