Honors Program Curriculum

The Honors Program consists of several academic options.

Honors Scholar Program

To earn this distinction, students must complete:

Five core honors courses. These count towards general education requirements.
Two honors affiliate courses. These count toward major degree requirements.
An off-campus experience.
A thesis/senior project.
Eighty hours of co-curricular experiences (approximately 10 hours per semester), including but not limited to community service, leadership activities or advocacy work.

Honors Associate Program

To earn this distinction, students must complete:

Five core honors courses. These count towards general education requirements.
Two honors affiliate courses. These count toward major degree requirements.
Eighty hours of cocurricular experiences, including but not limited to community service, leadership activities or advocacy work.

Honors Junior/Senior Scholar Program

This option is for transfer students and current UM-Flint students who wish to join the Honors Program during their junior year. To earn this distinction, students must complete:

One core honors course. This counts towards general education requirements.
Two honors affiliate courses. These count toward major degree requirements.
An off-campus experience.
A thesis/senior project.
Forty hours of cocurricular experiences, including but not limited to community service, leadership activities or advocacy work.

Honors Off-Campus Experience

Working one-on-one with specialists in the field – at UM-Flint, campuses across the U.S., or abroad – this unique experience has been a key factor in broadening the horizons and enriching the lives of students throughout the history of the Honors Program.

The off-campus experience is funded up to $3,000 and is usually taken during the summer of the junior year. Our students have traveled domestically as well as to countries around the world including Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Options include, but are not limited to:

Research at another university.
Study abroad.
National Student Exchange.
Internship.

Students choose their off-campus experience based on their major and chosen field of study with the help of their faculty off-campus advisor.

As with any adventure, the Honors Program will enhance your life personally and professionally. You have the chance to develop relationships with people you meet during your study and experience life in another culture.

Work for the off-campus experience is completed in HON 494 (1 credit) Off-Campus Study Preparation, Independent study course.

Honors Thesis

Following their off-campus experience, students complete a senior thesis or creative project under the supervision of a faculty advisor. The Honors Thesis or project is designed to provide expertise in the student’s discipline and further enrichment of the student’s curriculum.

A creative project could also meet the requirements of the senior project. The production, performance, or creative work should be fashioned according to the requirements of the student’s specific area of study and must be deemed appropriate in the agreement with the honors advisor and director. Examples include the writing and directing of a play, the production of a film or the creation of a piece of music or art.