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Sarah-Mowery
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Honors Benefits

  • Delivers an intimate, elite college experience at a public university price.
  • Unparalleled research and career networking opportunities of Alabama’s high-tech center.
  • Blends a traditional emphasis on arts and sciences, critical thinking, and communication skills with a practical, career-oriented education.
  • Offers additional one-on-one professional and peer support to ensure success.
  • Enriches any major or program and typically requires no extra coursework.
  • Provides small, engaging, and inspiring classes that students remember.
  • Culminates in an independent research project: excellent preparation for career or professional and graduate school.
  • Offers a community of motivated Honors Students who enjoy dedicated activities, study rooms, and common spaces, along with a dedicated residence hall for those who choose to live on campus.
  • Gives priority registration to all Honors Students.
  • Records Honors Diploma on both the transcript and diploma.
  • Publishes research projects through the Salmon Library.

What do students love about the Honors College?

I love how it pushes me to learn more! For example, I got the chance to learn Substance Designer - a 3D texturing program - for an Honors Contract and demo a tutorial to my classmates. Not only was it incredibly fun, but it's a new skill I got to add to my resume.

Harleigh Bass
Major: Digital Animation

I definitely like the people the most. All the honors advisors are incredibly helpful; the peer advisors especially can give you the on-the-ground advice about which professors are best to take, or how to structure your course schedule, or what workload to expect for certain courses. The honors classes have also been an excellent way to meet other honors students who enjoy learning and share other values.

Jacob De Leon
Major: Aerospace Engineering

What I love most about Honors College is the community and friends that I've made through Honors - people I share interests with but still challenge each other to be better."

Anders Kinney
Major: Chemical Engineering

Honors FAQ

All qualified, seriously committed students are encouraged to participate in the Honors College. See Honors College Admission Requirements for complete information.

No. Honors courses are counted as regular courses for tuition, scholarship and academic load purposes.

Yes. Honors Students pay a fee of $220/semester. This fee funds items that directly benefit Honors Students, like special Honors Classes, scholarships for study abroad, support for summer research, and speakers and events that only Honors Students can enjoy.

Yes! Please check out the Research Funding and Study Abroad Grant page for funding opportunities that are unique to Honors students.

No. Honors courses have somewhat different content that's intended to benefit serious students. They are not meant to overburden you or to damage your university experience. Honors courses treat learning as a challenging, rewarding, and joyous endeavor. Some material will be covered in more depth than in regular courses or with more rigor, but this does not mean more work, just a different kind of work.

No, Honors courses are developed so that they count in place of (not in addition to) your normally required courses. For example, Honors English is taken instead of regular English courses, etc. Interdisciplinary seminars and other HON courses count as normal electives toward graduation. Honors students do not usually have to take extra course hours to graduate.

Absolutely! An important benefit of the Honors College is the Individualized Advisement available to students. Honors students need to plan their coursework carefully so that they can take full advantage of special Honors opportunities and move efficiently toward their degrees. The Honors Administrator and Advisor and college advisors will provide this help.

Yes. All Honors coursework is noted on the transcript and an explanation of the academic distinction inherent in Honors education is attached. Students who participate fully in the Honors College by completing the required 24 hours or 12-hour certificate including the Honors Thesis will be recognized at graduation and in other formal ceremonies commemorating academic excellence.

No, the grade point scale in Honors courses is the same as in all other courses.

EH 105 is a required course for all incoming Honors freshmen. If you are coming in with dual enrollment or AP credit for EH 101, 102 or both, you should still take EH 105. If you have fulfilled the EH 101 and EH 102 requirements, EH 105 will count as a humanities (rather than a composition) course. In this way, EH 105 will not add extra course requirements to your general education schedule.

No. Graduating with Honors (sometimes called "Latin Honors") is based solely on your GPA when you graduate. An Honors Diploma is a special accomplishment acknowledging that you have completed the richer, more demanding curriculum of the Honors College.

Only Honors students may register for Honors courses without permission. If you're sure you're an eligible Honors student, check with the Honors Office. If you're not an Honors student, you should wait until early registration is over and then contact the Honors Office; you may be able to take the course if there is still room in the course AND you qualify. See Honors Courses for more information.

In general, dual enrollment or advance placement courses do not count as Honors credits, unless they are specifically denoted as a college-level Honors course. Honors courses taken at other colleges or universities may qualify as Honors credit at UAH if the Dean approves it.

No, the Honors College is an academic college with its own curriculum and courses. Although many students in the Honors College are eligible for membership in honor societies, Honors students must apply and be admitted to the Honors College in order to be eligible for most Honors courses.  Non-Honors students may be able to take an Honors course if there is room in the course and meet the 3.25 minimum GPA requirement.