Bachelor of Arts Degree in Honors Studies General Information
The Honors College offers a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Studies. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Honors Studies may be used as preparation for careers in government service or as an opportunity to prepare for graduate or professional study in areas such as business, pre-med, pre-law, counseling, or social work. The minimum number of semester credit hours required for the B.A. in Honors Studies, including the Core Curriculum requirements, is 120, at least 39 of which must be at the upper-division level and at least 30 of which must be honors hours. Students selecting this degree also choose an academic specialization. See the section entitled “Degree Requirements” for a listing of the requirements for this degree.
Honors College Admission Policy for the Bachelor of Arts in Honors Studies
Students are only eligible to pursue the B.A. in Honors Studies if they have been accepted to the Honors College and are members in good standing of the Honors College.
Academic Standing for Students Pursuing the Bachelor of Arts in Honors Studies
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Honors Studies requires students to maintain good academic standing in the Honors College. This requires that the student:
- meet all University regulations related to good academic standing
- maintain a minimum UTSA grade point average of 3.25 to remain in good standing in this particular degree program
- complete at least three hours of Honors coursework in one calendar year.
Probation and Dismissal
Students who fail to complete three hours of Honors coursework in one calendar year will be automatically dismissed from the Honors College, and will be classified as an undeclared (UND) student. Students who are classified as UND but who still meet University requirements for good academic standing may pursue other majors for which they are eligible within the University.
Students whose UTSA grade point average falls below 3.00 are subject to automatic dismissal from the major and the Honors College with no probationary period.
Students whose UTSA grade point average falls below the 3.25 standard but remains at or above a 3.00 are placed on probation. Students on probation must earn a term grade point average of at least 3.25 in each subsequent semester. Students on probation who fail to earn a term grade point average of 3.25 will be dismissed from the Honors College, and will be classified as undeclared (UND) students and will not be considered a part of the Honors College. Students who are classified as UND but who still meet University requirements for good academic standing may pursue other majors for which they are eligible within the University.
Students whose UTSA grade point average falls below 3.25 but remains above a 3.00 may petition to remain in the Honors College as probationary members.
Readmission
Students who have been dropped from the Honors College may apply for readmission if:
- they have attained a minimum overall or UTSA grade point average of 3.25; and
- they are registering for an Honors course at the time of request.
Only students in good standing with the Honors College requirements qualify for graduation from the Honors College.
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Honors Studies
The minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree is 120, at least 39 of which must be at the upper-division level and at least 30 of which must be Honors hours.
Core Curriculum requirements: Students seeking the Bachelor of Arts degree in Honors Studies must fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements in the same manner as other students. The courses listed in the table below satisfy both degree requirements and Core Curriculum requirements; however, if these courses are taken to satisfy both requirements, then students will need to take additional courses in order to meet the minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree. For a complete listing of courses that satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements see pages 5–9 of this catalog.
| Core Curriculum Component Area | Courses that Satisfy Core Curriculum and Degree Requirements |
|---|---|
Communications |
English Rhetoric/Composition (6 semester credit hours) |
Mathematics |
Mathematics (3 semester credit hours) |
Natural Sciences |
Science (6 semester credit hours) |
Humanities & Visual and Performing Arts |
Literature (3 semester credit hours) |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
United States History and Diversity (6 semester credit hours) |
World Society and Issues |
(3 semester credit hours) |
Degree Requirements (78 semester credit hours)
- Honors Core Requirements. 3 semester credit hours selected from the following:
(An honors section of either of these courses must be completed to receive credit for the major requirements.)
IDS 2213 World Civilization since the Fifteenth Century or CSH 1213 Topics in World Cultures
Either of these courses may also be used to satisfy the World Society and Issues component of the Core Curriculum. If a course is used to satisfy both the Core and major requirements, 3 additional hours of elective credit must be completed.
- 30 semester credit hours of the major:
- Arts and Humanities Sequence. 6 semester credit hours selected from the following:
HON 3233 Honors Seminar in Arts & Humanities AND 3 semester credit hours selected from the following: HUM 3023 The Medieval World HUM 3033 Renaissance Ideas HUM 3043 Classicism and Enlightenment HUM 3053 The Romantic Age HUM 3063 The Modern World
- Social and Behavioral Science Sequence. 6 semester credit hours selected from the following:
HON 3223 Honors Seminar in Social & Behavioral Sciences
AND
3 semester credit hours selected from the following:
(Depending on the social science course and concentration selected, students should verify with the Honors College Advising Office that core courses are used to meet prerequisites for upper-division coursework.)
AMS 3343 Studies in Race and Ethnicity ANT 3603 Sex, Gender, and Culture POL 3083 Race and Ethnic Politics in the United States POL 3303 Race, Ethnicity and Public Policy PSY 3053 Cross-Cultural Psychology SOC 3043 Race and Ethnic Relations
- Science and Mathematics Sequence. 6 semester credit hours selected from the following:
HON 3253 Honors Seminar in the Sciences AND 3 additional hours of Level Two science (This course and the two core science courses must come from at least two disciplines.) - Language Sequence. 12 semester credit hours:
Any 12 semester hours in a single foreign language.
- Arts and Humanities Sequence. 6 semester credit hours selected from the following:
- Honors Community Service (2 semester credit hours):
HON 2201 Honors Community Service (taken twice) - Honors Thesis (7 semester credit hours):
HON 3501 Honors Thesis Exploration Seminar HON 4993 Honors Thesis (taken twice in subsequent semesters)
- Honors Concentration (24 semester credit hours – 15 hours must be in upper-division courses)
Designed in conjunction with an Honors Advisor and with the approval of the Dean of the Honors College.
Student may “split” concentration into two areas (12 semester credit hours in each area with 6–9 hours in upper-division courses in each) with approval of the Dean of the Honors College.
- Elective Courses
10–15 semester credit hours of electives, 2 hours of which must be at the upper-division level.