Honors FAQs

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Are grades in Honors courses weighted differently in my GPR?

No. Courses are weighted in your GPR based on grade and number of credit honors earned.

Are Honors courses harder than regular courses?

The difficulty of Honors courses varies across departments and professors. In general, however, Honors courses cover the same material as regular courses but require students to engage with the material at a deeper level. For example, students may conduct independent research, write additional reports, prepare class presentations, or complete other hands-on assignments not required in the regular class. Honors students often benefit from increased interaction with their professors, either through smaller class sizes or by meeting with their professors outside of regular class times. You can expect an Honors course to require your initiative and extra effort but also to provide opportunities for you to engage more fully with the material.

Do all of my courses need to be taken for Honors credit?

No, while there is not a limit on the amount of Honors course work that you can register for, it is unlikely that you would ever find all of the courses that you need offered for Honors credit in any given semester. Most students in our program will take 1 to 2 Honors courses (3-6 credits) each semester.

Do I have to take Honors courses only in my major?

No, any courses taken for Honors credit can count toward distinction requirements. These courses can be taken in any department, so you can choose classes from your major, your second major, your minor, or in your core curriculum or graduation requirements.

How can I contract a course for Honors credit?

To complete an Honors Course Contract or Honors Independent Study request, log in to the LAUNCH Portal. Click "Honors Course Contracts." On the following page, click the link for “Academic Course.” 

Please note that not all classes are available for contract. Some reasons why the course may not show up as available for a contract in the LAUNCH Portal include:

1. The course is already offered as an Honors section.
2. There is not an instructor assigned to the course in Howdy. If this is the case, please contact the department offering the course to ask that Howdy be updated.
3. The course is excluded by request of the department. Excluded courses include HIST 280, HIST 481, any MATH course 324 or below, or any course offered by the College of Engineering.

   • Engineering courses are not available for contract. The process to request a stacked Honors section varies by department. Students should contact the advising office for the department offering the course to inquire about their process. We recommend reaching out during pre-registration to inquire about this possibility. 

Honors Course Contracts are open between preregistration and the 20^th class day of the semester in which you are intend to earn Honors credit. When you login, the workflow will automatically populate with any courses eligible to be contracted for Honors credit.

Select the course you want to contract (one at a time) from the drop-down list. Check the box if you plan to graduate this semester.

The next question helps us determine how your experience will differ from the non-honors version of the course. Honors experiences should be measurably broader, deeper, or more complex.

Because expectations are different for an Honors experience than for the non-Honors version of the course, you should understand if/how these different expectations translate to your grade.

Once your application is complete, push submit to route the request to your professor for approval. The workflow will automatically email the approval request to the instructor of record for the course you selected. A course without an instructor listed will not be eligible for an Honors Contract.

How can I find out which courses are offered for Honors credit?

Our office does not maintain a list of Honors courses offered each semester. Instead, we encourage students to refer to the course listing maintained by the Registrar.

1. To find which courses are being offered for Honors credit, first log into Howdy (students) and find the "Registration" channel on the "My Record" tab. Click "Search Class Schedule."

The public can also search the class schedule by finding the "Course Schedules & Syllabus, Faculty CV" link at the bottom of the Texas A&M homepage.

2. Next, in the Look up Classes section, select the term that you want to search for Honors courses. In the student view you will need to click the link for "Advanced Search."

3. Next, in the Class Schedule Search section, select the subjects you want to search. You can use control+click to select several subjects that are not near one another, or you can use shift+click to select a range (including all subjects).

4. Select "Honors" from the Attribute Types field and click the search button.

My major offers very few Honors courses. What are my options for Honors coursework?

You can course contract non-Honors classes (if allowed by your major), independent study, or research for Honors credit. If you have a minor or are working toward a certification, consider taking some of those courses as Honors. Students pursuing the Honors Fellows distinction can also use Honors experience points and certain leadership/service opportunities to earn three of your thirty points.

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Are there minimum requirements to be considered for Honors Academy?

There are no set minimum criteria to be considered for Honors Academy. We select the strongest applicants from the pool each year. Applications are evaluated on the basis of the student’s record of academic achievement and demonstrated potential for creativity, intellectual ability, imagination, curiosity, willingness to try new things, and self-awareness.

Can I apply as a transfer student?

Prospective Transfer Students should visit with an Honors Advisor at their Transfer Student Conference to see about being marked eligible to take Honors courses in their first semester. Transfer students can apply to our program using the Continuing Student Application, which is open December 2 - February 1 each year.

Can I be in both Honors Academy and the Corps of Cadets, or a sorority or fraternity?

