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 in which professors and students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds explore questions of enduring social, historical, philosophical, and personal significance. University Honors students gain deeper understanding of their major courses of study by forging new connections among previously disparate strands of their learning. Through conversations informed by intensive reading, writing, analysis, and other forms of experiential learning, University Honors students expand their capacity for self-directed 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.