Main College Office
Sage Hall, Room 320
Mailing address:
1155 Union Circle #310529
Denton, TX 76203-5017
940-565-3305
Fax: 940-369-7370
E-mail: honorscollege@unt.edu
Web site: honors.unt.edu
Glênisson de Oliveira, Dean
Sean Ryan, Associate Dean for the Honors College
James Duban, Associate Dean for Research and National Scholarships
Eric Gruver, Associate Dean for TAMS
The Honors College is dedicated to enriching the undergraduate academic experience for talented, motivated and well-prepared students. Honors College membership is open to all qualified students, whatever their major. Upon joining the Honors College, students find that they are part of an exciting community of talented scholars pursuing academic and intellectual growth. The goal of the Honors College is to help these students build an excellent foundation, via research-based curricula, thereby preparing them to study at the graduate level, establish a career and meet the demands of responsible citizenship.
The benefits of Honors College membership
Honors classes
Honors faculty and staff work to design, implement and support learning opportunities for students, both in and beyond the classroom. The primary benefit of Honors College membership is the right to enroll in honors classes, which are taught by faculty members with a strong commitment to undergraduate education. Honors classes offer a supportive environment conducive to intellectual growth. The small enrollment of honors classes opens up opportunities for active participation in learning, including projects, presentations and class discussions. In addition, many honors classes can be substituted for non-honors classes in the University Core Curriculum . Honors students also enjoy priority registration each semester.
Undergraduate research
Many honors students elect to participate in undergraduate research. Students may take courses to learn about research, develop their research projects, and write an honors thesis, all under the guidance of a faculty mentor in their major. Honors research courses include HNRS 1500 - Introduction to Research: An Interdisciplinary Perspective ; HNRS 3500 - Honors Thesis Proposal Development ; XXXX 3996 – Honors Mentored Research; and XXXX 4951-Honors College Capstone Thesis. Students have opportunities to present their research at regional and national conferences and may submit their work for publication in the North Texas Journal of Undergraduate Research or in other scholarly journals.
Special programming and housing
Members are invited to participate in many programs sponsored by the Honors College, including welcome back events, professional development programs and events sponsored by the Honors College Programming Council. Members are also eligible to live in Rawlins Hall or Honors Hall, depending on their class year. Both Honors residence halls feature a faculty-in-residence.
Honors College membership and participation
Honors College membership is open to students completing their first Bachelor’s degree and is compatible with every undergraduate major and program at UNT. Membership in the Honors College is secondary to membership in the college of the student’s major, and the program’s flexibility allows students to decide each semester on the combination of honors, non-honors and major classes that best suits their needs.
Eligibility for membership
Freshmen, transfer and continuing students are invited to apply for membership to the Honors College. All applicants submit a response to a writing prompt, resume and appropriate academic records. Applications are reviewed holistically. Interested students can review application deadlines and complete the application at honors.unt.edu.
Programs for participation and recognition in the Honors College
Honors College Scholar Award
The Honors College Scholar Award requires students to complete 18 honors credit hours with a cumulative and Honors GPA of at least 3.25. Honors credit hours can be earned through a variety of academic experiences, including Honors courses, Honors Contracts, Mentored Research, Experiential learning experiences, graduate level coursework, Study Abroad, and writing an Honors Thesis project. Students who complete the Honors College Scholar Award receive the Honors College medallion and recognition on their final transcript.
Advanced Honors College Scholar Award (transfer students only)
Designed specifically for transfer students matriculating to UNT with a substantial number of credit hours, the Advanced Honors College Scholar Award requires these students to complete 12 hours of Honors credit. An Honors Thesis project is required for the award, and the remaining Honors credits can be earned through Honors courses, Honors Contracts, Mentored Research, Experiential learning experiences, graduate level coursework, and Study Abroad. The student must maintain a cumulative and Honors GPA of at least 3.25. Students who complete the Advanced Honors College Scholar Award receive the Honors College medallion and recognition on their final transcript.
Distinguished Honors College Scholar Award
The highest recognition available to students through the Honors College is the Distinguished Honors College Scholar Award. For this award, the student must complete 21 honors credits that include an Honors Thesis Project. The remaining Honors credits can be earned through Honors courses, Honors Contracts, Mentored Research, Experiential learning experiences, graduate level coursework, and Study Abroad. Students must also maintain a cumulative and Honors GPA of at least 3.25. Students who complete the Distinguished Honors College Scholar Award receive the Honors College medallion and recognition on their final transcript.
Honors College Engagement Recognition
This recognition is for students who are particularly active in attending Honors College events and/or campus activities. These students can receive the Honors College Engagement Recognition in addition to an Honors College award. Program requirements are posted at honors.unt.edu.
If you have any questions regarding the Honors College Distinctions or what catalog year you fall under, please contact Honors College Academic Advising.
Honors courses
Specific objectives have been adopted for honors courses, including the following.
- Honors courses emphasize development of analytical and evaluative skills through readings from primary sources, journal articles and other supplementary materials.
- Honors courses encourage students to engage in high-level thinking and learning through activities such as intensive discussion; writing in small, collaborative learning settings; and research papers and projects.
- Honors courses promote independent thinking by making students accountable for important aspects of their learning.
- Honors courses place material in a conceptual context that illustrates the importance of that material and its relationship to other knowledge.
- Honors courses provide enhanced opportunities for students to develop research skills and produce independent, original research or creative products as part of the course requirements.
