Degrees & Credentials

UNM students can pursue multiple credential opportunities in the Honors College to study Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts or Interdisciplinary Design. From the Major through the Certificate, these options make it possible for students of any major to study interdisciplinary learning during their education at UNM.

Credential Pathways

To study Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts, there are four transcribed credential options for admitted Honors College students: 

This baccalaureate degree program provides the opportunity for students to develop a broad-based and flexible interdisciplinary liberal arts education similar to that offered by many small liberal arts colleges. Also, this specialized degree program provides the opportunity to integrate ideas and methods from different disciplines. The HILA Major is ideal for ambitious students whose passions don’t fit neatly into one discipline. Each senior has the opportunity to conduct research, develop a creative project, perform service learning in the community, or co-teach an honors course with a faculty member. To browse the exciting projects created by past Honors College majors, visit our Thesis Archives!

If you’d like to major in the BA in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts, it’s a good idea to start discussions with an Honors College faculty member who can help mentor you during your Honors College experience. Then, you can apply to the major degree program. 

The BA in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts requires the Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts Major Application, including a proposed course of study (Deadlines: October 15 for spring admission, March 15 for fall admission). At the time of application, students must have completed or have in-progress at least 45 credit hours, 12 of which are in Honors. Due to the individualized attention that each BA student will receive, the Honors College can only accept a small number of students for the major each year.

hila-major-graphic-horizontal2.png

Students accepted as majors in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts must maintain a GPA of at least 3.5 and complete: 

  1. Minor or second major in a field of study that complements or supports the capstone project
  2. 18 credit hours in courses numbered 300 or higher containing significant coursework involving skills as defined by Honors College program student learning outcomes: interdisciplinary, research, community engagement, critical thinking, communication skills, creative thinking;
  3. 6 hours in an honors integrative block course or equivalent;
  4. 36 credit hours in UHON or HNRS courses, including:
    • 3 credit hours in each of the following levels
      • HNRS 1000
      • HNRS 2000
      • UHON 300
      • UHON 400
    • 12 or more elective credit hours, at least 12 of which are at the 300-level or higher  
    • 6 credit hours may include integrative block if taken as UHON or HNRS
    • 6 hours of coursework in one interdisciplinary capstone:
      • Thesis/project: UHON 490 and UHON 491, or
      • Senior teaching: UHON 492 and UHON 493, or
      • Service learning: UHON 495 and UHON 496;
  5. At least 120 total credit hours;
  6. At least 12 credit hours of a single non-English language or provide evidence of equivalent proficiency.
  7. All General Education curriculum requirements, some of which may be completed through UHON courses. Refer to the Undergraduate Program section of this Catalog for information on courses that meet General Education curriculum and U.S. and Global Diversity and Inclusion requirements.
For more information about the major and how to assemble a program of study, please schedule an advisement appointment on LoboAchieve with an Honors College Advisor.

A truly substantial commitment to Honors education, the Distinction includes a thesis or other capstone, either within Honors or in connection with another department. This option is perfect for students pursuing Honors within their major.

Requirements (27 Credit Hours):

  • Maintenance of a 3.2 cumulative GPA
  • The successful completion of 27 credit hours in Honors courses, including:
    • 3 credit hours in each of the following levels
      • HNRS 1000
      • HNRS 2000
      • UHON 300
      • UHON 400
    • 6 credit hours in approved thesis/capstone sequence, either UHON or offered by other units.
    • 9 additional credit hours in HNRS or UHON of any level or in approved honors courses in other units.

At least 15 credit hours must be completed in HNRS or UHON courses.  Up to 12 credit hours may come from approved courses offered by other units, including thesis and other approved capstone courses. 

 

Alternative Entry Path Requirements

For students beginning in Honors with significant prior college coursework (30 or more earned credits at UNM or another university or college, excluding AP credits), it is possible to follow an alternative path to a UNM Honors Scholar Distinction. Students meeting this criterion can opt to forgo an HNRS course at the 1000 or 2000 level and instead complete their credit hours from Honors courses at other levels.

  • Maintenance of a 3.2 cumulative GPA
  • The successful completion of 27 credit hours in Honors courses, including:
    • 3 credit hours in each of the following levels
      • UHON 300
      • UHON 400
    • 6 credit hours in approved thesis/capstone sequence, either UHON or offered by other units.
    • 15 additional credit hours in HNRS or UHON of any level or in approved honors courses in other units.

