The Honors College
http://www.uvm.edu/honorscollege
The Honors College (HCOL) offers an intensely focused, academically challenging environment for some of the university’s most outstanding undergraduate students. It involves a broad cross section of the university, representing every undergraduate college and a wide range of academic disciplines through robust coursework, research, and scholarly & societal engagement. The Honors College is above all a community of students, faculty, and staff committed to the ideals of excellence in scholarship, academic rigor, and intellectual inquiry & engagement.
Admission to the Honors College
Admission to the Honors College is based on prior academic performance and is gained through one of two avenues. First-year students may be invited to the HCOL based on the strength of their application to the university; no additional application is required. Approximately 260 first-year students comprise each year’s class. Because the college exists to recognize and encourage academic excellence, it also welcomes applications for admission from sophomores who were not in the HCOL in their first year but were among the top performers as first-year students at UVM. Sophomore admission requires an application form, a 3.40 grade-point average at the end of two semesters, and responses to a set of essay questions. Students are admitted on a space-available basis. Students transferring into UVM should contact the Honors College office to express their interest.
Curriculum
Honors College students have “dual citizenship" at the University: students are members of both the Honors College and one of the seven undergraduate degree-granting schools and colleges. The Honors College curriculum supplements and enriches the University's degree offerings with seminars that broaden intellectual horizons, stimulate reflection & discussion, and inspire scholarly inquiry. Honors College courses are taught by distinguished members of the UVM faculty with expertise in a wide range of academic disciplines. Honors College courses frequently fulfill degree and Catamount Core Curriculum requirements; course enrollment is limited to Honors College students. Students that complete all Honors College academic requirements, in addition to the degree requirements of the home school/college, graduate as Honors College Scholars.
First-Year Seminars
First-year Honors College students take a series of two-courses, one in the fall (HCOL 1000) and one in the spring (HCOL 1500). Seminars during the fall semester engage with a wide variety of contemporary social and ecological challenges; all seminars share a focus on writing and information literacy. The spring semester seminars build on skills and knowledge formed in the fall and introduce students to collaborative group work and public speaking. Many of the spring semester courses address themes of diversity and sustainability.
Sophomore Seminars
Students take one three-credit seminar (HCOL 2000) during each semester of sophomore year, totaling six credits. While ranging from topics in the humanities to the STEM disciplines, courses are primarily focused on providing students experience with research. Course themes vary from year to year.
Junior and Senior Year
In the junior year, students enroll in thesis preparatory coursework though their home school/college or through the Honors College. During the senior year, students complete a six-credit research thesis or senior project approved by the home school/college. The senior-year requirements vary across the schools and colleges.
Academic Standards
A cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.40 (or higher) is required to remain in good academic standing in the Honors College. A student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.40 (or higher) to graduate as an Honors College Scholar.
Academic Standing Review
At the end of each semester the Honors College Dean's Office reviews academic records of Honors College students to identify those eligible for enhanced advising or dismissal. Students under consideration receive notification of their academic standing in the Honors College after the close of each fall and spring semester. Students who are notified of dismissal have the opportunity to appeal the decision.
Criteria for Enhanced Advising
Honors College students with a cumulative GPA below 3.40 will be given one semester of enhanced advising to raise their GPA to a 3.40 (or higher). Students granted a grade of Incomplete will be placed on enhanced advising for the following semester. Enhanced advising in the Honors College consists of regular meetings with Honors College academic advising staff, as well as work with other academic support programs determined to be an important part of student success. After one semester of enhanced advising, student academic records will be re-reviewed. Students who raise the cumulative GPA to a 3.40 (or higher) will be removed from enhanced advising. Students who do not earn a GPA of 3.40 (or higher) may be subject to dismissal from the Honors College.
Criteria for Honors College Dismissal
Students who do not earn a cumulative GPA of 3.40 (or higher) after a semester of enhanced advising are eligible for dismissal. In addition, the following situations may warrant dismissal from the Honors College:
- Receipt of grades of C- (or below) in nine credits (or more) of coursework
- Offenses committed against the academic integrity code, as determined by standard university procedures
- Lack of satisfactory progress toward the completion of Honors College requirements
The Dean may take personal or academic considerations into account prior to dismissal for any of the situations listed above. Such considerations are on a case-by-case basis.
Students eligible for dismissal have the opportunity to appeal the decision in writing (unless otherwise stated), and will receive information on the appeal process in the dismissal notification. After the review of an appeal, the student will receive notification of the decision via UVM email.
Once dismissed from the Honors College, students will be dis-enrolled from any Honors College courses. There is no possible re-entry for students who are dismissed from the Honors College.
Residential Component
Honors College students, in the first two years, live together in the residential complex, University Heights. In the Honors College community, students learn together in their Honors College courses, grow together through advising & peer mentoring, and participate in programming that encourages an academic work-life balance in college. All Honors College students have access to the University Heights Complex, which includes classroom space, study & lounge areas, administrative staff, advising resources, and the Fellowships, Opportunities and Undergraduate Research (FOUR) Office.
Co-Curricular Activities
All UVM faculty and students and the general public are invited to participate in Honors College events such as lectures and symposia presented by faculty, students, and distinguished visiting scholars and artists.
Fellowship and Undergraduate Research Support
The Honors College provides special advising for all undergraduates at UVM, not just those in the college. The Fellowships, Opportunities, and Undergraduate Research (FOUR) Office connects with students interested in working with faculty outside the classroom by providing advising and financial support to pursue and present research. As a student's interest grows, FOUR helps develop the next steps - this can include specialized internships, research or teaching abroad, or preparing for and funding a graduate education. FOUR provides mentoring for students applying for nationally competitive fellowships and scholarships (e.g., Fulbright, Truman, Udall, Goldwater, and Rhodes).
First Year | Credits | |
---|---|---|
Fall | Spring | |
HCOL 1000 FY Writing Seminar (Fulfills Catamount Core WIL1 and may count toward specific degree requirement in home college/school.) | 3 | |
HCOL 1500 FY Research Presentation Sem (May count toward specific degree requirement in home college/school.) | 3 | |
Year Total: | 3 | 3 |
Sophomore | Credits | |
Fall | Spring | |
HCOL 2000 Sophomore Seminar (May count toward specific degree requirements in home college/school.) | 3 | 3 |
Year Total: | 3 | 3 |
Junior | Credits | |
Fall | Spring | |
1-3 credits related to research and thesis preparation, offered in the home college/school (may be completed either fall or spring). | 1-3 | 1-3 |
Year Total: | 1-3 | 1-3 |
Senior | Credits | |
Fall | Spring | |
A total of six credits of honors thesis to be taken over two semesters. May count toward specific degree requirements. | 3 | 3 |
Year Total: | 3 | 3 |
Total Credits in Sequence: | 20-24 |