HONORS COLLEGE
The mission of the Honors College is to provide enhanced educational opportunities for selected, motivated, enthusiastic, diverse, and inquisitive students and to foster the pursuit of excellence in undergraduate higher education. The underlying philosophy of the program is that well-educated individuals should understand broad, interdisciplinary perspectives while demonstrating expertise in their chosen field.
The Honors College is open to students from all academic disciplines. The Honors College has different options for students interested in pursuing either a specific field of study but with Honors distinction(s), or a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Studies. Regardless of the track chosen, members of the Honors College pursue a rigorous academic program which satisfies all requirements of their academic departments and colleges, and goes beyond those requirements to enhance achievement. The Honors College offers small classes with greater opportunities for student participation, increased student-faculty contact, more individual attention, lively discussions of important issues, special interdisciplinary seminars, opportunities for study abroad, community service and internships, and supervised research experiences, all designed to challenge talented students.
Throughout a student’s program of study, the Honors College’s emphasis is on breadth of academic experience. In the junior and senior years, Honors students are encouraged to gain expertise in their academic field through Honors work in the major and Honors research experiences. Students who achieve the highest level of Honors granted through the Honors College produce a senior honors thesis or senior honors project under the direction of a faculty member from the student’s major department.
Participation in the Honors College supplements, but does not replace, work in a major field. Credits earned in Honors College courses, however, may also be used to satisfy Core Curriculum requirements or other degree requirements. The Honors College Advising Center assists in assuring that students meet all requirements for their degree plans.
Admission and Retention
Entering Freshmen
High school students are generally expected to rank in the top 20 percent of their class and have a combined SAT score of 1100 or a composite ACT score of 24 to qualify for admission. High school students who meet either the class rank or the test score criterion but not both are also invited to apply. All new freshman applicants are evaluated on the basis of high school grades, test scores, writing samples, and letters of recommendation.
Continuing or Transfer Students
Continuing students and transfer students who have completed at least 12 hours of college coursework and have attained at least a 3.30 grade point average are also invited to apply for admission.
Good Standing
Following the initial semester in the College, an honors student is considered to be in good standing if he or she maintains a minimum overall or UTSA grade point average of 3.25 and successfully completes a minimum of one Honors course per academic year. Honors courses may include honors sections of Core Curriculum or departmental courses, courses with the HON prefix offered through the College, credit earned through honors contracts, and honors research and independent study courses. A student not in good standing for two consecutive semesters will be dropped from the Honors College. A student whose grade point average falls below 3.25 but remains above 3.00 may petition to remain in the Honors College as a probationary member. Only students in good standing qualify for Honors graduation.
Readmission
Students who have been dropped from the College may apply for readmission if:
- they have attained a minimum overall or UTSA grade point average of 3.25; and
- they are currently enrolled in an Honors course or register for an Honors course at the time of the request for readmission.
Dual College Membership
All Honors College students are also members of a degree-granting college. Admission to the Honors College is independent of admission to any other academic unit.
Facilities and Services
The UTSA Honors College provides the following opportunities to members of the College:
Advising and Priority Registration. The Honors College Advising Center provides academic advising for all honors students. Honors College students are given priority registration if they preregister for the following semester through the Honors College and are enrolling in at least one Honors course.
Honors Scholarships. The Honors College, in conjunction with the UTSA Scholarship Office, annually awards numerous Honors scholarships. The majority of Honors scholarships are renewable for up to three years for students who maintain the requisite 3.25 grade point average and complete an Honors course each semester. More information on scholarships is available in the Office of the Dean of the Honors College.
Honors Undergraduate Research Programs. The Honors Undergraduate Research Program assists students in finding research assistantships in their academic disciplines. In addition, the Honors College Research and Travel Grant Program provides students working on an Honors thesis with financial assistance for research projects.
Honors Study Abroad. The Honors Study Abroad Program works with the International Programs Office to offer opportunities for Honors students to acquire new knowledge and understanding of the people, events, movement, ideas, and objects of cultures other than their own. Scholarships are available through the International Education Fund.
Honors Internships. Honors students are encouraged to work in their fields prior to graduation. Internships may be assigned locally, nationally, and internationally. Students may earn credit for Honors internship experiences.
Undergraduate and Graduate Fellowships. The Honors College coordinates on-campus efforts to assist graduating students interested in applying for graduate awards such as Rhodes Scholarships, Marshall Scholarships, Mellon Fellowships for the Humanities, Fulbright Scholarships, National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellowships, and Jack Kent Cooke Scholarships. Additionally, the Honors College staff identifies and assists students interested in undergraduate awards such as Harry S. Truman Scholarships and Goldwater Scholarships.
Participation in Honors Councils. The UTSA Honors College is an institutional member of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC), the Great Plains Honors Council (GPHC), and the Council of Honors Administrators in Texas (CHAT). These organizations support honors education in the United States and address issues that face higher education and honors programs across the country. Honors students are encouraged to participate in these organizations and are, thus, able to meet and interact with honors students from across the region and nation.
Recognition for Honors Graduation. Members of the Honors College who complete the requirements for any form of College Honors qualify to graduate with an Honors College diploma and to participate in a special Honors College graduation ceremony. Recognition for Honors graduation includes a notation on the transcript and diploma and mention in the Commencement bulletin.