At least 15 credit hours must be completed in HNRS or UHON courses. Up to 12 credit hours may come from approved courses offered by other units, including thesis and other approved capstone courses. 

Minoring in Honors is a deeper commitment to interdisciplinary studies than the Certificate, and a perfect addition to any major on campus.

 Requirements (21 Credit Hours):

  • Maintenance of a 3.2 cumulative GPA
  • The successful completion of 21 credit hours in Honors courses, including:
    • 3 credit hours in each of the following levels
      • HNRS 1000
      • HNRS 2000
      • UHON 300
      • UHON 400
    • 9 additional credit hours in HNRS or UHON of any level or in approved honors courses in other units.

At least 15 credit hours must be completed in HNRS or UHON courses. Up to 6 credit hours may come from approved courses offered by other units (if they are not also counting toward other major or minor requirements).

 

Alternative Entry Path Requirements

For students beginning in Honors with significant prior college coursework (30 or more earned credits at UNM or another university or college, excluding AP credits), it is possible to follow an alternative path to a Minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts. Students meeting this criterion can opt to forgo an HNRS course at the 1000 or 2000 level and instead complete their credit hours from Honors courses at other levels.

  • Maintenance of a 3.2 cumulative GPA
  • The successful completion of 21 credit hours in Honors courses, including:
    • 3 credit hours in each of the following levels
      • UHON 300
      • UHON 400
    • 15 additional credit hours in HNRS or UHON of any level or in approved honors courses in other units.

At least 15 credit hours must be completed in HNRS or UHON courses.  Up to 6 credit hours may come from approved courses offered by other units if they are not also counting toward other major or minor requirements.

The Certificate option gives students with complex, full schedules a path within Honors. To learn how to run a LoboTrax audit to see your progress towards the Certificate, please watch this video. 

Requirements (15 Credit Hours):
  • Maintenance of a 3.2 cumulative GPA
  • The successful completion of 15 credit hours in Honors courses, including:
    • 3 credit hours in HNRS 1000
    • 3 credit hours in HNRS 2000
    • 3 credit hours in UHON 300 or 400.
    • 6 additional credit hours in HNRS or UHON of any level or in approved honors courses in other units.

At least 9 credit hours must be completed in HNRS or UHON courses. Up to 6 credit hours in approved courses offered by other units may be used to satisfy Certificate requirements.

 

Alternative Entry Path Requirements

For students beginning in Honors with significant prior college coursework (30 or more earned credits at UNM or another university or college, excluding AP credits), it is possible to follow an alternative path to a Certificate in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts. Students meeting this criterion can opt to forgo an HNRS course at the 1000 or 2000 level and instead complete their credit hours from Honors courses at other levels.

  • Maintenance of a 3.2 cumulative GPA
  • The successful completion of 15 credit hours in Honors courses, including:
    • 3 credit hours in UHON 300- or 400-level.
    • 12 additional credit hours in HNRS or UHON of any level or in approved honors courses in other units.

At least 9 credit hours must be completed in HNRS or UHON courses. Up to 6 credit hours in approved courses offered by other units may be used to satisfy Certificate requirements.

 

Interdisciplinary Design Credential

To study Interdisciplinary Design, there is one transcribed credential available for all UNM students: 

The Certificate in Interdisciplinary Design provides students with an interdisciplinary community of scholars at the University of New Mexico doing research, teaching, and service at the confluence of design thinking, interactive working processes, and community engagement. All undergraduate students, from a range of diverse perspectives and disciplines–ranging from the humanities to the arts, to architecture & planning, and computer science–are invited to apply.

Requirements (12 credit hours) 

  • 12-credit hours from a list of approved courses, including at least one course that provides an introduction on how to design. Up to 6 credit hours may be completed in one department, including a maximum of 3 credit hours of independent study. Courses may double-count with major or elective requirements. A list of approved courses, may be found in the catalog
For more information, please visit the Interdisciplinary Design Certificate website. 

 

Learning Outcomes:

      1. Students will develop skills in interdisciplinary design that will enhance their problem-solving skills through the lens of fine arts, organizational learning, computer science, interdisciplinary honors, and architecture.
      2. Students will develop analytical skills to apply interdisciplinary design principles while conducting design practices that use ethical and culturally responsive methods.
      3. Students will develop skills in community engagement, collaborative working methods,  prototyping, and iterative processes to improve and reimagine communities. 
      4. Students will be aware of opportunities to apply interdisciplinary design as a tool to engage communities while developing communication methods to work with diverse stakeholders.

