Welcome from the Director

Thanks for your interest in Carnegie Mellon's Humanities Scholars Program. The HSP is the undergraduate component of the Humanities Initiative on campus, which also includes the Humanities Center and the Center for the Arts in Society.

The Humanities Scholars Program is a small undergraduate learning community located within a major research university. Students are invited into the program when they are admitted to the college. During their first year, they live together in a residential cluster and take two seminars together, one during each term.

In the sophomore year, Humanities Scholars are free to make their own residential choices but complete the bulk of their HSP coursework, taking an additional two seminars for a total of four classes. During their junior year, most scholars focus on completing the requirements for their major. In the senior year, the Scholars reconvene in a senior research seminar where they share their interests and complete a research project of their choosing.

Additionally, the Program sponsors talks and colloquia on campus and outings to cultural events within the Pittsburgh region, either in conjunction with coursework or as a chance to simply spend some time together recreationally. These include class dinners, theater outings, and sporting activities and other events proposed by the students or faculty. The HSP is also the sponsor of the Giler Humanities Lecture, an annual university event.

I like to think that the HSP offers a unique college experience that draws upon the strengths of an exceptional faculty in the humanities and a broader university steeped in interdisciplinary excellence. Over time, our scholars begin to assess their strengths and develop their own intellectual trajectories while still remaining part of a small intellectual community, and participate in one of the most exciting conversations in higher education today.

Tim Haggerty, Ph.D.
Director