Current U-M Students

Are you a current Michigan student interested in joining Honors?

Read more about the two pathways into Honors

Lower-division Honors Program

  • Appeals to students who are in their first two years of study
  • Is a fit for students who still have distribution requirements left to meet for LSA.
  • Lower-Division Honors is focused on taking a variety of Honors courses across LSA and gives students ample opportunity to explore the richness of the liberal arts.
  • Students will be required to complete at least one Honors Core course.
  • Individual requirements do vary and will be communicated upon acceptance of admission.

Upper-division Honors Program

  • Appeals to students who are further along in their academic journey and have declared their major(s).
  • There are two options for Upper-Division Honors: an Honors Major or Honors in Engaged Liberal Arts (HELA) project
  • The Honors major provides students the chance to work on independent research in their department of major. Every LSA department offers an Honors major.
  • The specific requirements and admissions process for Honors majors varies by department. Details are provided in the requirements for each major. You can view the list (and requirements for) all LSA majors here: https://lsa.umich.edu/lsa/academics/majors-minors.html.
  • The Honors in Engaged Liberal Arts (HELA) option is a project-based experience that is completed outside of your major. It requires coursework along with a culminating project. You are also welcome to read more about HELA here.

While many students do participate in both parts of the Honors Program, some choose to participate in just one. Your application process is determined by which option is the better fit for your plans and goals.  The Program is designed to be flexible and allow students to blend the Honors experience seamlessly into their overall college experience.

Declaring Honors in your
first two years.

Students currently enrolled in LSA may wish to enter Honors for its variety, course work, or community, and are welcome to apply to the lower-division Honors Program. We accept students into the Honors Program at the end of their first term and first year in LSA. To apply to the lower-division Honors Program, please complete this application form: https://tinyurl.com/yc4k9tyf. In the application, we ask you to write an essay discussing your academic goals and how Honors (specifically, the lower-division Honors Program) would be a part of your plans going forward. Admissions decisions are made at the end of fall and winter terms, once all grades have posted. We email students with our decision at that time.

Declaring Honors as a
junior or senior.

If you are in your junior year or above, your path to join Honors is through your department of major or by declaring a HELA project. When you declare an Honors major, you will speak with an advisor in your department of major, who will then notify us that you are joining Honors. Your advising records and graduation audit will transfer to Honors (from the Newnan Advising Center) following this notification. We encourage all students who join Honors through their major to make an appointment with an Honors advisor upon joining. HELA projects are not through a student’s major, but through the LSA Honors Program. See more information in the links above.