Honors College
Mission and Objectives
The Honors College at the University of Arkansas brings together high-achieving students and the university’s top faculty members to share transformative learning experiences. Founded in 2002 with a large portion of the $300 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, the Honors College has a substantial endowment for undergraduate research, service learning and international education.
The Honors College prepares University of Arkansas students to be leaders with intellectual, economic, cultural and ethical impact in the widest scope of fields. To achieve this mission, the Honors College collaborates with honors programs across campus to provide a flexible, interdisciplinary honors curriculum that fosters creative and critical thinking and inspires action. The Honors College encompasses the honors programs from each undergraduate college or school.
Honors Courses
The Honors College offers small, seminar-style courses taught by top professors and campus and community leaders that address topics such as blockchain, gene editing, cancer, presidential elections, climate change and the gothic style in art, architecture and literature. Retro Readings courses revisit classic texts and concepts, from the Bible and Quran to Dante’s Divine Comedy. Other Honors College courses introduce students to undergraduate research, support domestic and international internship opportunities, and prepare students to apply to professional and graduate schools and nationally competitive awards.
Honors courses are also offered within each undergraduate college or school on a wide range of topics. Registration for honors courses is restricted to honors students or other students who meet the honors criteria and who have been approved by the Honors College or the honors program offering the course. For more information visit the Honors College website at honorscollege.uark.edu; also see the honors sections for the college or school major.
Facilities and Resources
The Honors College is housed in a 21,000-square-foot addition to Gearhart Hall, a historic Collegiate Gothic structure located in the heart of campus. Honors students enjoy a spacious lounge, study areas and rooms for group discussions. A 216-seat auditorium below provides space for lectures, film screenings and other events.
Hotz Honors Hall, situated in the heart of the northwest housing area, provides housing for 400 first-year honors students in spaces designed to foster community. Hotz offers a large room for relaxation on the main floor, a computer lounge, music room, conference rooms and a small theater. Each floor is equipped with study areas, alcoves for TV viewing and video gaming, and spa-style bathrooms. The Honors College offers special programming for Hotz residents and upper-level honors students in nearby dorms.
Degrees Offered
Honors programs are offered in all disciplines, tailored to students’ academic interests, with interdisciplinary collaborations encouraged. The college or school of major confers honors degrees. Only Honors College students can earn the distinction of graduating cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude.
Other Programs
Honors College Grants
Each year the Honors College awards more than $1 million in study abroad and undergraduate research grants, which are available to honors students who submit competitive proposals and meet all other requirements. Honors College faculty and staff work closely with the Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange to help honors students find programs that best meet their academic and professional goals. Honors College grants support domestic and international research, internships, community engagement, study abroad and travel to an archive or conference. Deadlines and application instructions are available on the Honors College website at honorscollege.uark.edu.
Nationally Competitive Awards
The Honors College coordinates with the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards to provide assistance to all students who are applying for national and international graduate fellowships and scholarships (i.e. Marshall, Rhodes, Schwarzman, Truman, Udall, Gates Cambridge, Rotary, Fulbright, and National Science Foundation). For more information, refer to the Enrollment Services section of this catalog.
College Admission Requirements
To apply for honors, students should visit the Honors College website at honorscollege.uark.edu and click on Apply. There they can review admission requirements and the honors program requirements in their college. Honors-eligible new freshmen should fill out the Honors College Application, available online. To register for honors classes in their first semester, they should apply before attending freshman orientation.
New transfer students and current students should contact the honors program director or assistant director in their college to determine eligibility and, for some programs, which form of honors (four-year or departmental) would best meet their needs. Then they should fill out the Honors College Application form. The list of honors program directors and both honors application forms are available online at honorscollege.uark.edu.
The chart below contains basic requirements for each of the honors programs. For detailed information, see the individual honors program sections for each college or school in this catalog. Note that honors admission is based on the highest composite ACT or SAT score, not on superscores. In calculating GPA, extra weight is given only for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses.
| College or School | New Freshmen | Current Students |
|---|---|---|
| Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Scences | Minimum 28 ACT composite or 1310 SAT and 3.75 high school GPA are eligible for automatic admission. Students with a 3.9 high school GPA can submit an essay and academic resume for application review. | 3.5 cumulative University of Arkansas GPA |
| Fay Jones School of Architecture | Minimum 28 ACT composite or 1310 SAT and 3.75 high school GPA are eligible for automatic admission. Students with a 3.9 high school GPA can submit an essay and academic resume for application review. | 3.5 cumulative University of Arkansas GPA |
| Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences | Minimum 28 ACT composite or 1310 SAT and 3.75 high school GPA are eligible for automatic admission. Students with a 3.9 high school GPA can submit an essay and academic resume for application review. | 3.5 cumulative University of Arkansas GPA |
| Walton College of Business | Minimum 28 ACT composite or 1310 SAT and 3.75 high school GPA are eligible for automatic admission. Students with a 3.9 high school GPA can submit an essay and academic resume for application review. | 3.75 cumulative University of Arkansas GPA |
| College of Education and Health Professions | Minimum 28 ACT composite or 1310 SAT and 3.75 high school GPA are eligible for automatic admission. Students with a 3.9 high school GPA can submit an essay and academic resume for application review. | 3.5 cumulative University of Arkansas GPA |
| College of Engineering | Minimum 28 ACT composite or 1310 SAT and 3.75 high school GPA are eligible for automatic admission. Students with a 3.9 high school GPA can submit an essay and academic resume for application review. | 3.5 cumulative University of Arkansas GPA |
Fellowships and Scholarships
The Honors College administers the most prestigious new freshman awards at the University of Arkansas. The Bodenhamer, Sturgis and Honors College Fellowships provide from $80,000 in support over a four-year period, are highly competitive and require an in-depth application process and interview. For more details, visit the Honors College website at honorscollege.uark.edu and click on Future Students.
The Academic Scholarship Office awards scholarships to a variety of students. Students do not have to be in the Honors College to receive these scholarships. For additional information, visit the Academic Scholarship Office website at scholarships.uark.edu and see the chapter on Financial Aid and Scholarships in this catalog.
Student Organizations
All honors students are eligible to apply for the Honors College Ambassadors program. This group supports the honors community by participating in campus recruiting events and meeting with prospective students. The Honors College Student Advisory Council offers a select group of student leaders an opportunity to make a real impact on the Honors College.
College Academic Regulations
The college or school of major sets specific requirements for graduating with honors including a minimum of 12 honors credit hours and the completion of an undergraduate thesis. A combination of honors credit hours, thesis quality, and GPA requirements lead to Latin designation of cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude.