Curriculum:
Catalyst is a curricular program housed in the College of Arts & Sciences and open to any UVA undergraduates beyond their first year. In addition to two core courses (one focusing on leadership and collaboration and one on the real-world application of critical thinking skills), you will fulfill electives in global cultural competence, quantitative reasoning and data, and job-specific digital skillsets. The program concludes with a capstone course in which you'll learn to effectively showcase your skills and experience through the creation of a web-based professional portfolio. Completion of the Catalyst Program is noted on the transcript as a milestone. Please see the 'Curriculum' and 'Skills Course' pages for more details on our offerings.
Co-curricular Elements:
Working with partners across Grounds, Catalyst students take advantage of our numerous opportunities for career exploration, mentorship, applied work experience, and professionalization. These include alumni speakers and networking opportunities; individual career advisors drawn from A&S alumni who work in the student's field of interest; dedicated professionalization workshops, and more. We currently support these opportunities with limited opportunities for scholarship-based financial assistance.
Eligibility Criteria:
Catalyst is open to any UVA student (in any school) who has completed a full academic year at a four-year institution, including incoming transfer students. First-year students may apply in the spring, and second-year students may apply in any cycle. Third-year students should aim for the fall application cycle to allow themselves sufficient time to complete the program, although it is possible to complete the program in one academic year as a fourth-year with sufficient schedule space.
Program Length:
The program is 17 credits, with 6 of those credits likely being fulfilled for most students by existing general education requirements. Although the remaining 11 Catalyst-specific credits can be completed in one academic year, for most students it will take three semesters. Up to six semesters can be taken to complete the program, depending on the entering student.
Prerequisite:
Catalyst has only one prerequisite: a three-credit course in quantitative literacy, fulfilled by any of the College's general education QCD courses. This course must be completed prior to program entry, but may be in progress during the application itself.