Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I participate in the University Honors Program?

The benefits you receive are significant, beginning with the opportunity to make close friends with other students whose academic goals are similar to your own. You quickly meet and get to know well, full-time faculty members noted for their talent at undergraduate instruction. Some of these instructors become mentors to you throughout your academic career. Additionally, program staff members who are knowledgeable about university resources advise you regularly on an individual basis. Active University Honors Program students are offered priority registration and may take advantage of the services provided in the Etscorn Honors Center and the Overseers Honors House, qualify for Honors residence halls and choose to participate in any of the established activities of the Honors Program like:

• Peer Mentoring Program, a chance for freshmen to be matched with successful continuing students and enjoy informal social events throughout the academic year.

• Honors Volunteer Program, a commitment by Honors students to serve the community through multiple projects scheduled each semester.

• Board of Overseers Mentoring Program, a program in career exploration which matches juniors with experienced professionals in the community for eight months and recognizes especially motivated students with scholarships.

• Membership in Regional and National Honors Councils, a means for freshmen through seniors to travel at program expense to honors conferences for the exchange of ideas and independent research with their peers.

How do I apply for the Honors Program?

Entering Freshmen, Fall 2009 Requirements

New students entering in the fall of 2009 are eligible to take courses in the University Honors Program if they have an ACT composite score of 28 or higher or the equivalent SAT score of 1250 (composite math and verbal scores) and a cumulative high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.5. Please consult the Eligibility Guidelines below for more information. The University Honors Program will contact all eligible students directly with proper instructions for applying as first-time freshmen.

Freshman whose grades slip below the established minimum have one probation semester to improve their grade point averages. In all circumstances, registration in Honors courses requires permission acquired during advising with a University Honor Program staff member.

There is no maximum number of students who may participate in the University Honors Program; admission is based on merit, not on competitive application. Applications are now available online. **If you are currently enrolled at the University of Louisville (NOT a first-semester freshman), or if you are transferring from another school, and are interested in joining the University Honors Program, please download and complete the current/transfer student application form (.doc). Students may apply at anytime, except for a five-week period each semester -- dates are listed below. During this five-week period, Honors advisors will be meeting with current Honors students only.

For the fall 2009 semester, the University Honors Program will accept new applications from students EXCEPT between the dates of TBD (September-October).

Once you have downloaded and completed the application, you must come to the Etscorn Honors Center to discuss your application with an academic counselor before an admission decision will be made. to top^

Honors freshmen engage in a Modes of Inquiry class introducing Honors students to each other, Honors, the campus and Louisville. Honors student Charlie Patton and Dr. Jack Ashworth engaged in historic music performance and conversation at the Speed Art Museum as part of Modes.

What kinds of Honors courses are offered to freshmen?
Honors sections of many general education courses are offered each semester. These courses meet requirements across colleges and within disciplines. The enrollment limit, always lower than in other general education sections, in most cases does not exceed twenty-five students. This gives you many opportunities to interact with your peers and participate in class discussions. Honors-eligible students are notified by mail and/or e-mail every semester when course descriptions are available online. Current course descriptions are available by clicking on "Honors Courses" above. Sometimes Honors courses are thematically connected, so that you share a schedule with all the members of the class. For example, during the fall a learning community offers Honors students opportunities for integrated learning: "Perspectives In Science" including ENGL 105, CHEM 201 and 207/208. to top^

What about later? Can I take Honors courses throughout my academic career?

Honors Scholars Seminars are interdisciplinary courses open to sophomores, juniors and seniors. To be eligible, you must complete at least twenty-four hours. First-year freshmen at the University of Louisville will not be eligible to take an honors seminar until their third semester. Credit hours contribute to divisional or extra-divisional requirements rather than general education requirements. Some topics addressed in recent seminars are "South Asian Culture and Society," "Jane Austen & Film," "American Pop Culture: From the Beatles to Watergate" and "Devotion and Demons: Medieval Popular Religion." to top^

Additionally, many departments offer departmental honors seminars to their majors. If you have a 3.5 GPA in your major discipline, with at least a 3.0 GPA, overall, you may be eligible to participate in departmental honors. See your departmental advisor to apply.

Are there opportunities to study overseas with the Honors Program?

