Honors Core Curriculum

Students entering the University of Washington during Autumn 2010 or after, or students who entered earlier who choose the new curriculum, have three options for completing an Honors degree.

• Interdisciplinary Honors students take a majority of their general education requirements in Honors-specific courses, complete experiential learning requirements, maintain a portfolio throughout their participation in this curriculum, and are asked to think intentionally about education, knowledge and interdisciplinarity.
• Departmental Honors allows students to explore their majors in greater depth by completing upper-level electives, research, or an extended thesis. Departmental Honors also exposes students to a close working relationship with faculty mentors. Admission to Interdisciplinary Honors does not guarantee admission to Departmental Honors. Students must meet with a Departmental adviser to discuss the admission process specific to their program.
• College Honors, the completion of both Interdisciplinary Honors and Departmental Honors, allows students to experience both Honors general education and the deeper understanding of their chosen focus.

• Interdisciplinary Honors
• Departmental Honors
• College Honors

Interdisciplinary Honors Requirements

"with Interdisciplinary Honors"

Interdisciplinary Honors is available only to entering Freshmen who applied to Honors at the same time they applied to the University of Washington or to Freshmen who maintain a 3.5 GPA in their autumn and winter quarters and apply in the Spring quarter of their first year.  Students who complete the 11 required Honors courses, participate in two experiential learning projects, keep an on-going learning portfolio, and maintain an overall 3.3 GPA will receive the designation "with Interdisciplinary Honors" on their diplomas.

Overview of Interdisciplinary requirements

Course distributions

The Honors Core Curriculum consists of nine four- to five-credit Honors courses that are preceded by the one-credit HONORS 100, typically taken in the autumn quarter of the first year, and completed by the one-credit HONORS 496, taken at the same time as, or soon after, students finish their final class and have completed their experiential learning projects. Students must take:

• one Honors arts/humanities course (VLPA)
• one Honors social science course (I&S)
• three Honors science or math courses (NW)
• one Honors interdisciplinary course (various combinations of I&S, VLPA, and NW)
• three additional Honors courses from any category

Please note, a minimum of 15 credits with the HONORS prefix are required, exclusive of HONORS 100 and 496. Also no more than three courses used in the major may be applied toward the Honors core curriculum and no more than three courses by the same professor may be used for the Honors core.  No more than 15-credits of ad hoc, both on campus and abroad, may be used for the Honors core. Students should check with their College or School to determine if there are any further restrictions.

Learn more about current and past Honors Courses »

HONORS 100 / HONORS 496

HONORS 100 is typically taken in the autumn quarter of a student's freshman year; if students are admitted in the spring quarter of their freshman year, they will take it the following autumn.  In HONORS 100, students will be introduced to the Honors Program, instructed on how to keep an on-going learning portfolio, and prepared to engage in at least two experiential learning projects that will also figure in their portfolios.  The course will also feature instructors from various departments across campus who will give lectures on ways of thinking within and beyond those disciplines.

Once students have completed HONORS 100, their nine four- to five-credit Honors courses, and their experiential learning projects, they will register for HONORS 496 in which they will reflect on their experience in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program with the help of their learning portfolio and create a Portfolio Statement, a final summarizing entry that integrates the various components of the program. This report will be presented formally to the class.

Experiential Learning

In addition to Honors Courses, students in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program are required to identify two learning projects that are experiential in nature and extend the educational process beyond the classroom.  Projects should involve activities in the areas of leadership, research, community (e.g., service) or global (e.g., foreign study) engagement.  This requirement will be introduced and various options discussed in HONORS 100.  Students may not  register for HONORS 496 until they have completed these projects that will need to be approved by the Honors staff.

Read more about the Experiential Learning requirement »
Need help getting started? Here are some questions to think about »

The Honors Portfolio

Over the course of their undergraduate career, Honors students will also keep an Honors Portfolio. Students will be introduced to the Honors Portfolio in HONORS 100, when they will be given practical and theoretical tools to create and compile this electronic portfolio of their academic and experiential work. With the help of their Honors Librarians and peer cohorts, students will continue to contribute to their portfolios throughout their time at UW and in Honors, including a culminating reflection in HONORS 496.

Read more about the Honors Portfolio requirements »
Learn how to get started with the portfolio »

Honors Librarians

The Honors Librarian Program is a new program designed to introduce entering students to the University of Washington Libraries and the Honors Portfolio. You and a small group of students will be matched with a Librarian in Honors 100, forming a small peer cohort. This relationship will continue throughout your career at UW. Librarians serve as a connection to the University Libraries and as resources for your portfolio and your research needs.

Learn more about the Honors Librarian Program »

GPA

Students must maintain a 3.3 cumulative GPA to remain active in the Honors Program and to graduate with an Interdisciplinary Honors degree. It is very important for students to keep this policy in mind as they pursue their Honors degrees at UW.

View the Honors GPA policy »

• Interdisciplinary Honors
• Departmental Honors
• College Honors

Departmental Honors Requirements

"with Honors in [major]"

Departmental Honors allows students the opportunity to explore their chosen major in greater depth, usually with guidance from a faculty mentor. Departmental Honors requirements vary, but usually constitute an additional 10-15 credits of upper-level coursework, additional research or an extended thesis.

Departmental Honors can be completed in conjuction with Interdisciplinary Honors (to graduate "with College Honors in [major]"), or alone (to graduate "with Honors in [major]").

Typically, students apply for departmental admission in their junior year of college, although some majors have earlier entrance options. For admission into a Departmental Honors Program or details about the process, please speak with a departmental adviser. 

Visit these links to see Departmental Honors options. If you do not see the department in which you are interested, take heart--not all majors have an Honors webpage. Information about missing majors can be obtained from the departments themselves--email a departmental adviser to set up an appointment.

• Interdisciplinary Honors
• Departmental Honors
• College Honors

College Honors Requirements (complete both Interdisciplinary and Departmental Honors)

"with College Honors in [major]"

To earn a College Honors degree, students must complete both Interdisciplinary Honors and Departmental Honors in at least one of their majors. Completion of both these requirements earns a student the distinction of graduating “With College Honors in [major]”. Students are still responsible for completing the Areas of Knowledge requirements specific to their College, as well as University Proficiency Requirements (English Composition, QSR, and Foreign Language).