Please contact Honors Advisors (honorsadvisors@unm.edu) or Megan Jacobs (mejacobs@unm.edu) with any questions. 

 

Additional Honors Recognition 

In addition to one of the transcribed credentials above, Honors College students may pursue the following in-house (non-transcribed) Honors College recognitions:

The Honors College encourages students who can to participate in international opportunities and to gain an international perspective. To this end, the college recognizes students who complete one of the four Honors College Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts options and who complete both an international program and either a minimum of 2 years of language or equivalent coursework with an international focus.

International Distinction Requirements:

  • International Educational Experience Abroad - 6 Credit Hours

And either:

  • Proven Proficiency in a Foreign Language OR 12-credit hour coursework in a Foreign Language
    Or
  • International Topics Courses - 12 Credit Hours
The JEADI Distinction recognizes Honors College students' commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout their time at UNM. For more information about JEADI in the Honors College, students can learn more here.

Requirements (12 CH hours):
  • At least 9 CH must be from UHON/HNRS approved course list
  • 3 CH can be from USGDEIP list or UHON/HNRS
  • 3 of the 12 CH must be upper division
  • These courses do not need to be in addition to coursework already completed for Honors degree
  • Students must complete one of the four Honors degree pathways in order to earn the JEDI distinction

Honors College Courses (HNRS and UHON)

The bread and butter of Honors are the courses you take. Honors College courses are small, interdisciplinary, diverse, and just plain exciting. Some basics that apply across the board to all our courses:

  • Every course was created by the instructor teaching it. These are real learning opportunities, not just slots to fill.
  • Classes are small; capped at 18 students. It’s easy to get to really know the teacher and other students, and to feel that your presence is important.
  • Our grading system, A, CR, NC, is designed to give students the ability to take risks and try new, difficult things.
  • No timed exams. Honors classes do not have tests or quizzes.
  • No classes on Friday.
  • No boring textbooks. Our readings are books that someone might actually choose to read outside a classroom. Mostly primary sources.
  • Our courses are constantly evolving to better meet the needs of students in a rapidly changing world.

Our courses are mostly organized by level. Everyone starts out in Legacy, HNRS 1120, and then moves up to higher level courses. Each of these courses is described in more detail below, and then individual sections each have their own title and description (but the same course number) created by their individual instructors. The topics, readings, and assignments will differ across sections, but the overall learning objectives are the same.

Details of Honors College Courses

Starting out in Honors, Legacy of … (HNRS 1120)

The first semester course for honors students, their welcome to UNM and the Honors College, we call Legacy. Originally a “great books” seminar, for decades Honors has broadened our approach to include subject matter from a wide variety of areas, but retained the original vision of Legacy. Each version of Legacy has been created from scratch by its instructor to not only fit the themes of Legacy generally, but also their unique backgrounds and experiences. You can see what’s most recently on offer here.

Each of our Legacy courses reaches into the past and into some of the themes that make us most human. It introduces students to the careful and critical academic work that we associate with disciplines of the humanities, within the intimate academic setting of honors. In these courses, students’ voices are heard and matter. With a maximum of 18 students in a class taught by its creator, there is the time and space to hear each other, and to work closely with the professor and students.

Such a tightly knit learning environment can be especially important for those just starting at UNM. Perhaps being far from home, certainly in a new environment, and likely with their other classes being rather large and impersonal, Legacy and Honors can really feel like a home away from home.

    • Each Legacy course counts as 3 Credit Hours of Area V-A Humanities General Education at UNM, meaning this one course will fulfill that requirement fully.
    • Because the Honors College considers it important that students enrich their knowledge overall as well as gain experience attending academic seminars, thereby understanding oral discourse, instructors are expected to require students to attend at least three lectures as part of their course.
    • Every student will begin their Honors journey through Legacy unless they enter Honors with at least 30 credits of college coursework earned in residence (not AP).

Fufilling General Education, HNRS 2XXX

After Legacy, Honors students take a 2000-level seminar, typically in the second semester of their first year. Like Legacy, each of these counts toward one area of the General Education requirements at UNM as well as Honors.

Also, like Legacy, each of these 2000 level classes is small, interdisciplinary, and different. Each course number will have the same overall learning objectives, but the actual content and activities will depend on the particular section. Here are our current offerings.  Below are some overall descriptions for each of the subject areas.

