Sophomores

Declaring Your Major

A major is the subject area that you concentrate on within a discipline, while minors comprise a basic introduction in a field of study. The related area may represent a thematic cluster, geographic grouping, or some other combination. Students typically declare their major at the end of their second year.

Emerging Leaders Program

The Emerging Leaders Program, offered by Career Services, is a personal and leadership development program open to freshmen and sophomores during fall term.

Sophomore Honors Reception

Each fall, the Arts and Sciences Associate Dean’s Office hosts a reception to honor those students who have earned 30 credits or more and have a 3.50 or higher GPA. Students who are eligible receive notification by way of an invitation to the reception.

General Education Requirements

If you’re a sophomore, it’s a good idea to complete all or most of your “gen ed” requirements by the end of your second year, so that you can concentrate on your major during the last two years of school. Make sure you understand the general education requirements, which comprise 46 of 120 credits you need to graduate.

Summer Research

The University of Pittsburgh manages a number of undergraduate summer research programs as well as other events and activities each summer that give undergraduates the chance to learn to conduct their own scientific investigations. The programs generally run from early June through early August. In addition to the research, the undergraduates attend seminars, the Summer Ethics Forum at Pitt, and the Summer Research Symposium at nearby Duquesne University.