Benefits & Advantages — University Honors Program

Honors Housing (Living Learning Communities)

Kurz Hall is the Honors residence facility on campus. This hall is located in a prominent area of campus, near the Student Recreation Center (SRC), the Ville Grill Dining Complex, and a short walk from the University Library and many academic buildings. Honors housing provides you with the opportunity to live in an environment that supports the academic, social, and personal development of Honors students. Our goal is to foster a stronger sense of community within the program, while also encouraging academic success. Honors students are not required to live in Kurz Hall but may wish to do so.

Living Learning Communities (LLCs) are academic and residential communities dedicated to a theme (in this case: Honors) that creates purposeful links among academic, residential and social components of the college experience. First-year Honors students are encouraged to participate in the Honors LLC, located in Kurz Hall. Please visit the Honors Living/Learning Community page for full descriptions of the Honors LLCs located in Kurz Hall.

Space is limited in Kurz Hall, so if you are interested, please visit the university's Housing page for more information.

Priority Registration

Ensure you get the best schedule you can. As a student in the University Honors Program, you register for classes first. Honors students are eligible to take advantage of this perk, which allows them to be among the very first students on campus to register for courses. Although entering Honors first-year students will not have priority registration during summer orientation, they are provided with an early opportunity to register for their preferred summer orientation session. From their first full semester of enrollment forward, all active Honors students will receive priority registration.

Honors First-Year Experience Courses

Honors 101 (Honors First Year Experience) is a first-year seminar courses that provide an opportunity for Honors students to orient themselves to campus prior to the first day of classes. This course typically starts before the semester begins, providing an early chance for students to meet each other, as well as Honors faculty, staff members, and Honors upper-level students serving as course assistants. Beginning the week before university classes commence, students attend a welcome session, and begin their coursework in the first-year seminar. The first-year seminars typically start early and continue throughout the fall semester.

Participation in a first-year Honors seminar is required for all Honors students in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Honors Courses

Honors courses are designed to promote engaged discussion, personalized study, in-depth research and writing, and close relationships with faculty members and peers. The majority of Honors classes are capped at 25 students, with an average class size of 18 students. Honors courses are offered that will fit any program of study. Students are provided with the opportunity to enroll in the Honors courses that are most appealing to them.

After completion of the first academic year, Honors students are eligible to enroll in courses known as Honors Scholars Seminars. These courses provide an opportunity for students to take small special topics courses that encourage interdisciplinary perspectives and, often, field experience outside the classroom. Typically, the Honors Program offers 30 seminars each academic year. Topics differ from semester to semester. For additional information and a list of previous seminar topics visit our Honors Courses page.

National & International Travel Opportunities

Each year, one or two Honors Scholars seminars will conclude with a field experience. Students, faculty, and Honors staff members will travel, as a group, for one to two weeks to a national or international destination related to the seminar topic. The Woodcock Society Seminars focus on topics of national relevance, while the President's Council International Seminars provide Honors students with the opportunity to travel abroad for up to two weeks. For a list of previous travel seminars, visit the Honors Travel Seminars page.

Honors Conferences & Presentations

Students are also given the opportunity to attend Honors conferences at the state, regional, and national levels. These conferences provide students the opportunity to develop valuable presentation skills through a discussion of research or exchange of ideas, while also networking with Honors students from other institutions around the country. Participation in these conferences is open to all Honors students, from freshmen through seniors. The University Honors Program subsidizes costs associated with these conferences. Learn more about conference and presentation opportunities with the Honors Program »

Professional Mentoring Program

This year-long program, sponsored by the University of Louisville's President's Council, provides students the unique opportunity to be mentored by a local professional in the students area of interest. Through participation in this program, students gain professional insight and experience while still at the undergraduate level, which helps forge a link from classroom to career. Junior-level students in the Honors Program are invited to apply for this mentoring program during mid-summer. Learn more about the President's Council Mentoring Program »

Extended Library Borrowing Privileges

Active Honors students are granted the same borrowing privileges as graduate students. For details about these privileges, visit the University Library's borrowing information page.