Is Honors right for me?

Honors in two parts.

The LSA Honors Program is home to two separate programs under one umbrella: A lower- and an upper-division.

• Students in their first and second years participate in the lower-division Honors Program. Lower-division Honors is focused on a broad liberal arts experience, encouraging students to take a variety of Honors courses from across LSA.
  • The focus in the first two years is on taking a variety of Honors courses, some in potential areas of major or minor, but also in our Honors Core Curriculum, which are “big-ideas” courses that bring together a variety of disciplinary perspectives to understand complex topics and issues.
  • Lower-division Honors offers the opportunity to interact with faculty, to receive personalized advising, to engage in a community of students who love to learn for learning’s sake.
  • Lower-division Honors builds a community of students through shared coursework (in particular, our Honors Core Courses) and through our varied co-curricular events that bring students together outside of the classroom.
  • Students in lower-division Honors have the option of living in Honors Housing, located in South Quad. We do not require students to live in Honors Housing (nor do we guarantee it), but a majority of our lower-division does live in Honors Housing.
  • Students who successfully complete the expectations of the lower-division Honors Program earn the Sophomore Honors Award, which is recognized at the Honors Commencement ceremony at the time of graduation.
• Students in their third and fourth years can join the upper-division Honors Program. Upper-division Honors is focused on a field of interest and typically has a required capstone thesis or project.
  • Admission to the upper-division program is entirely separate from participation in lower-division Honors. Students do not need to participate in lower-division Honors to join the upper-division (and vice versa).
  • There are two paths for upper-division Honors: the Honors major or Honors in Engaged Liberal Arts.
    • Honors majors are offered by every department in LSA. Most require the completion of an Honors senior thesis, an independent work of research, under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Some departments have additional requirements (such as a thesis seminar course). The Honors requirements for each department are available at the department’s website or at the list of LSA majors.
    • Honors in Engaged Liberal Arts (HELA) is separate from a student’s major, but is intended to be a significant project-based undertaking informed by coursework, under supervision of a mentor, that culminates in a senior project, with a required presentation. Admission to HELA is by completion of a successful proposal to the Honors Academic Affairs committee.
  • Students who successfully complete an Honors major or a HELA project graduate with Honors on their transcript and diploma and are also recognized at graduation at Honors Commencement.

Be a part of an intellectual journey.

Honors provides students with the opportunity to intellectually engage in a community of like-minded students who genuinely love to learn. Honors creates opportunities for connection—connection with other Honors students; connection with faculty and advisors who are invested in undergraduate education; and connection between different disciplines and ideas. It is a community of people who are committed to intellectual exploration and share a passion for learning.

Be a part of our history.

Established over 65 years ago, the LSA Honors Program carries on a proud tradition of providing a rich and challenging set of academic offerings to talented and highly motivated students. Approximately 300-400 students join our lower-division program each year, going on to graduate from all areas of LSA—from political science to physics, from chemistry to classical studies. Honors students seek a comprehensive, challenging approach to their liberal arts experience and their particular field of study, which culminates in their senior year with a thesis or project. By participating in Honors, they are welcomed into an exciting, diverse campus community.

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