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The Plan II Honors Program

Above photo and cover: Casey Dunn

Plan II Honors The University of Texas at Austin 305 East 23rd Street CLA 2.102, G3600 Austin, TX 78712-1250 512.471.1442 utexas.edu/cola/plan2 planiiadmission@austin.utexas.edu

A RENAISSANCE EDUCATION FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY The Plan II Honors Program is one of the most respected and selective honors programs in the country, offering a strenuous interdisciplinary arts and sciences curriculum and the flexibility to incorporate other majors and degrees. The Plan II major’s carefully designed core curriculum is comprised of specific multi-disciplinary course requirements in literature, philosophy, social sciences and natural sciences—each with a strong emphasis on problem solving, critical and analytical thinking and written and oral communication skills. Plan II invites students to cross intellectual boundaries and pursue understanding wherever it may be found. Our graduates have explored that which makes us human, from poetry and drama to the latest discoveries in physics or cosmology. Our goal at Plan II is to prepare students to be ideal citizens by cultivating lifelong learning.

During the first two years of a Plan II education, students immerse themselves in a year of world literature and a year of philosophy. Every student chooses three thematic seminars from a wide variety of interdisciplinary topics, designed especially for Plan II and taught by the university’s most distinguished faculty.

The Plan II core also includes special courses in logic, math, biology and physics. In the social sciences, unique courses focused on the individual in society reflect the Plan II emphasis on education for citizenship. The capstone thesis allows students to combine areas, topics and fields in unique ways, providing each Plan II student the opportunity to investigate an intellectual inquiry that he or she finds personally compelling and academically meaningful.

HOW TO APPLY Visit the Texas Admissions wesbite at: admissions.utexas.edu • Check your status regularly throughout application process, using MyStatus: utdirect.utexas.edu/app/adm/mystatus.

• Documents submitted electronically will appear on the MyStatus site within 48 hours of submission. Everything, except Plan II admission, may be viewed at MyStatus.

Complete a University of Texas Application • All application materials can be accessed at: admissions.utexas.edu/apply/freshman-admission.

• ApplyTexas, the electronic application: applytexas.org.

• Application fee: $75 • SAT or ACT test scores: Submitted electronically to UT Austin by testing agency upon request.

• Two essays: Prompts and essay submission process at http://admissions.utexas.edu/apply/freshman-admission • Student Information Form, accessed through MyStatus.

• Official high school transcript. Faxed transcripts are not accepted. Transcripts must have an official raised seal, unless submitted electronically by the high school. Schools must provide a class rank or state specifically that the school does not rank.

ApplyTexas • One of the two college choices on ApplyTexas must be the College of Liberal Arts.

• Applicants should place the other college as the “first choice” on ApplyTexas if applying to another college in addition to the College of Liberal Arts. Many UT colleges will not consider applicants for admission or for scholarships if that college is not noted as “first” choice.

• The order of your major choices will NOT affect your Plan II admission consideration in any way.

• When prompted, say “YES” to the Freshman Honors Programs question on ApplyTexas. Plan II Honors is a freshman honors program. This determines your access to the Honors Application.

utexas.edu/cola/plan2

• Applicants must complete and submit ApplyTexas (including two essays). After a 24-48 hour processing period, the applicant will receive a confirmation email from UT Austin. Once the applicant has received a confirmation email, he or she may access the online honors application: admissions.utexas.edu/apply/freshman-honors • Applicants may apply to two colleges only. It is not possible, for example, to apply to the McCombs School of Business, the Cockrell School of Engineering and Plan II Honors (College of Liberal Arts).

Photo courtesy of the College of Liberal Arts

Complete a Plan II Application • Online honors application: admissions.utexas.edu/apply/freshman-honors Includes the five sentence Plan II Honors academic/personal statement.

• Submit an expanded résumé.

Admission • If an applicant is not admitted to Plan II Honors, the applicant will still be considered for the other college choice.

• Plan II and all other college or program admission decisions are independent of one another.

• Plan II admission decisions are not based on dualdegree options or double-major choices.

