University Honors Program

336 Carl Wimberly Hall; (608) 785-5250
laxhonors@uwlax.edu
www.uwlax.edu/honors

The University Honors Program provides special academic opportunities for highly motivated students to further develop their intellectual abilities within a community of mutually supportive learners. Honors courses are interdisciplinary in nature and emphasize reading, writing, and discussion. Courses are limited to about 15 students. In this collaborative setting, Honors courses can enhance creative thinking and real-world problem solving. The Senior Honors Project ties together the student's Honors experience. Students choose project topics from the broad areas covered by the Honors curriculum or from their major course of study.

Benefits to Students

  1. Opportunities for close intellectual and personal association with other students and faculty in seminars
  2. Greater personal satisfaction in meeting the challenges of college
  3. Honors courses meet General Education requirements
  4. Honors notation on the student's transcript for all work completed in the Honors Program
  5. Honors work enhances the graduate's credentials for graduate school and potential employment

Admission to the University Honors Program

Students entering the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse as freshmen are invited to join the University Honors Program on the basis of the following criteria:

  1. ACT of 26 or above
  2. High school rank - top 10%
  3. Admissions essay submitted to the Director of the University Honors Program

Any interested student who falls short of the above qualifications should consult the University Honors Director about the possibility of entering the program. The honors program seeks engaged, motivated students and recognizes the limitations of standardized test scores and grade point averages as indicators.

University Honors Program Requirements

  1. Complete HON 100: Search for Understanding (3 credits)
  2. Complete an additional 9 credits of Honors courses
  3. Complete HON 490: Senior Honors Project (3 credits)
  4. Maintain a cumulative grade point

average of 3.5 or better Students must complete the University Honors Program requirements to earn University Honors Program notation on the transcript. See the Honors page for program requirements and course descriptions. See Degree Requirements for information about commencement and graduation honors.

Honors Activities

Honors students and faculty initiate and develop a number of activities, including public programs and presentations. The regular publication of The Catalyst, a magazine forum for creative and critical writing by students and faculty; and Areté, the student honors organization.

Departmental Honors Program

Departmental honors programs are available in biology, economics, English, geography, microbiology, modern languages, philosophy, physics, political science/public administration, psychology and sociology/archaeology.

Designed to provide opportunities for special in-depth research, reading and writing for majors in the departments listed above, departmental honors programs also emphasize independent and creative work with highly personalized student-teacher contact and discussion.

The minimum requirements for all departmental honors programs are:

  1. Admission: junior standing, 12 credits in the major, 3.25 cumulative grade point average in the major, recommendation of two faculty members from major department.
  2. Program: completion of the regular major, one course in a seminar, independent study, research study, or other appropriate honors options within the major program of study.
  3. Evaluation: a cumulative 3.50 grade point average at graduation in the major; distinguished performance on a paper or project (a project might be a ballet in the area of the arts, or a study of some aspect of local economic conditions in the area of business), and presentation of the paper or project to a colloquium of faculty and students in the major.

Note:

These are minimum requirements.
Honors programs may vary by department. See departmental listings in curriculum section.