Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I join the Honors Program?

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According to honors students (see comments from alumni and student profiles), among the most compelling reasons are the chance to make friends and exchange ideas with other UHP students, the value of small, stimulating classes taught in a discussion format by selected faculty, the program's distinctive extracurricular offerings--these include monthly opportunities to attend a "Food for Thought" luncheon with honors faculty, a monthly "Fireside Chat" with an honors faculty member, free tickets to an international film series and an independent/alternative film series, free chamber music series tickets, selected tickets to UI theatre productions, cultural enrichment and other off-campus trips and activities--priority registration priviliges for selected students, scholarships for selected students, and an exceptional course of study, learning, and research in advance of graduate school or various professional and career paths--nearly 500 students are active in the UHP: we encourage you to consider the benefits of the program by applying for admission.

Are honors courses more demanding than non-honors courses?

Honors classes offer opportunities to explore subjects in significant depth-- students find that their education and their academic performance are enhanced by strong mentoring relationships with faculty devoted to enabling each student to fulfill his or her potential, and by the lively, participation-based modes of learning in small classes. Honors students generally average higher grades in honors classes than in non-honors classes. For example, the average overall GPA of honors seniors in fall 2007 for honors and non-honors coursework is 3.66, with a 3.93 average in honors courses. Honors classes are graded relative to the abilities of the students. You must earn your grade, but you are not held to unfair standards relative to students in non-honors classes. We think you will thrive by taking advantage of these modes of learning and mentorship.

How will the Honors Program fit with my major?

Honors students are enrolled in nearly every degree program at the University of Idaho. Students in especially demanding majors may find it challenging in some semesters to fit a desired honors course into their class schedule, but experience shows that close consultation between a student's major advisor and the honors advisor can provide the support needed for achieving an honors certificate. In addition, with good planning, nearly every student should be able to earn the honors core award and coordinate honors courses with the university's General Core Studies requirements in general education. A majority of honors students complete on average at least one honors course per semester, and qualify for priority registration privileges.

What makes the honors curriculum distinctive?

Lower-division honors core courses enable students to learn with their peers in small classes taught by honors faculty. Moreover, each year the program offers innovative upper-division seminars, with each class limited to fifteen students. Recent and forthcoming topics include "Energy Issues," "Nobel Prize Winners," "Nanotechnology," "Geography of Conflict," "Hollywood Remakes France " "U.N. Peacekeeping," "Africa in Rebellion " "Humans and Technology in the Age of the Cyborg," "Business and Medicine," "Crossing Borders with the Graphic Novel," and "1960s Popular Culture."

Are there residence halls on campus of particular interest to honors students?

Yes! UI honors students take advantage of a variety of options among communities and living groups, including the McCoy Hall Community (10th and 11th floors of Theophilus Tower, especially for freshmen) and Scholars LLC. Both McCoy and Scholars LLC are slated to become priority residence halls for UHP students beginning fall 2009.

McCoy Hall Community
First-year students who have at least a 3.7 high school grade point average may apply to live in the McCoy Hall community. Living in McCoy offers students the advantage of meeting and living with other students who maintain high academic standards, and who also are interested in being involved in extra-curricular activities and campus life. McCoy residents enjoy shared academic, social, and cultural enrichment opportunities. Because McCoy is a first-year community it is an alcohol-free living community.
Incoming University Honors Program (UHP) freshmen students receive priority reservation privileges for space in McCoy. Other incoming first-year students who have at least a 3.7 high school grade point average may reserve rooms after June 1.