• An applicant could be admitted to both Engineering and to Plan II, and pursue the double-major, dualdegree track or choose not to pursue one major option.

PLAN II EVALUATION CRITERIA • 20% based on Personal Essay A (required) • 20% based on Personal Essay B, C, D, N, S, or W Essay Criteria • Content and style • Command of language and grace of prose • Logical argument and/or creative flair

• 20% based on personal achievement: Clubs, community and volunteer service, employment, student government, sports, music, art, religious activities, Scouting, etc.

• Length and level of commitment • Breadth and depth of interests • Leadership positions and activities • Awards and honors • Service to the community • Work experience Visit: admissions.utexas.edu/apply/freshman-admission

• 20% based on all quantitative scores and data: SAT, ACT, Class Rank/GPA, AP, IB, SAT Subject tests and dual enrollment credits.

• 20% based on breadth and range: The “Plan II-ness” of the applicant.

• Most subjective criterion • Broad interests: high school course choices and non-academic choices • Personal/academic statement (5 sentences in the honors application) • What will the applicant bring to Plan II? • Will the applicant make the best use of what Plan II has to offer?

utexas.edu/cola/plan2

Honors Housing • About 45% of Plan II first-year students choose honors halls.

• Plan II students live in all of the residence halls across campus and in private dorms off-campus.

• Division of Housing and Food Service does not offer tours of honors residence halls.

• Designated honors residence halls: •Andrews •Blanton •Carothers •Littlefield (all freshmen women)

Campus Housing Information Visit: utexas.edu/student/housing to access residence hall information, maps, prices, dining plans, photos, floor plans, virtual tours and more.

Photo courtesy of Marsha Miller

Photo: Casey Dunn

PLAN II CORE CURRICULUM World Literature This year-long course is required of all Plan II first-year students. It is a writing-intensive seminar that emphasizes writing, analysis of text and discussion and is central to the Plan II curriculum.

classical civilization, literature, humanities or philosophy. A second course may be from any of the same areas, but also allows course options from American Studies, architecture or visual, performing or studio arts.

Non-US History Plan II Signature Course All freshmen take one Plan II Signature Course in the fall or spring of their first year.

These seminars emphasize discussion, critical thinking and writing. Faculty from across the campus are specially selected to teach these thematic seminar courses.

Humanities/Fine Arts & Visual Performing Arts Students must take one course from art history, music history or theater and dance history; or an upper-division course from

Two courses on the history of one geographical area are required. A Plan II Western Civilization sequence is available, but students may take sequences from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America or the Middle East instead. Courses must be chosen from the approved list.

Plan II Philosophy This is a year-long course usually taken in the student’s second year. Plan II Philosophy includes ancient and modern texts, ethics, political theory, metaphysics and epistemology.

Foreign Language

Junior Seminars

A complete foreign language sequence in one language is required of all students in the College of Liberal Arts. Students may test out of some or all of the requirements.

Students take two topical seminars in the junior year. These courses are similar in format and approach to the first-year Signature Course, but at a more advanced level. TCs involve research methodologies and generally require an in-depth term paper.

Social Science The disciplinary offerings vary by semester; they include economics, anthropology, government and psychology. Topics involve contemporary social issues.

Math and Science All students in Liberal Arts must take 18 hours of math and science. Twelve of these 18 hours are prescribed as follows for Plan II students:

Senior Thesis This is the culmination of honors work in Plan II. The thesis should represent significant research or creativity and be a source of pride in the years to come. Students work closely with faculty advisers throughout the process and present their research at a required thesis symposium.

*Plan II Logic or Plan II Modes of Reasoning *Plan II Math (or approved calculus sequence) *Plan II Physics (advanced theoretical) *Plan II Biology (or approved majors’ sequence)

Photo: Matt Valentine

TC 302: PLAN II HONORS SIGNATURE COURSES Examples of Topics and Instructors Course Title

Instructor

Department

Emerging Selves: The Autobiographical Impulse in Women’s Writing

MacKay

English

College and Controversy: The Histories, Purposes and Cultures of American Universities

Mickenberg

American Studies

Mind-Body Relationship in Modern Medicine

Schnyer

Nursing and Doctor of Chinese Medicine

Art, Sport and The Meaning of Life

Smith

Philosophy

Roman Art and Society

Taylor

Classics

What is Power?

