Program Overview

The Humanities Scholars Program (HSP) brings together intellectually curious, talented students eager to delve into the humanities and make their own contributions. 

The program provides a unique learning community for students throughout their undergraduate careers by offering an unparalleled undergraduate experience that values exploratory learning, community development, individual examination of ideas and engagement with the campus, Pittsburgh and international communities. 

The small group of scholars develops a shared intellectual curiosity by living together freshman year, taking a seminar class together each semester for their first two years and participating in a research seminar during their final semester. Additionally, the program promotes and sponsors events and outings to expand opportunities for scholars to learn outside of the classroom. The HSP also provides additional support for students' experiential learning and research opportunities during their four years at Dietrich. 

The program enhances the undergraduate experience in the humanities by offering the benefits of an active, engaged learning community while exposing students to the analytical complexities of inquiry in the humanities. Students in the HSP engage regularly with faculty from the four humanities departments, have specific opportunities to meet with alumni and professionals who draw on humanistic inquiry and methodology in their careers and participate in a mentorship program in order to build a strong network of mentors and peers as they chart their own paths in college. All HSP courses may fulfill college requirements, with some seminars listed in the general education categories. 

While most HSP scholars eventually have majors within one of the four humanities departments at Carnegie Mellon (English, History, Philosophy or Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics) they are also free to pursue other majors or programs at Carnegie Mellon.