University Honors Program

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http://honors.unl.edu/

Admission to the University Honors Program requires a formal application. Students may be admitted to the University Honors Program prior to their first year of college, after completing at least one semester at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, or upon transferring to the University. Acceptance into the Honors Program is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the student’s application by the Honors Program faculty and staff. Students admitted to the program have demonstrated a commitment to intellectual curiosity and academic excellence. A special notation is made on the transcript and diploma upon graduation from the University Honors Program to inform graduate schools and employers of the student’s superior performance.

All undergraduate colleges support the program, and Honors courses frequently apply to college and major requirements. Students admitted to the University Honors Program have access to all Honors courses taught at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln without additional authorization, provided they have met any necessary prerequisites. Honors Program students may request housing in the Honors residence, Knoll Residential Center or the Courtyards apartments. They will additionally have access to Honors-specific experiential learning opportunities, such as education abroad programs, internships, and teaching/mentoring roles. Students admitted to the University Honors Program may also be admitted to the cohort-based Honors programs or academies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management and the Nebraska Business Honors Academy. 

Students admitted to the Honors Program are expected to fulfill the following requirements in order to successfully complete the Program:

  1. Minimum cumulative GPA: 3.5
  2. Completion of an Honors senior project (e.g., thesis or creative project)
  3. 26 total credit hours in Honors courses with a minimum grade of B- or "Pass" for zero-credit courses, in accordance with the following required courses (please note that each course is specified as required or recommended during a particular year or term):
    1. ​First Year: Complete at least 5 Honors hours (8 hours recommended) with a grade of B- or better, including:
      1. ​UHON 101H, required in the first semester
      2. A 189H seminar, required in the first semester
      3. ​UHON 102H, required in the second semester
      4. Three additional Honors hours, recommended in the first year
    2. Second year: Complete at least 6 Honors credit hours, recommended to include: 
      1. UHON 201H with a grade of "Pass", recommended in the second year
      2. UHON 298H with a grade of B- or better, recommended in the second year
      3. UHON 99H with a grade of "Pass", recommended in the second year; Note: UHON 99H is a zero-credit class, but a "Pass" grade substitutes as three Honors hours. This course also fulfills the UNL experiential learning requirement.
    3. Third and Fourth years: Each year complete at least 6 Honors hours or any remaining hours to the required 26 minimum total, with a grade of B- or better ("Pass" grade for additional instances of UHON 99H), including one UHON 395H seminar and any required courses not previously completed.

Students on an accelerated graduation timeline due to being admitted to the Honors Program after completing one or more semesters of college work, either at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln or another school, should discuss modified requirements with an Honors Program advisor during their first semester in the program.