Charrad

Sociology, Women’s & Gender Studies

American Animals: A Cultural History

Davis

American Studies

Theories of the Theatre

Kornhaber

English

A History of the Self

Matysik

History

Images of Hellenism

Peers

Art and Art History

Pathways to Civic Engagement

Walker

Plan II

utexas.edu/cola/plan2

TC 357: PLAN II HONORS JUNIOR SEMINARS Examples of Topics and Instructors Course Title

Instructor

Department

Climate Change Law, Science & Policy

Adelman

Law School

Documentary and Civil Society

Bailey

Plan II Honors

Law and Ethics of Animal Rights

Burton

Law School

The Veil: History, Culture and Politics

Charrad

Sociology and Middle Eastern Studies

Aztecs & Incas: Alternative Histories of Spanish Colonialism

Deans-Smith

History

Constitutional Design and the Art and Science of Contracting with Others Shakespeare in Performance

Elkins

Government

Perspectives on US Foreign Policy

Adm. Inman

LBJ / Public Affairs

Plagues, History, Ethics and Literature

Shine

Plan II Honors

Writing Narratives

Valentine

Plan II Honors

Investment Strategy

Warner

LBJ / Public Affairs

Law, Neuroethics & Brain Policies

Winslade

Plan II Honors

The Sixties at Home and Abroad

Brands

History

War Games: Strategy and Strategic Theory

Bay

Plan II Honors

Healing Words: The Literature of Medicine and the Medicine of Literature

Bremen

English

Problem Solving, Molecular Biology and Epidemiology

Lewis

Psychology

Technical Change and Financial Crisis

Galbraith

LBJ / Public Affairs

Myths of War and Violence

Palaima

Classics

The Snow Bridge: Humanities & Neuroscience

Wojciehowski

English

Public Health, Medicine & Social Policy

McAlister and Reiser

Plan II Honors and Public Health

Photo: Casey Dunn

COMBINATION MAJORS & DEGREES Students do not need to declare or add any major to Plan II Honors, but those planning to apply to graduate programs are advised to pursue a doublemajor in that discipline, along with the Plan II Honors major. Almost two-thirds of Plan II students pursue a second (or third) major. Other students choose to major in Plan II and combine a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) option in one of the College of Natural Sciences majors. Such combinations are still double-majors or triple-majors.

Students who seek simultaneous degrees with a second major in another college leading to bachelor of science (B.S.) or bachelor of business administration (B.B.A.) degrees (among others), complete dual-degree programs, which often require five years to complete.

utexas.edu/cola/plan2

Adding a second major due to concerns about admission to a professional program or finding a job after graduation is not necessary. The Plan II major is well-known and highly respected by all the top medical schools, law programs and other top universities nationally. Purely Plan II majors (without second majors or other degrees) are just as competitive—and often more desirable—when it comes to gaining admission to professional programs or obtaining first jobs. Many students who begin their university career with several majors and degrees in mind wise-up quickly and learn to spend their time where it will serve them best--getting a top-notch, well-rounded, interdisciplinary undergraduate education.

AP CREDIT Visit ctl.utexas.edu/studenttesting/exams to see AP, IB and SAT II credit charts at the Center for Teaching and Learning. Some test results can be used for credit towards the Plan II major requirements, within the following parameters and restrictions:

American History

Math, AP Math

AP United States History: HIS 315K and 315L (AP score of 4 or 5).

If you have credit for M408C (score of 5 on AP/AB or a score of 3-4 on AP/BC), you may complete the Plan II math core requirement by taking M408D. If you have credit for M408K and M408L (score of 5 on AP/BC, you may complete Plan II math requirement by taking M408M. Students who do not need or want to take more calculus (non-science or premed, non-engineering, non-business/economics students) may take M310 P. AP Calculus AB: 5=M408C, AP Calculus: 3-4=M408K. AP Calculus BC: 5=M408K and M408L; AP Calculus: 3-4 = M408C.

