Upper-Division Honors
Students who complete Upper-Division requirements while maintaining at least a 3.5 overall GPA earn the Paul and Judy Andrews Honors Scholar distinction.
To complete Upper-Division Honors, students may pursue either University Honors or Departmental Honors, or both.
University Honors (9 hours)
To earn University Honors, students must complete three Honors colloquia.
Honors colloquia are discussion-centered seminars (typically 10-12 junior and senior Honors students) in which students and professors from diverse disciplinary backgrounds explore questions of enduring significance. The breadth of exploration fuels integrative learning: creating or exploring connections among different ways or domains of learning (including but not limited to theories, methods, skills, experiences, values, cultures, or perspectives). Through conversations informed by intensive reading, writing, analysis, and experiential learning, University Honors students expand their capacities for creative, critical thought and collaborative inquiry.
Departmental Honors (usually 6 hours but varies by department)
To earn Departmental Honors, students must complete a research or creative project in their major (or minor, with approval from the department chair or program director).
Departmental Honors students work closely with a faculty mentor to define and carry out a sustained original research or creative project. Projects vary by field and discipline. Departmental honors students work with a supervising faculty member to determine the topic, method, and timeline for their projects. Senior students present their projects publicly and submit them to the permanent archive of the Mary Couts Burnett Library.