Honors and Pre-professional Programs: Exploring and Excelling
Dietrich College provides a springboard to launch your career through honors and pre-professional programs.
Honors Programs by Discipline
Quantitative Social Science Scholars Program
The Quantitative Social Science Scholars Program (QSSS) extends undergraduates an opportunity to apply measurable, objective means to study human behavior and use their findings to impact society as entrepreneurs, policymakers or social scientists. You may apply for this three-year interdisciplinary program during your first year at Dietrich College.
Daniel Chia, class of 2026
Departments: Social and Decision Science
I had always felt in a bit of a quandary with regards to my academic path. On one hand, I enjoyed the problem-solving process and rigor afforded by quantitative methods. On the other hand, I found much more meaning in work that dealt with and impacted fellow human beings, rather than inanimate machines or numbers. The QSSS program offered the perfect way to marry these two interests together. What drew me in was the prospect of learning the right skill set to systematically and objectively study society and people.
We cover a pretty breathtaking range of topics in class. We look at how computer models can simulate segregation effects, study and apply game theoretic concepts, performed corpus analysis on Wikipedia and conducted statistical analysis on General Social Survey (GSS) data—among many other things. I have certainly gained a much better overview of the quantitative methods used in Social Science. Our final project where we conducted data analysis for a non-profit was a great foray into what such work looks like, applied in the real world. To state the obvious, I would highly recommend the QSSS Program! Especially if you are seeking to study society in a more rigorous way.
Learn more about the Quantitative Social Sciences Scholars Program
Humanities Scholars Program
The Humanities Scholars Program (HSP) is a three-year, interdisciplinary program which exemplifies the unique approach CMU takes towards the humanities: interdisciplinary research in a technology-rich environment, with an open and forward-thinking stance towards the arts and sciences and a desire to ask the fundamental questions about humankind.
Tandri Einarsson, class of 2024
Departments: Philosophy and History
Through the Humanities Scholars Program I was able to dive into various research areas in the humanities that I had a personal interest in such as the historiography of government regulation regarding trade, the social history of disability in Iceland, and the property rights which undergird our system of mineral rights. The program gave me the foundational skills of research in the humanities, and the practice to know how to use them.
During the first two years, during which we met weekly as a cohort, I learned to hone my writing skills, analyze disparate sources to argue a particular viewpoint, and discuss complex issues with my fantastic peers. The program was also incredibly generous in providing me with funding to go to Iceland to complete a project on the social history of disability and put me in contact with a local professor who guided me through my summer research.
I was also encouraged to reach out to professors in different CMU departments due to the HSP's focus on being truly interdisciplinary. This culminated in my capstone history project, which would use scholars from law, economics, political science and social history to create an introductory reader to the history of scholarship surrounding the interstate commerce commission and the Hepburn act in its attempt to regulate railroads and Wall Street. Engaging with such a wide array of highly accomplished scholars during my undergraduate career was such an enriching experience that would not have been possible without the support of the HSP.
Honors Programs for Seniors
Senior Honors Fellowship Program
The Senior Honors Fellowship Program awards funding to rising seniors so you can start your year-long scholarly or creative project during the summer. You may apply for this program in the spring of your junior year.
Colin Echeverri, class of 2025
Department: Psychology
I brought my passion for clinical psychology to my senior thesis, "Drinking Motives and Alcohol’s Acute Effects in a Social Laboratory Setting," which examines the relationship between drinking motives prior to a social drinking episode and the emotional/behavioral effects of alcohol seen within a group laboratory setting. This project is the first to test these associations through a controlled social drinking environment, offering new insights into the motivational pathways of alcohol use that can better inform treatment options for individuals with alcohol use disorder.
The Senior Honors Fellowship Program granted me the opportunity to develop and start my project over the summer, with this extra time being invaluable for creating a structured plan for my project alongside extra guidance from my thesis advisor, Kasey Creswell. Through the support of the program, I had extra time to commit to rigorous background research and methodology planning that allowed me to go into the fall semester with a headstart on completing my senior thesis. Additionally, the extra resources granted through the guidance of the program over the summer helped me ensure, in the early stages of development, that my realized project would be of the highest quality.
Senior Honors Program
The Senior Honors Program provides students with an opportunity to design and complete a year-long scholarly or creative project with the guidance of a faculty member. You may apply for this program in the spring of your junior year.
Zoe Schneider, class of 2025
Departments: History and English
Synthesizing my passion for political philosophy and commitment to transnational feminist advocacy, my senior thesis, “Sexual Work and Sexual Exploitation Under Global Neoliberalism,” highlights how dominant liberal feminist views insufficiently address what is morally wrong with sexual labor in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). My thesis confronts the false isolation of “sex markets” and patriarchy from the realities of unequal wealth distribution, low wages in Free Trade Zones, and shrinking domestic power in LMICs with the need to sell one's sexual labor for survival. In incorporating these intersecting choice-constraining features into my analysis, I advocate for and develop a theory of structural exploitation that questions the prevailing distinction between trafficked and consensual sexual labor while also creating new standards for evaluating the morally transformative power of consent in non-sexual forms of labor in LMICs.
I hope to pursue a research and teaching career in philosophy, motivated by the goal of expanding what we view as our duties of justice by challenging prevailing conceptions of human rights, the sufficient conditions for freedom and the role of the state as the basic structure to assure these goods. Working on my thesis has provided me with a space to delve more deeply into the literature on exploitation and transnational feminism with the thoughtful guidance and encouragement of my two faculty advisors, Danielle Wenner and Derrick Gray.
Pre-professional Programs
Health Professions Program
The Health Professions Program (HPP) offers a resource for the exploration of and preparation for careers in health professions ranging from human medicine to veterinary science to biomedical research.
Sydney Barlow, class of 2023
Degrees: B.S. in Biological Sciences and Psychology
As a new freshman navigating my career path, I was drawn towards the HPP program for its comprehensive exposure to diverse healthcare careers. Through participating in the HPP program, I engaged in different summer health programs, completed an MCAT prep course, explored various health professions and learned about the medical school application cycle, all of which prepared me for a future career in medicine.
Pre-Law Program
The Pre-Law Program provides students and alumni who are considering applying to law school with advising and access to resources such as the Thomas M. Kerr, Jr. Student Pre-Law Society; networking and mentorship opportunities; and lectures and courses on legal topics.
Aleksaundra Handrinos, class of 2026
Departments: History and CMIST
As a first-year student, I was eager to join the Pre-Law Program in order to explore both my interest in attending law school and the vast variety of career opportunities in the legal field. I also hoped to learn from the valuable resources including Jay Devine, the Pre-Law Program advisor, and the numerous alumni involved with the program.
My time in the Pre-Law Program not only has allowed me to further my path to law school but has also provided me with a wonderful community on campus to connect with other students who share similar professional interests. In this space, I have been able to gain a much stronger understanding of the realities of the legal field through experiences speaking with alumni about their career paths, touring law schools and hearing from law school admissions representatives. The resources, guidance and expertise afforded by the Pre-Law Program have fostered my interest in law and helped prepare me to pursue my own career.