Biology AP Biology: Biology, Plan II 301E OR BIO 311C and 311D (AP score of 5).

Humanities/Fine Arts (Plan II core) & Visual/Performing Arts (UT core)

AP Art History: 3 hours of either ARH 302 or ARH 303 will fulfill the UT core or Plan II requirements (AP score of at least a 4 yields credit for 302 OR 303) but not both.

Non-U.S. History AP European History: HIS 309K and HIS 309L (AP score of 4 or 5). AP World History will not fulfill the Plan II Non-US History requirement.

Environmental Science AP Environmental Science: GEO 302P (score of 4 or 5 on AP). This credit may paired with another Environmental Science course to fulfill the required two courses in one science discipline as an option to a second biology or a second physics class.

Foreign Language Students may place out some or all of the required course sequence in foreign language. See CTL website for details on specific languages.

Government 310L AP Government with UT Austin Texas test. The UT-Austin test on Texas Government is given several times a year and must be taken on the UT Austin campus. Students may sign up for the test at: ctl.webhost.utexas.edu/treg/index.cfm. Students with AP Government may not enroll in GOV 312L until credit claimed GOV 310L.

Math/Science, 18 total hours AP Chemistry or Physics, SAT II Physics: Any credits earned through these exams may be used towards the total 18 hours of required math and science and the 6 hours in one subject requirement, as long as the Plan II Biology (BIO 301E) and Physics (PHY 321) requirements are fulfilled.

Math, SAT II M305G Credit for this course can count toward the total 18 hours of required math and science, but does not satisfy Plan II Math, M 310 P, requirement.

AP English and SAT II Writing These do not fulfill any Plan II degree requirements, even elective credit hours. The UT credit these tests earn disappears once students complete Plan II core requirements. Any other SAT II or AP credits count as elective credit, with the exception of E316P and RHE 306.

The following requirements may NOT be satisfied with any AP or SAT II exam: • World Literature, E 603 or TC 603 • Philosophy 610Q (a & b) • Social Science 301 • Government 312L • Plan II Logic/Modes of Reasoning Phl 313Q or TC 310 • Physics 321 • TC 302 (Plan II Signature)

Please check UT Austin’s Center for Teaching and Learning for most accurate test score requirements: ctl.utexas.edu

• TC 357 (Junior Seminars) • TC 660Ha and TC 660Hb, the Plan II thesis courses

PLAN II RECOGNITION Public University Honors, a website devoted entirely to the evaluation and discussion of public university honors programs and public honors colleges, awarded Plan II honors the highest achievement of 5 “mortar boards,” based on honors curriculum; prestigious scholarships (Rhodes, Truman, Goldwater); honors graduation rates; honors housing and study-abroad programs.

The University of Texas at Austin ranks second in Truman Scholarships (UNC Chapel Hill is first and the University of Virginia is third). Seventeen of the university’s 24 Truman Scholars were Plan II Honors majors since 1978.

UT Austin leads public university honors in Marshall Scholarships. Of the 21 UT Austin students awarded Marshall Scholarships since 1958, 12 were Plan II Honors majors.

Praxis The Praxis initiative has been designed and driven by Plan II students whose goal is the development of a multifaceted, model program for civic engagement and service in the program. The Praxis curriculum aims to give students the tools and resources necessary to explore social problems—from education and health care to urban planning and transportation. Through the program, the Praxis student will have the opportunity to examine a social issue in depth, with the hope that he or she will someday engineer social change by turning today’s problems into tomorrow’s solutions.

Civic Engagement in Plan II Honors Praxis is divided into four components: exposure, immersion, exploration and synthesis. In their first year, students are exposed to a variety of current social problems and issues through a course entitled “Civic Viewpoints.” The goal is to inspire them to think seriously about civic entrepreneurship in their respective areas of interest or to develop an interest in a previously unfamiliar area. The immersion component usually takes place in the second year and is designed to give students practical experience through some form of community service or internship. Currently the Plan II/KIPP Partnership Program and the Health & Social Policy Internship Program serve as the immersion pieces, the first through mentoring students in a college prep charter school and the second through interning in the state legislature. Both are accompanied by service learning courses.