UNM General Education Area I (Communications)

This 2000-level Honors College core course  provides students with opportunities to strengthen their writing and speaking skills. Students analyze and evaluate oral and written communication in terms of situation, audience, purpose, aesthetics, and points of view. They  employ writing and/or speaking processes such as planning, collaborating, organizing, composing, revising, and editing to create oral presentations using correct diction, syntax, grammar, and mechanics. Instructors  use a variety of foundational texts, essays, articles, and literary works to support various writing and speaking activities.

Because the Honors College considers it important that students enrich their knowledge overall as well as gain experience attending academic lectures, thereby understanding oral discourse, instructors are expected to require students to attend at least three lectures as part of their course.

UNM General Education Area VI (Arts & Design)

This course introduces interdisciplinary perspectives on fine art fields such as visual arts, theater, architecture, dance, and music. Its goal is to encourage understanding of the role of art in society and culture. The course  engages students with various fine art pieces throughout the semester in order to experience, interpret, and analyze art. They  also explore the role or impact of art globally and historically—how art affects societies and how societies affect art, and the significance and import of the arts, both in terms of production and of experience. Students strengthen their problem-solving skills through the creative process and understand the relationship between fine art and other disciplines. Students  also consider various examples of controversy and censorship toward specific works of art.

UNM General Education Area V-A (Humanities)

This course introduces interdisciplinary perspectives on humanities fields such as literature, history, and philosophy as well as associated disciplines. Each class is constructed around an individual topic that explores works in humanities fields from interdisciplinary perspectives. Students  gain a basic appreciation of the nature and methods of study in the humanities by engaging works from across cultures and from various historical moments in time. Throughout the semester, students  interpret, analyze, and evaluate the cultural or historical meaning and purpose of diverse texts, especially primary texts. In addition, students strengthen their reading, writing, and research skills while enriching their knowledge of the world in which we live. The ultimate goal of the course is for student to recognize the lasting value of the humanities in the development of society and culture as well as in attributing meaning to the human experience.

UNM General Education Area II (Mathematics and Statistics)

This 2000-level course provides students with opportunities to gain an interdisciplinary and rigorous introduction to mathematical reasoning by learning from mathematicians, particularly how they do and have done mathematics and how that relates to the rest of human activity and thought. Students do mathematics in this course, and also are expected to produce work that reflects an understanding of the context in which that mathematical work takes place. Themed sections connect foundational ideas of mathematics, such as logic, systems of numbers, sequences and series, geometry, and probability to other aspects of human thought.

UNM General Education Area III (Physical & Natural Sciences)

This course  introduces students to important elements of the scientific method and scientific inquiry in one or more of the basic sciences such as biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and astronomy. It  familiarizes students with scientific inquiry and an understanding of the role of the sciences in society and culture. It also introduces students to the interdisciplinary nature of scientific inquiry.This core class includes a laboratory component (HNRS 2331L) which students need to sign up for separately. This provides students with important hands-on and/or field experience. Students are required to take the lab segment, and so the course is designed as a four-credit, single class.

UNM General Education Area IV (Social & Behavioral Sciences)

This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to the social and behavioral sciences. Insight from multiple disciplines including psychology, anthropology, geography, political science, sociology, and economics is used to critically analyze local, national, and global problems. Students identify, describe, and explain human behaviors and how they are influenced by social structures, institutions, and processes within the contexts of complex and diverse communities. They also articulate how beliefs, assumptions, and values are influenced by factors such as politics, geography, economics, culture, biology, history, and social institutions as well as analyze and critically evaluate relevant issues, ethical dilemmas, and arguments from multiple social science disciplines.

UHON 301 Seminars on Various Topics

UHON 301 topic courses focus on interdisciplinary exploration of specific topics designed to demonstrate the interconnectedness of academic disciplines. This can mean being centered on anything from the significance of gender in myth and literature, to bio-medical ethics, the nature and politics of nuclear energy, the origins of prejudice, arts across cultures, the existential imagination, and cross-cultural communication.

While the subject matter and learning methods in each of these courses are quite diverse, each individual course continues the trend of having a close-knit classroom experience, substantial rigor, and increasing intellectual independence.

Honors students typically take a few of these courses, choosing them to fit many needs: perhaps to dig deeper into a subject than ordinarily would be possible without majoring, perhaps to extend their involvement in an already familiar area but from another angle. Very often, students wish to try something they might never otherwise chance upon.

