Requirements
UHP Entrance Requirements
Each year, the applications of all incoming first year and transfer students are reviewed, and those students with the very highest indicators of past and future academic success are invited to participate in the Honors Program.
Typically, students must have acquired at least a 1200 score on the SAT, or a combination of 3.0 high school GPA and 1100 SAT.
Honors Course Requirements
Honors Program students are required to complete 24 Honors credits in order to graduate from the program. Students accumulate HON credits two ways.
1. They may take honors courses, which are reserved for Honors students only.
2. Honors students may also transform most 3+ credit courses offered at Cal U into honors courses through the honors addendum process. In an honors addendum, the student agrees with his or her professor to complete an extra project for a particular course. Once the project is completed, the course becomes an honors course. The addendum project is not part of the course grade. Honors addendum projects have ranged from the construction of research papers, to the creation of psychological journals, to the development of math games for elementary education. Honors addenda are designed to enhance regular departmental courses and are agreed upon in writing by the student, professor, and the UHP. In all such courses, the successful completion of the course and its honors component is indicated on the student's transcript. If a student does not complete the addendum that he or she constructed, the course will not be credited as an honors course.
An addendum form must be completed for each honors addendum course. These forms are available in the UHP office. UHP students are normally limited to no more than two honors addenda per semester.
All Honors students register for the following HON courses: HON 100: Honors and University Orientation, HON 150: Honors Composition I, HON 250: Honors Composition II, HON 499: Honors Thesis Project. HON 100 fulfills the university's freshman seminar requirement, HON 150 fulfills the university's Comp I requirement, and HON 250 fulfills the university's Comp II requirement.
Honors Course Descriptions in the Undergraduate Catalog
Requirements to Remain in UHP
GPA requirements. To sustain their membership in the UHP, honors students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. If an honors student's GPA slips below a 3.25, he or she may be granted up to two probationary semesters to bring their GPA up to the requirement. During the probationary period, students lose some benefits of UHP membership, including early registration, the ability to take honors courses through addendum, and the priority housing option. Students who earn a GPA that cannot be recovered to a 3.25 within two semesters will be declared ineligible for the UHP.
Failing an HON course. Failure of an HON course (not an addendum course) results in immediate ineligibility for the UHP.
UHP progress. Honors students are also expected to demonstrate satisfactory progress through their UHP curriculum.
Students who join the UHP as first-year college students must complete a minimum of 12 honors credits (HON or addenda) by the end of their fourth semester of a full-time study.
Students who join the UHP later in their college career (after their first year of full-time study) are required to complete a minimum of nine honors credits (HON or addenda) by the end of their second semester of the UHP membership and full-time study.
Students who do not meet their progress requirements may be granted up to one probationary semester to earn more honors credits. During the probationary semester, students lost the privilege of early registration as well as their priority housing option.
Ineligibility for the UHP. Students who are declared ineligible for the UHP for any of the reasons listed above lose all UHP privileges, including early registration and priority housing option.
Honors Thesis Project