In their third year, students engage in academic exploration of a subject through a Plan II junior seminar that allows them to delve into the systemic causes of the problems they have encountered through rigorous and systematic research.

In the fourth and final year, the Plan II Thesis provides the opportunity for students to synthesize knowledge and experience by writing a thesis that prescribes a solution to a social problem they have defined.

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utexas.edu/cola/plan2

The KIPP-Plan II Partnership In the spring of 2007, 17 Plan II students embarked on a partnership with KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Austin College Prep, a local middle school serving primarily low income and minority students in Austin. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas facilitated matching each Plan II student with a “KIPPster” in an effort to form lasting bonds between mentor and mentee.

KIPP Austin was established to meet the needs and desires of the East Austin community where a lack of opportunity has traditionally impeded the path to college for the

Health & Social Policy Internship/ Service Learning Plan II offers a two-semester course for advanced students interested in medicine, public health, law and government, led by faculty from the UT School of Public Health. The course includes structured internships in the offices of leading senators in the Texas Legislature, as well as seminars and training sessions.

area’s young people. KIPP strives to instill in its students a passion for academic success and an understanding that college is an attainable and valuable goal. Each Plan II mentor reinforces this message through weekly trips to visit his or her mentee at KIPP and periodic group trips to the school.

While its primary focus is on the mentoring partnership with KIPP, the corresponding Plan II course is part of a broader effort known as Plan II Praxis—a multifaceted, model program for civic engagement and service at Plan II.

Civic Viewpoints This class defines and explores civic engagement with the intention of inspiring students to become civic entrepreneurs themselves in their respective areas of interest.

Specifically the course looks at justice, place, transit, education, entrepreneurship and healthcare.

The Joynes Suite & Speaker Series In 2002, Plan II received a bequest from alumna Mary Lu Joynes (class of ’58). To honor Dr. Joynes’s love of literature, the Plan II Program collaborated with the Division of Housing and Food Service and the University Honors Center to create a browsing library and two seminar rooms in Carothers residence hall. Plan II faculty, staff, students and alumni contributed to the unique and collegiate environment of the Joynes Reading Room by suggesting books, décor, event programming and furnishings. The Joynes suite has become a hub of student activity not only for Plan II, but for all UT honors programs. The seminar rooms are classrooms by day and meeting rooms by night, hosting Voltaire’s Coffees and Voltaire’s Cinema events, receptions and meetings for dozens of student organizations. The library space is a comfortable study lounge with a collection of more than 3,000 carefully selected books and movies.

The Mary Lu Joynes endowment also supports a visiting lecture series. Each month, writers, artists and scholars come to the Joynes Reading Room to give public talks and visit honors classes. Joynes guest speakers have included several Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners, Emmy- and Peabody-winning screenwriters, bestselling memoirists, renowned poets, magazine editors, brilliant historians, playwrights and globetrotting journalists. These speakers come to Austin from throughout the United States and abroad, expressly for the purpose of speaking in the Joynes Reading Room.

PLAN II INTERNSHIPS Internships are often critical for gaining special skills for particular jobs or fields. The experience a student gains, the contacts and networks established and the confidence a student gains through hands-on participation are vital in today’s job market. All Plan II students are strongly encouraged to pursue (paid or unpaid) internships during summers or long semesters. Plan II Honors has established several paid internship programs at the following sites on the UT Austin campus: • Harry Ransom Center • Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies • The Blanton Museum of Art • Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum • Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life • Dolph Briscoe Center for American Studies • Health & Social Policy Internship/Service Learning • Plan II Honors Internship program at the Texas State Legislature

Photo: Lawrence Peart

Liberal Arts Career Services offers assistance with off-campus (national and international) internship placements, as well as career coaching, résumé and cover letter writing, networking strategies, interview preparation and both law school and graduate school preparation.