An exciting component of the University Honors curriculum is the Overseers International Seminar. Offered annually, this course combines semester-long study with substantially subsidized travel to locations outside the United States. Students have traveled to various places all over the world including Great Britain, Japan, Kenya, the Peruvian rain forest, Mayan sites in Mexico and Guatemala, New Zealand, India, China, Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands. to top^

How many Honors courses do I have to take?

Students in the University Honors Program are required to take a minimum of three Honors courses (9 credit hours) in their first four (full-time) semesters and one course (3 credit hours) in both the junior and senior years. The freshman seminar course, HON 101, cannot be included in this credit total. Students in the program may take up to three honors courses per semester (HON 101 and laboratories are exceptions to this limit). Honors courses are weighted equally with all other college classes. All University Honors Program students are required to complete a minimum of 15 credit hours of Honors course work to graduate as a member of the University Honors Program.

Are Honors courses harder?

Many students prefer Honors courses because of the emphasis on oral and written communication, the close relationships with other students and faculty, and the opportunity to explore topics more fully than in classes with larger enrollments. These characteristics make University Honors courses stimulating, but not more difficult than other college courses. to top^

Honors "Speech and Hearing" seminar taught by Dr. Paval Zahorik visited the hearing lab at the Heuser Hearing Institute at the Louisville Deaf Oral School in Old Louisville.

How do I register for Honors classes?

Because admission to all University Honors classes requires permission from the University Honors Program, you need to see an adviser in the University Honors Program. Over time, you get to know the program administrators well and consult with them often for academic and career advice. Melissa Stordeur, Luke Buckman and Tony Robinson, the academic counselors, advise students and oversee the Peer Scholar Mentoring Program. Dr. John Richardson, the director and associate professor of chemistry, coordinates the University Honors curriculum and also advises students. During summer orientation and early registration periods, all are available to advise students.

Why don't I receive e-mails from the Honors Program?

The University Honors Program, like many offices on campus, requires students to use and check their university-provided e-mail frequently. Important notices regarding Honors courses, opportunities for Honors students, and scholarship information is provided only to students through this free university service. If you opt to route your e-mail elsewhere, you may do so through Netmail; however, the University Honors Program will continue to send e-mail to your Netmail account. Instructions for routing your e-mail is located at https://www.netmail.louisville.edu/faq/03-forwardNetMail.

To learn more about Netmail and how to access it, visit this site: https://www.netmail.louisville.edu.  to top^

How do I graduate with honors?

The university awards graduation honors based upon the university grade point average. Academic units requiring a research project or creative activity from students graduating summa cum laude include the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Education and Human Resources and the School of Nursing. A research option is also available in the College of Business. Research opportunities are available in all university academic units as early as the freshman year. Students planning to graduate with honors are strongly advised to undertake research early.

It is essential that any student planning to graduate summa cum laude in the College of Arts & Sciences, contact the Honors director or academic counselors in his or her junior year or early in the senior year to verify eligibility and to learn deadlines for receipt of the proposal, the completed project, and for the defense of the project. Information can be found online under “Senior Honors Project.” to top^

Chris Cunningham, a U of L Honors student named a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to Ireland for 2006-2007, studied in Ireland during summer 2005. Chris also received a U of L sponsored fall 2005 North American Peacebuilders scholarship to Canada for the study of conflict resolution.

In the College of Arts and Sciences, you must have earned a minimum of 60 hours of degree credit in residence to be considered for graduation with college honors. Graduation summa cum laude requires a cumulative GPA and an expanded cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher and successful completion of a senior honors thesis approved by the Honors Advisory Committee. Graduation magna cum laude requires a cumulative GPA and expanded cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher OR a cumulative GPA and an expanded cumulative GPA of 3.65 and the successful completion of a senior honors thesis approved by the Honors Advisory Committee. Graduation cum laude requires a cumulative GPA and an expanded cumulative GPA of 3.50. The expanded cumulative GPA takes into account ALL grades earned at the university level. This includes work done at other institutions (even courses in which you may have earned a D or an F), as well as grades that have been replaced through the "repeat" option or eliminated through bankruptcy at this university.

What happens if my GPA falls below 3.35?

What happens if I am suspended from the Honors Program? 

Note: All admission decisions are subject to appeal to director of the University Honors Program