Graduating With Honors

University Honors Program students may graduate with an Honors Degree or an Honors Distinction with the option of being Honors Civic Scholars. The following table displays the requirements for the 3 graduation options.

Bachelor's Degree with Honors Distinction

Honors students who complete 19 credits of Honors coursework, including a 1 credit Honors seminar (HONS 3391), graduate with Honors Distinction.

• The Honors Distinction requires:
  • 18 credits of Honors coursework and
  • 1 Honors Seminar (HONS 3391, 1 credit)
• The Honors Distinction is noted on the transcript and at commencement.
• The Honors Distinction can only be applied to one major, therefore, if you are double-majoring you will need to let your Honors advisor know which major you would like the Honors Distinction to be applied to.
• The Honors Distinction cannot be obtained with an Associate's Degree.

Honors Bachelor's Degree

Honors students who complete 32 credits of Honors coursework and an Honors Thesis earn Idaho's only Honors Bachelor's Degree, and therefore a unique diploma. 

• The Honors Degree requires:
  • 18 credits of Honors coursework achieved through the Honors Distinction
  • 2 Honors Seminars (HONS 3391, 1 credit each),
  • at least 6 credits of upper division Honors contract courses
    (3 of which may be thesis credits, HONS 4493),
  • additional Honors credits to total 32 credits,
  • and an Honors project or thesis (between 1-6 credits).
• The Honors Degree is noted on the transcript, diploma, and at commencement.
• The Honors Degree can only be applied to one major, therefore, if you are double-majoring you will need to let your Honors advisor know which major you would like the Honors Degree to be applied to.
• The Honors Degree cannot be obtained with an Associate's Degree.

Please Note:  UHP Students are not formally assigned to the Honors Degree track until the student has enrolled in HONS 3393 or reached Junior class level (58+ credits completed).

Bobette Wilhelm Civic Scholars Program

Honors students who complete 25 credits of Honors coursework and an Honors Service Capstone graduate as Civic Scholars.

•  The Civic Scholars Program, colloquially known as the Honors Service Track, requires:
  • 20 credits of Honors coursework
  • 1 Honors Seminar (HONS 3391, 1 credit)
  • 2 Honors Credit from HONS 3301/3399: Maximizing Community Impact
  • 2 Honors Credit from HONS 3302/3399: Research Service-Learning Project
  • 1 Honors Credit from HONS 4499: Honors Service Capstone
• The Honors Service Track is noted on the transcript and at commencement.
• The Honors Service Track can be attained along with an Honors Distinction or an Honors Degree.
• The Honors Service Track cannot be obtained with an Associate's Degree.

Honors Checklist

Student Progress

Students admitted to the Honors Program must show evidence of continuous progress toward their degrees in order to remain an active UHP Student with access to all of the UHP benefits (e.g., priority registration, eligibility to apply for additional Honors scholarships). Refer to the UHP Student Handbook for additional details.

Continuous progress includes, but is not limited to:

• Attendance at the Bi-Annual Honors Meeting (BAHM) every Fall and Spring semester.
• Attending at least one UHP endorsed event (Civic Engagement Requirement)
• First Year Honors students who accepted the Bennion/Leadership/Housing scholarships are expected to complete at least 12 Honors credits during their first two semesters in the UHP.  All other Honors students (e.g.; Transfer, Late Admit) are encouraged to complete Honors credits as their schedule and course requirements allow.

Learn More about Honors Curriculum and Courses