Visit: utexas.edu/cola/lacs

utexas.edu/cola/plan2

PLAN II: THE COMMUNITY Plan II Honors is not just a major, but a community of like-minded individuals. Think of Plan II Honors as a small liberal arts college nestled within the larger university of UT Austin. Even with busy class schedules, Plan II students are involved in all kinds of Plan II and campus wide activities. Plan II student organizations organize events and productions including plays and musicals, socials, art shows, music and dance recitals and intramural sports teams. The University Honors Center and Plan II Honors host poets, authors and other visiting speakers, as well as holding film screenings, symposia and other events weekly.

STUDY ABROAD Where you learn can be as important as what you learn. The University of Texas at Austin extends learning opportunities around the globe. Study abroad offers reciprocal exchange programs with foreign universities, affiliated studies through organizations and institutions abroad and faculty-led undergraduate study abroad research programs.

UT offers approximately 600 programs of different lengths and courses of study • Maymesters

• Class in foreign language to gain or increase fluency

• Half-Summer and Summer-long (faculty led)

• Core, Major and Elective Credits

• Semester-long

• Service Learning and Internship Options

• Year-long

• Independent Study and Research

• Classes in English

• Study Abroad office funding & special Plan II funding

• Classes in Beginning Foreign Language • Classes in another language to acquire Language Competency

The Study Abroad website has information about programs and funding resources. Plan II strongly encourages students to study abroad and has travel grants available to assist Plan II students, as does the Study Abroad office.

The student’s first year is the best time to begin researching opportunities and planning an adventure abroad. Plan II students should meet with a Plan II adviser to discuss study abroad plans and options.

Visit: world.utexas.edu/abroad

Photo: Big Stock Photography

STUDY ABROAD ADVISING After attending an information session and researching study abroad programs, students should attend study abroad open advising hours to meet with the appropriate country adviser for help selecting a program. Open advising times are listed on the the study abroad web page; no appointment is necessary.

During your first session, an Abroad Advisor will discuss the following topics with you: • Program details

• Housing options

• Financial aid and scholarships

• Special needs

• Application process

• Other study abroad programs

• Academic and language requirements

• Courses offered

Some requirements are particularly easy to work into a study abroad program: • Humanities/Fine Arts: Plan II requires one course from art, music, theater or dance history; OR one upper-division courses in classical civilization, literature, humanities or philosophy.

• Non-U.S. History: Two courses concerning the history of a single geographical area (by continent).

• Foreign Language: Students may fulfill their foreign language requirement or begin a new language.

Plan II Honors has study abroad travel grants: utexas.edu/cola/plan2

utexas.edu/cola/plan2

Maymester in Costa Rica

Maymester in Rome, Italy

Land Use Issues in Rainforest Conservation

Pope Francis’s Catholic ChurchThe Making of the Modern Papacy

Costa Rica is known worldwide for its amazing biodiversity and national policy of conservation.

Millions of tourists visit every year, straining the park systems, neighboring indigenous communities and the nation’s energy resources.

Agricultural practices are changing as Costa Ricans on small farms and multinationals work to achieve economic growth and sustainable practices. The overall sociopolitical issue is to find tenable land use plans that maintain the goals of conservation and sustainability. Students gain a real-world and applied understanding of ecological research, sustainable agriculture, ecotourism’s impact, and the complexity of conservation issues in a field setting. Participants learn about land management practices, conduct hands-on research in different tropical forest habitats, and talk with Costa Ricans about their livelihood and community. The class visits national parks, private reserves and research institutes throughout Costa Rica. Student teams focus on specific issues and document, analyze and communicate their results and policy recommendations in a final presentation.

Rome is the very center of the Catholic Church, a global organization that reaches into the smallest of villages in the most remote corners of the world.

This program focuses upon the history and politics of papal succession and church policy. Specifically the program will concentrate on Pope Francis, the Holy See, the Vatican and the world that it serves.

In addition to regular class meetings, students will tour the great churches, meet with the Princes of the Church and observe the church’s influence.

The program is designed to be a combination of lecture, discussion and hands-on active learning that can only occur in Rome. Students will develop an understanding of the church as a historical, religious, and political organization. By the end of the program, participants will be able to describe, and analyze how the modern Church makes its decisions and why.

Photo: Big Stock Photography

Photo: Sandy Carson