You are in control of everything you will study

One of the biggest privileges of being an Echols Scholar is having maximum academic flexibility from the moment you arrive on Grounds. These privileges help you design the exact course of study that you want. You were selected for this program with the belief that you are capable of designing what your courses would look like for all four years of your time here at UVA.

No General Education requirements

All Echols Scholars are exempt from the general education requirements of the College. The College has set requirements across multiple disciplines for all students to graduate and you are exempt from all of them. This is incredibly helpful when you want to move right into upper level classes because your schedule provides more space to take the classes you want. This really helps to take upper level classes immediately (although don’t stretch yourself thin, the transition to college can be difficult!) and to join into programs like study abroads because you have more leeway with your schedule.

Scholars are exempt from the College General Education requirements but are still responsible for the requirements of the major they choose to declare and for meeting the credit minimum (120 credits, including 102 in the College). If Scholars are interested in applying to another undergraduate school within UVA, such as the McIntire School of Commerce or the Frank Batten School for Leadership and Public Policy, they are still held responsible for meeting the prerequisites of application and all general education requirements set by their school upon admittance.

Priority Enrollment

Every Echols Scholar is given priority enrollment within their year. Undergraduate course registration at UVA is usually assigned by class with the first day being fourth years, then third years, then second years, and the last day is first years. Registration opens for most students at a certain time in the day that is assigned randomly. Echols Scholars, however, are granted the first time slots on the day of their class’s registration. This is incredibly helpful to get into popular classes with limited seats. While the program cannot guarantee a seat in any class, priority enrollment greatly helps to increase the chances of getting into a class you want. Priority enrollment can also help with getting into the prerequisites to apply to another undergraduate school at UVA. Check out all the courses offered at UVA here.

Echols interdisciplinary Major

This program strives to encourage intellectual curiosity and allow for the exploration of unique and creative ideas. Because of this, all Echols Scholars have the option to create and declare an Echols Interdisciplinary Major. If you have a major you wish to pursue that is so unique it has not been offered at UVA yet, then you can choose three departments at UVA and combine them as you wish to create your own program of study. Although, UVA does offer a lot of unique and fascinating majors and minors that you won’t find at other schools, many of which are interdisciplinary! You can see the ones offered by the College here.