UHON 401 Something Big

Not every pathway through Honors requires its students to take a 400-level seminar, but they are excellent opportunities for those who find them. Honors seminars at the 400 level are not simply harder versions of our topics courses, but they are characterized by the increased intellectual maturity of the work students are asked to do as well as the students themselves. Students explore topics that are more in-depth than those of lower-level courses and have greater roles and responsibilities. This might mean projects that are more open-ended, or which have larger goals, to produce a publishable paper or coordinate a collaborative mini-conference.

Honors College Capstones

Both the Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts (HILA) major and Distinction require students to complete ≥ 6 credit capstones. For those completing the Distinction, that capstone may be done in another unit. Students pursuing other honors options are not required to complete a capstone, but they may nevertheless choose to complete one if desired.

While each student's path is unique, there are three major categories of Honors College Capstone to choose from. HILA majors work with their advising professors to determine which of the three options is most appropriate and the specific details of the capstone. Other honors students wishing to pursue one of these capstones should likewise work directly with an honors professor. For capstones outside the Honors College, students will need to work within the relevant department or unit and check with an Honors College advisor to make sure that the capstone’s units have been approved within our system.

The thesis or project is an interdisciplinary culmination of the diverse topics students encounter throughout their studies. This thesis may take the form of a traditional research-driven text that incorporates the methodologies or theories of multiple disciplines to present a complex topic, or it may take the form of a creative project that incorporates the methodologies, theories, or media of multiple disciplines to present a complex body of work. Over the course of three semesters, the student organizes a thesis committee and crafts a thesis proposal (1 credit hour in the spring of the junior year), thoroughly researches the topic or problem (3 credit hours in the fall of the senior year), and finally writes or creates and presents the thesis (3 credit hours in the spring of the senior year).

Interdisciplinary research entails the use and integration of methods and analytical frameworks from more than one academic discipline to examine a theme, issue, question, or topic. Interdisciplinary research makes use of disciplinary approaches to examine topics, but pushes beyond by taking insights from a variety of relevant disciplines, synthesizing their contribution to understanding, and then integrating these ideas into a more complete, and coherent, framework of analysis.

In dealing with multi-faceted issues such as immigration, new drug development, genetically modified foods, and health care access, for example, interdisciplinary perspectives are needed to adequately address the complexity of the problems and to forge viable responses. Interdisciplinary research requires the integration and synthesis of different perspectives rather than a simple consideration of multiple viewpoints.

Students will be expected to complete research on a question, problem, or topic of interest using more than one discipline. They will conduct a thorough search of the existing literature in relevant fields. Their treatment of the subject will include an appropriate review of that literature as it pertains to the subject.

Students may also wish to undertake a project that differs from the traditional thesis model. Such projects may consist of creative work (photographic essays, original poetry, designing and building architectural, engineering, or business models, etc.). The purpose of this approach is to dissolve the boundaries of areas of study and encourage learning across two or more disciplines.

During a senior teaching capstone, students co-teach an Honors seminar alongside an Honors College faculty member. The student and  faculty member work together to create or modify, propose, prepare, and then co-teach an honors seminar together. This process usually fills three consecutive semesters (a 1 Credit UHON 499 prior to the official UHON 492 and 493 semesters). Senior teaching is especially appropriate for students who anticipate teaching significantly after they graduate from honors. This could include students who are going to graduate school and expect to be a teaching assistant, students who anticipate teaching in the primary or secondary education system, or students who plan to pursue a career in higher education.

During a service-learning capstone, students will work closely with a community partner to identify needs, propose a project, and execute the project. Students will document all activities as well as participate in an ongoing process of critical reflection on the project, the problem, and the communities served. Service learning is a teaching and learning method that integrates meaningful service in the community with academic learning in order to enrich the learning experience, engender personal growth, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Students engaged in a service learning capstone will expand their academic skills and knowledge, applying them to address real-life needs in communities where they work.

Special Honors College Coursework

Depending on the circumstances, there may be additional course opportunities within the Honors College.

Independent Studies

It is common for Honors students to envision educational opportunities unaccounted for in the usual course listings where Honors College faculty make sense as supervisors, mentors, etc. To execute these, students create Independent Studies (IS) of UHON 399 or 499 for 1-3 Credit Hours depending on the specifics of the study.

