About Us

The da Vinci Scholars Program is an interdisciplinary honors experience for intellectually curious students in the College of Arts and Sciences who are eager to explore connections across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Designed for highly motivated students with broad academic interests, the program brings together a cohort of scholars who learn from one another while challenging traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Through a series of small seminar courses, da Vinci Scholars engage complex questions that draw on multiple fields of inquiry. Whether examining the relationship between science and religion, exploring ethical questions raised by new technologies, or investigating the cultural dimensions of scientific discovery, students learn to approach problems from diverse perspectives.

At the heart of the program is a close-knit cohort model. Students progress through the program together, creating an intellectual community that extends beyond the classroom. The small size of the program fosters meaningful discussion, close mentoring relationships with faculty, and opportunities to connect with peers who share a passion for learning across disciplines.

Da Vinci Scholars complete four interdisciplinary seminars, typically one per semester during their first two years at the University of Miami. These courses are designed specifically for the program and are taught by faculty from across the College of Arts and Sciences. Seminar topics vary from year to year, giving students the opportunity to explore new ideas, emerging questions, and innovative approaches to scholarship.

Classes are intentionally small, encouraging active participation, discussion, collaboration, and direct engagement with faculty.

As part of the program, students receive exemptions from certain College of Arts and Sciences distribution requirements, providing additional flexibility to pursue interdisciplinary interests, majors, minors, and cognate areas while completing the da Vinci curriculum. Students continue to satisfy University-wide requirements and are encouraged to develop individualized academic pathways that reflect their unique interests and goals.

The da Vinci Scholars Program is ideal for students who are excited by big questions and reluctant to limit themselves to a single field of study. Whether arriving with interests that span biology and philosophy, computer science and history, or literature and medicine, da Vinci Scholars embrace the idea that some of the most important discoveries emerge at the intersections of disciplines.

Through innovative coursework, faculty mentorship, and a collaborative cohort experience, the program prepares students to think creatively, communicate effectively, and engage the world with intellectual curiosity and imagination.

The da Vinci Scholars Program combines the best of both worlds: the close faculty mentorship, small seminars, and intellectual community often associated with a liberal arts college, alongside the resources and opportunities of a major research university. Through a cohort-based interdisciplinary curriculum, students develop lasting relationships with faculty and peers while cultivating the flexibility, creativity, and critical thinking skills increasingly valued in graduate education and today's evolving professional landscape.

In an era when careers increasingly require adaptability, collaboration, and the ability to think across traditional boundaries, the da Vinci Scholars Program offers students something that can be difficult to find at a large research university: a close intellectual community and meaningful faculty mentorship.

Because seminars are intentionally small, students have the opportunity to build lasting relationships with both faculty and their peers. Rather than moving anonymously through large lecture courses, da Vinci Scholars participate in discussion-driven classes where faculty know their students by name, engage with their ideas, and often remain mentors long after the course concludes.  

These relationships can have a lasting impact. Whether students are preparing for graduate school, professional programs, scholarships, internships, research opportunities, or an increasingly complex job market, strong mentoring relationships provide valuable guidance, support, and professional development. Faculty who know a student's work well are also better positioned to offer individualized advice and write detailed letters of recommendation.

At the same time, students benefit from all the resources of a major research university: world-class faculty, extensive research opportunities, study abroad programs, professional schools, and the vibrant intellectual life of the University of Miami. The result is a distinctive experience that combines the close-knit environment often associated with a small liberal arts college with the opportunities and resources of a leading research institution.