Honors College Requirements
To graduate with an Honors College diploma, a student must be enrolled in the Honors College. To graduate with Business Honors, students must have a minimum UTSA grade point average of 3.25. To graduate with General Honors, Leadership Honors, or Highest Honors, students must have a minimum UTSA or cumulative grade point average of 3.25.
Business Honors
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) majors who have been admitted to the Honors College may earn Business Honors if they maintain a minimum UTSA grade point average of 3.25 and complete an Honors section of five of the following Common Body of Knowledge courses: ACC 2013, ACC 2033, BLW 3013, COM 1053, ECO 2013, ECO 2023, FIN 3014, GBA 2013, IS 3003, MGT 3003, MGT 3013, MKT 3013, MS 1023, MS 3043, and MS 3053. Certain 5003 courses in the M.B.A. degree program may, subject to approval, substitute for Common Body of Knowledge Honors courses. These undergraduate courses are offered once per year, and enrollment is targeted for B.B.A. degree program students seeking Business Honors. Contingent upon available space, non-Honors students with outstanding records, including exceptional freshmen and transfer students, can apply for admission into these classes, subject to approval by the faculty member and the Associate Dean of the Honors College. Business Honors classes emphasize class discussion, presentations, and business research.
General Honors
General Honors is designed to provide students with a broad, interdisciplinary Honors experience, primarily through Honors core curriculum coursework. Because the General Honors experience is targeted primarily at lower-division Honors coursework, students are only eligible to earn General Honors if they enter the Honors College as freshmen.
General Honors Requirements
22 semester credit hours of Honors coursework.
- 4 required semester credit hours:
IDS 2213 World Civilization Since the Fifteenth Century or CSH 1213 Topics in World Cultures HON 2201 Honors Community Service - 3 semester credits hours selected from the following:
HON 3223 Honors Seminar in Social & Behavioral Sciences HON 3233 Honors Seminar in Arts & Humanities HON 3243 Honors Seminar in Business & the Professions HON 3253 Honors Seminar in the Sciences
- 15 additional semester credit hours of Honors elective coursework, including no more than 6 semester credit hours of Honors contract coursework
Leadership Honors
Leadership Honors is designed to provide students with the opportunity to expand their leadership capabilities and to explore possibilities for enhancing learning capacities and strategic thinking. Students who pursue Leadership Honors have the opportunity to explore a new model of leadership that makes sense in the emerging competitive environment in which humans work and live. Students are asked to enhance their understanding of leadership and hone their personal leadership skills through coursework and action. Students who select to follow Leadership Honors may select from two different options, one that involves students in the College of Business’s Leadership Challenge program and one that involves students in the University of Texas System’s Archer Fellows Program.
Leadership Honors Requirements
22 semester credit hours of Honors coursework.
- 6 required semester credit hours of Honors coursework:
IDS 2213 World Civilization Since the Fifteenth Century or CSH 1213 Topics in World Cultures HON 4933 Honors Leadership Internship
- 16 required semester credit hours of Honors coursework:
Option 1
HON 4941 Honors Leadership MGT 4953 Special Studies in Management: Leadership Challenge 12 semester credits hours of elective Honors coursework, including no more than 6 hours of Honors contract work
Option 2
HON 2201 Honors Community Service 9 semester credit hours of HON 3223 taken through the UTSA Archer Fellows Program 6 semester credit hours of elective Honors coursework
Highest Honors
Highest Honors is the most rigorous and most prestigious Honors degree program available through the Honors College. What distinguishes Highest Honors from the other Honors options is the opportunity to pursue greater depth in one’s academic field. To earn Highest Honors, students must complete an Honors thesis under the supervision of a thesis advisor. The Honors thesis must be signed by a three-member committee approved by the Assistant Director for Undergraduate Research.
Highest Honors Requirements
30 semester credit hours of Honors coursework.1
- 3 required semester credit hours:
IDS 2213 World Civilization Since the Fifteenth Century or CSH 1213 Topics in World Cultures
- 6 semester credits hours selected from the following:
HON 3223 Honors Seminar in Social & Behavioral Sciences HON 3233 Honors Seminar in Arts & Humanities HON 3243 Honors Seminar in Business & the Professions HON 3253 Honors Seminar in the Sciences
- 21 semester credit hours of Honors elective coursework, including no more than 9 semester credit hours of Honors contract coursework2
- Completion of an Honors thesis
International Distinction
Students who have been admitted to the Honors College and pursue any of the Honors distinctions may also qualify for graduation with international distinction. Students qualify for graduation with international distinction if they: (1) complete all the requirements for Business Honors, General Honors, Leadership Honors, or Highest Honors; and (2) either master a foreign language at the 2023 level or above or participate in a study-abroad experience for at least one Spring or Fall semester.
1. Students who enter with 45+ hours may be granted a waiver of 6 hours of Honors coursework to reduce the required number of Honors hours from 30 to 24 hours. This reduction of hours will be reflected in section 3 of the Highest Honors requirements, reducing the number of hours from 21 to 15.
2. It is highly recommended that students complete 6 hours of Honors Thesis coursework to count towards their 21 semester credit hours of Honors elective coursework.