To do an IS requires coordination with the faculty advisor and the completion and approval of the IS through the Honors College Curriculum Committee. Upon filling out the form, approval comes from first the advising professor (so let them know the form has been submitted) and then the Honors College Curriculum Chair.

indstudy-graphic-postcard-final-modified.png

Steps to Create an Independent Study Proposal in the Honors College
  1. Meet with your professor to discuss your proposed study and secure his/her approval for the project you envision.
  2. Prepare a detailed project prospectus to upload as part of your submission.
    • Problem: Define the rationale and delimit your problem area (explain your interest in pursuing the project). How does this project relate to your degree objective?
    • Purpose and Objectives: What do you hope to accomplish?
    • Procedures: Explain the methods you expect to use and any unusual requirements for materials, equipment or facilities. Include a timeline.
    • Outcomes: What will be the tangible results (deliverables, i.e. software course code, papers, reports, products, or summaries) of your study?
  3. Course number and Credit varies—be sure to include the number of credit hours when you propose your study and when you register in Loboweb.
  4. Fill out and submit the Independent Study Form, ideally by the end of the semester prior to your study.
  5. Notify your professor that the submission is ready for their review.
  6. If your proposal is accepted by the professor and HC Curriculum Chair, you will be notified with registration details.
  7. Like other courses, you must register before the add sections semester deadline passes. The above steps take time and involve many people. The Honors College cannot be responsible if you wait too long to initiate the steps. Also, please check that you are registering for the correct number of credit hours (1-3) for the independent study. To learn how to change credit hours on the Registration Portal, please watch the Changing Credit Hours video by UNM Information Technologies. 
  8. Prepare for your independent study course! 

Integrative Block Courses

Each student majoring in the Honors College is required to take one “integrative block course”; these 6 credit hour courses are also open to non-majors who are interested in a specific topic. These blocks consist of two courses from different fields, combined through a seminar co-taught by professors of different academic disciplines. The combination of perspectives and narratives from two disparate disciplines provides both a unique and inspiring learning experience for students, as well as a grounding in the breadth of skills needed to succeed in a world of unanticipated challenges. These courses are integrative, interdisciplinary and often transformative experiences. Past integrative blocks have included: Conexiones, Reading and Writing the Landscape, Route 66, Locked Up, and Graphic Memoir.

Courses Outside UHON and HNRS

Though Honors seminars are excellent places for minds to mature, an honors education isn’t necessarily limited to what is taught within this college. Across campus, there are courses that have been registered as Honors and which will automatically contribute to a student’s honors option. Most units have supplied us with lists of courses that they feel fit the principles of an Honors education. These Pre-Approved Courses can be automatically be counted to your completion of an Honors option. This specifically includes theses and other capstones one might need for the Distinction. Academic credit from the AP Research and AP Seminar exams also functions as a pre-approved course towards your credential. Likewise, Honors courses taken at other institutions are typically counted automatically. 

Students can also specifically request for a course that feels like it should be Honors to be approved toward their option. If you would like to see if a course you’ve taken or have in mind can be applied for Honors credit, please submit an Honors College Course Equivalency Form and chat with an advisor in Honors. Each option has different allowances for how many credits need to come from within the Honors College and how many can be from other units. This should make it easier for students with heavy schedules of required courses for their majors to complete Honors.

However, honors courses in other units do not share all the aspects of Honors College courses listed above. They do not share the grading system, may have tests and textbooks, and may not be small seminars. But they have been put forward by their home departments, and recognized by the Honors College, as honors courses.

Honors Advisement

One students are admitted to the Honors College, they are assigned at least two advisors:

Honors College Advisor: All Honors College students (Major, Minor, Distinction and Certificate/Designation) are required to see the Honors College advisor for Honors College program advisement. The Honors College advisor will help you navigate the program requirements, create an intentional degree plan unique to you, and connect you to campus resources and opportunities.

Major Advisor (Degree granting college): Students pursuing an Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts minor, the Honors College Certificate, or the Honors Scholars Distinction are formally advised by their home colleges. Students opting for the Honors Interdisciplinary Major are advised through the Honors College. Students should meet with their major advisor twice per year (or as expected in those colleges) to set their curriculum and plan for their future.

Faculty Advisor: In addition to these advising venues, all students opting to major in the Honors College are required to contact a faculty advisor in their sophomore year. This faculty advisor will very likely eventually be responsible for overseeing the student’s senior thesis. Initially, however, the advisor will detail the requirements and roadmap for the Major and will begin planning a course sequence with the prospective student.

Finally, the Honors College has a rich history of informal faculty mentoring of students, which can, in many cases, amount to advisement. The mentoring relationships that this produces often lead to discussions of academic trajectories, future career plans, research opportunities, preparation for application for major fellowships, etc. Such informal undergraduate mentoring is encouraged by the Honors College.

For more information about Honors Advisement, please visit the Academic Advisement page.