The University Honors Program Experience

 

The University Honors Experience provides students with an enhanced curriculum and the ability to engage and collaborate with faculty and peers in a supportive academic environment.

The Honors Program requires a commitment to be actively engaged in the Honors Experience, but it doesn't add additional course requirements or increase the time it takes to graduate – every Honors credit earned helps fulfill degree requirements and keeps you on the path toward your goals. There are multiple ways to earn credit including Honors sections of core classes, special projects in degree level courses, independent research with a faculty mentor, study abroad, and mentored internships.

Honors pedagogy is distinguished not by difficulty or the number of assignments, but by enhanced experiences that promote critical thinking, heightened reflection, and deeper learning.

 

University Honors Program Learning Outcomes

Honors students will…

1. Communicate with effective, audience-appropriate strategies in written, spoken, and visual modes.
2. Analyze and evaluate key disciplinary works within their cultural or historical contexts. 
3. Identify and evaluate an issue of global significance from diverse cultural, political, economic, scientific, or technological perspectives. 

 

HONORS CREDIT (H-Cred)

All Honors students commit to earning at least two Honors units or “H-Cred” per academic year (fall to fall). Most Honors students exceed the minimum H-Cred requirements needed to fulfill the graduation requirements of the Honors Program.

 

Minimum H-Cred Requirements

 

 

Meeting the Annual Minimum Requirement

Students may request substitution of one banked H-Cred (credit earned beyond the minimum) to fulfill part of the annual requirement, but this option may be used only once and cannot be used in the final senior semester. Any student who does not earn H-Cred for two consecutive long semesters (fall and spring) will be excused from the Honors Program regardless of GPA.

 

EARNING H-CRED

 

Honors Sections are regularly offered in the long semesters. These “Honors only” small sections of existing courses fulfill degree requirements and earn H-Cred. Most Honors sections are core level, but the number of upper level offerings is growing. Honors sections are often discussion or project driven and always taught by enthusiastic faculty with innovative hands-on approaches that put you at the center of what happens in class. 

*This is just a sample of some of the sections we’ve offered over the last few years, but the options are always growing. See the semester schedule for specific courses and times. 

As you progress in your major, you’ll be able to earn H-Cred related to your area of study and research interests.  An Honors Contract provides students a way to earn H-Cred in upper level courses and in disciplines unable to offer stand-alone Honors sections. Your course grade will be based on your completion of the requirements outlined in the course syllabus, but your professor will use the contract assignment to determine if you should receive H-Cred for the course.

Contracts are essentially independent study projects, but with a twist. Your contracts will probably result in some of the most engaging and memorable experiences from your undergraduate education. Projects might entail developing research or technical skills, improving expressive capacities, or exploring content in greater depth, all while developing a more meaningful relationship with a faculty mentor.  Projects run the gamut from traditional research to creative works and designs, from service projects to professional internships. 

Before you can propose a contract, you’ll need attend the Honors Contract workshop offered virtually or face-to-face. These are offered every month in the summer and twice during each long semester.

STANDARDS FOR COURSE-BASED H-CRED

H-Cred is attached to exceptional academic experiences and awarded separately from academic credit that meets basic degree requirements. It is possible to earn credit toward your degree, but not receive the H-Cred because of the course grade, the professor’s assessment, or overall GPA requirements.

One of the first traditions established by the Honors Program was awarding high-achieving students a distinctive varsity-style Honors cardigan. Students must meet the eligibility standards and submit a completed cardigan application. The application opens at the end of the spring semester and cardigans awarded in late September.