Scholars Living Learning Community
The Scholars Living Learning Community is designed for high-achieving students from all academic programs. Living in the Scholars LLC provides shared academic, social, and cultural enrichment opportunities. Scholars is designed to encourage studying and community interaction in the main floor common area, which has a large kitchen and dining area, fire nook, game room, living room, and study rooms.Above the main floor community areas are three floors with two- to five-person suites designed with a shared living area, bathroom, and kitchenette that open into individual rooms. The Scholars Living Learning Community consists of single-sex suites, which are located on co-ed floors.
[beginning fall 2009] A 3.3 college grade point average or above is required for acceptance into the Scholars LLC [also see "Important Note" below], and applicants should be interested in participating in extra-curricular activities and campus life. Priority housing assignments will be given first to continuing Scholars LLC residents [Feb.3-14, 2008], then to University Honors Program students (UHP members current spring 2009) and residents of McCoy Hall [Feb.15]. Other students may reserve rooms when the "Any Hall, Any Room" renewal and reservation period begins Feb.17, 2009 [applicants must have a 3.3 college grade point average or be incoming University Honors Program fall 2009 freshmen].
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Current (2008-2009) UHP or non-UHP Scholars LLC residents with 3.0 or higher UI institutional GPAs may renew and reserve rooms at Scholars LLC for the 2009-2010 academic year (Feb.3-9); that is, current residents can renew same room Feb. 3-9; current Scholars LLC residents also may reserve same hall, different room Feb. 10-14; then, beginning at 12:00 a.m. Feb. 15, reservation begins for all UHP students and current McCoy Hall residents, with expected institutional GPA of 3.0 or higher (both UHP and non-UHP in McCoy). The 3.0 minimum is below the 3.3 criterion, but this provides a 'grace' period this semester to enable and encourage any current McCoy Hall residents who have end of fall 2008 semester GPAs between 3.0-3.3 to strengthen their GPAs this spring.
In future, other new and continuing residents of Scholars LLC shall have priority to renew and reserve rooms as long as the 3.3 UI institutional GPA standard is met. Continuing residents are allowed a one semester 'grace' period if their GPA falls below the minimum criteria.

See and contact University Housing to learn more about these opportunities.

Does the UHP offer scholarship and tuition waiver support?

Yes--the University Honors Program awards a number of selective scholarships for Idaho residents and also waivers of nonresident tuition. For more information, see the Scholarships page on our website.

Who receives priority registration privileges?

Students in the program in good standing (including a cumulative institutional GPA 3.3 or above) who have completed on average at least one graded honors course each semester prior to the current semester, shall be allowed to register with the first group of seniors. Also, new UHP members who enroll for at least one graded honors course during their first semester in the program also qualify for priority registration (note that students who are admitted to the program after the start of a semester--fall semester, for example-- and thus not currently enrolled in an honors course in that semester do not qualify for priority registration--if they enroll in at least one graded honors course for the following semester (spring semester, for example), then they qualify for priority registration during that semester (for example, during that spring semester when registering for the next fall semester's courses).

May honors students participate in study abroad or student exchange programs?

Honors students are encouraged to apply for exchanges to other American universities or to universities abroad--about twenty or more UHP students study abroad each year. Students have participated in semester or year-long international exchange programs during recent academic years to study in Australia, Chile, China, Ecuador, England, France, Ghana, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Scotland, Spain, and Sweden. Many of these students also have benefited from their UHP and UI scholarships and from the university's International Experience Grants (typically $1,000 per semester, based on GPA/Class Rank/Financial Need) to offset travel and study expenses. Students absent from campus for an exchange at either another U.S. or a foreign university may qualify for a reduction of 3 or 4 credits per semester (maximum of 7 credits total over two semesters) in the 27 credit Honors Certificate requirement, with these exchange credits typically used to satisfy upper-division credits within the honors curriculum.

John Sawyer (885-7979, johns@uidaho.edu) coordinates the domestic National Student Exchange program; Robert Neuenschwander (885-437 (bobn@uidaho.edu; ipo@uidaho.edu) is the study abroad advisor. Please contact them for information on exchange opportunities.

Apply for Admission to the University Honors Program

Additional Information and Registration Advice for New Honors Students

Criteria for Sustaining Membership in Good Standing in the UHP

University Undergraduate Admissions Site

Why Idaho?: Points of Pride