College vs. Departmental Honors
There are two Honors Degree types available to students at the UW - the first step in applying is to choose which degree best suits your interests and needs.
"with College Honors" (Honors Core + Departmental Reqs.)
The Full College Honors degree is available to students applying for Freshman, Late, or Transfer admission. Those who complete this two-tier Honors Program are exempt from the University's "Areas of Knowledge" requirements, though they must still fulfill basic competency requirements such as Math and English Composition.
Instead of the University's "Areas of Knowledge" requirements (VLPA, I&S, NW), Honors students complete a separate program designed to establish foundations of knowledge and reasoning skills referred to as the "Honors Core", consisting of Honors Natural Sciences and Honors Civilization courses.
For specific information about Honors Requirements for the various colleges on campus, see our College Honors Requirements page.
After completing the Honors Core, College Honors students must also complete Honors in their department as described below in order to earn their degree "with College Honors".
"with Distinction" (Departmental Reqs. only)
If a student chooses to forego the Honors Core and only complete their departmental requirements, they will graduate "with Distinction". Typically, students apply for departmental admission in their junior year of college, although some majors have earlier entrance options. Each department at the University of Washington has a unique set of Departmental Honors requirements. For links to specific information about each department, please see our Departmental Requirements page.
For admission into a Departmental Honors Program, please speak with a departmental adviser. By fulfilling your departmental requirements, you will graduate "with Distinction."