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Hypatia Scholars

A Notre Dame professor in a brown blazer and plaid shirt gestures while lecturing and interacts with students in a classroom. Students, including one in a military uniform, listen and take notes. A blackboard and a projection screen are visible.

Are you an incoming first-year student interested in science and engineering, but eager to think beyond the lab?
Do you ever stop to wonder why we build things, not just how?

The Hypatia Scholars Program is a year-long opportunity to explore the humanities in a supportive community of curious students and passionate faculty.

Each week begins with a short lecture from one of the program’s faculty—experts in literature, philosophy, theology, and history—followed by small discussion seminars led by those same professors. You’ll explore big ideas in a small setting, where conversation, not memorization, animates your learning. You’ll sharpen your thinking, strengthen your writing, and fulfill several of your University Core requirements through meaningful, provocative work.

And you’ll wrestle with questions that will stay with you for life:

  • What does it mean to be human?
  • What might technology cost us?
  • How do we tell stories about science—and about ourselves—and why do they matter?

The Hypatia Scholars Program is more than just a set of classes. As a Hypatia Scholar, you’ll join a close-knit cohort that continues beyond your first year, with invitations to ongoing events, invitations, and connections with faculty and fellow students. You'll attend guest lectures, concerts, and museum visits with current students, engaging with the intellectual and cultural life of Notre Dame and our wider community. It’s an experience that deepens your education and stays with you long after your freshman year.

In your first year, you'll take two linked humanities courses designed specifically for Hypatia Scholars:

  • Fall Course (PLS 13189): Nature, Technology, and Humanity: "Artificial Intelligence and the Soul"
    This course fulfills your University Core USEM, and Art and Literature (WKAL) requirements.
  • Spring Course (TBA): The Costs of Technology.
    This will satisfy either your University Core Integration (WKIN) requirement or your Writing and Rhetoric (WR) requirement..

Application

We welcome students who are excited to explore ideas, challenge assumptions, and grow as thinkers and writers. For more information or to request an application, please contact Tori Davies (tdavies@nd.edu).

Hypatia Scholars is a collaboration between the Program of Liberal Studies and the John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, & Values.