Instructions for Application and Planning Process
for CLA students currently NOT enrolled in Honors

Junior-Senior Honors Application
(PDF Format; new window)

Students should come into the Honors Office at 20 Nicholson Hall to fill out an application, or download the application from the link below. The application must be turned in to the Honors Office for preliminary approval.

Once your application has received preliminary approval from Honors-CLA, you will be asked to schedule a planning meeting with an Honors advisor. You will then meet with the Departmental Honors Representative in your major to discuss your plans in more detail. The HCLA advisor, the Honors Representative, and you will each sign the planning form indicating that you have discussed your program.

This form should then be returned to Honors Office to complete the application process.

Some special considerations:

• If you have not declared your major by submitting a copy of your major program form to your advising community, follow the process established by your major department to obtain an advisor-approved major program.
• If you are not yet ready to declare a CLA major, please make an advising appointment to discuss your plans.

Instructions for the Junior-Senior Planning Process
for CLA students currently enrolled in Honors

Junior-Senior Planning Form
for students currently enrolled in Honors-CLA
(PDF Format; new window)

All Honors students who plan to graduate with Latin Honors, have declared the major in which they plan to pursue their Honors project, and have maintained Honors eligibility are required to meet with their Honors advisor to complete the Junior-Senior Planning Process. Your advisor will discuss the degree requirements and how to pursue those requirements with Honors. You and your HCLA advisor will come up with a preliminary plan that will enable you to meet next with your faculty departmental Honors Representative.

Your HCLA advisor, the Honors Representative, and you will each sign the planning form indicating that you have discussed your program.

The Junior-Senior Planning Form must then be returned to Honors Office to complete the application process, where proper coding will be completed.

What is an Honors Opportunity?

Honors Classroom Experiences:

(Classroom experiences do not include contracted courses.)

College Honors Seminars (HSem): Special topics seminars offered by the Honors-CLA intended for honors students from a variety of disciplines.

Honors Courses and Sections: Specially designated Honors courses or sections of courses offered by departments. Honors courses at the 3xxx-level and higher fulfill the requirements for juniors and seniors.

Graduate Level Courses: Courses at the 8xxx level count as honors opportunities. Graduate courses that require special permission for undergraduate students may also be used when approved by Honors-CLA.

• All Honors courses must be graded A-F.

Opportunities requiring HCLA Director approval:

(Forms associated with this opportunities can be obtained by visiting the Honors-CLA Office, 20 Nicholson Hall.)

Honors Contracts: Students may turn a non-honors course into an honors course by preparing a written contract with the instructor in the first two weeks of the course to do additional, honors-quality work. Only one of the four junior-senior honors opportunities may be satisfied with a contract.

Honors Commendations: In rare instances where students think their work has been “truly exceptional or outstanding” in a regular, non-honors course, they may petition the course instructor for an Honors Commendation. Only one of the four junior-senior honors opportunities may be satisfied by a commendation.

Special Educational Experiences: On occasion students may petition for their participation in distinctive educational experiences to be counted as honors opportunities. These experiences can include Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) projects, a National Student Exchange experience, or completion of an experiential learning contract in connection with an internship integral to the student’s honors degree. Only one of the four junior-senior honors opportunities may be satisfied by a petition.

Study Abroad: Formal study abroad counts as an honors opportunity. If study abroad is noted on the transcript, no honors petition is necessary.

Honors Thesis or Project: A faculty approved honors project is required for graduation with honors at all levels. To graduate summa cum laude, all honors students must complete an honors thesis or project that is unanimously approved by a committee of three faculty members, two from the major department and one from a department outside of the major.

Honors Library Privileges

Campus Libraries: Honors students can check books out of the University libraries for thirteen weeks.

Summa Thesis Library: The summa thesis library holds past summa theses submitted by Honors students. The theses are invaluable guides for those at the beginning stages of a project, or for anyone simply interested in excellent models of undergraduate work. The library is open during the regular hours of the Honors office, 8:00-4:30, Monday-Friday. Students are free to peruse or borrow the theses in the office.

Honors Student Lounge (and Summa Thesis Library): Honors-CLA students have access to a comfortable reading and study room adjacent to the Honors office. After office hours, during open building hours your ID card offers you card swipe access.