Absolutely! We encourage Honors students to become involved across campus in organizations and leadership roles that allow them to add depth and context to their academic experiences. Many students are able to be successful in both University Honors and other major commitments like the Corps, Greek life, the Residential Housing Association (RHA), and Memorial Student Center (MSC) committees.

Can I participate in both Honors Academy and college or departmental Honors?

Yes, many students do! The programs are often compatible in many ways, so you will not necessarily double your workload. For example, Honors courses can count toward more than one distinction. While each program has its own good-standing requirements and required courses, you should be able to “double-dip” much of your Honors coursework in two or more Honors programs. Be aware that each program has its own admission standards and application process.

Do I need to apply to my college or departmental Honors program?

Each Honors program has its own process. You should refer to the TAMU Honors website for an up-to-date listing of programs, their entry processes, and contact person.

Does Honors Academy offer scholarships?

No, the University Honors program does not administer academic scholarships or provide tuition waivers. Although many of our students receive generous financial aid offers, there are no scholarships specifically associated with being an Honors Academy student. Questions about financial aid should be directed to Scholarships & Financial Aid.

How do I apply to Honors Academy?

Incoming freshman students are admitted to the Honors Academy Minor on a competitive basis. To be eligible to apply to the Honors Academy, you must be a current freshman applicant and have submitted an admission application for entry the following Fall semester. You will first create a profile with Admissions and then receive a follow-up email with instructions for completing the application.

Incoming freshmen apply to our program between August 1 and December 15 each year. Prospective students can indicate their interest by checking the appropriate box in the ApplyTexas or Common App application. This action will generate an email with a link to our application. 

Continuing students, those who are already enrolled at TAMU, can apply to the University Honors Program between December 1 and February 1 each year.

See Apply to Honors for details on both application processes.

I got invited to join an honor society. Should I accept?

Honors Academy works closely with Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi, which are interdisciplinary fairly universally recognized and are generally recommended to students. Invitations to these programs are held in such regard that your college may have funds available to help you with membership fees, if needed.

If you are not familiar with the organization that has sent you an invitation, you may want to see what information the American College Honor Society National Clearinghouse has to offer.

Finally, check out what kind of activities the honor society has locally and if those activities would be personally meaningful to you and your goals.

What are the benefits of being in Honors Academy?

Some benefits are the same for Honors Students participating in any of the university, college, or departmental Honors programs. These benefits include:

• Being part of an intellectually-curious and motivated peer group.
• Receiving priority assignment for course registration
• The opportunity to earn Honors course credit through course contracts, independent study, or graduate courses.
• Priority access to specialized advising for Honors.
• The ability to graduate with a transcript distinction.

In addition to these benefits, Honors Academy offers these specific benefits:

• Values-Focus: the Honors Academy minor is centered on the Aggie Core Values, and challenges students to think about what their values are, where those come from, and how they are a guide to the kind of difference they want to make in the world. Our minor is designed to work well with college and departmental Honors distinctions, and only requires 5 hrs in addition to a student’s degree requirements.

• Broad engagement: There are opportunities for students to be engaged and pursue leadership roles within Honors with the Honors Housing Community, Honors Student Council, and Pan-Honors Freshman Leadership Organization, but it is not an isolated community. We encourage and celebrate our students who are pursuing leadership roles across campus, including in Student Government, RHA, MSC, and other student organizations 

• Real-World Preparation: Honors classes require students to be prepared for class discussion and make broad connections, go deeper into the material, and understand more complex ideas. These are durable skills that will apply in every field. Additionally, the values focus in the minor seminars, combined with students’ annual professional development reflections and application of knowledge, skills, and abilities in their culminating experience means that they will be prepared for their next step after graduation, whether that is grad school, professional school, or industry. 

• Mentorship: The relationship with faculty is vital in helping Honors students achieve their full potential. We work with colleges to offer Honors sections in high-demand courses so that students get the benefit of mentorship from these outstanding faculty who can help students connect their interests and abilities with opportunities that they might not have envisioned otherwise. These relationships also translate into great letters of recommendation as our students apply for nationally-competitive scholarships like Truman, Rhodes, and Fulbright, or to prestigious graduate and professional schools.

To read stories of students' experience of some of these benefits, visit our blog.

What do students have to say about their experience?

Learning Community

“Being in honors classes and living in the honors dorm helped me to find and connect with other students who valued learning the way I did in a way I might otherwise have missed on such a large campus.”

Critical Thinking & Writing-Intensive Courses

“The honors experience gave me a great foundation in critical thinking and writing skills far beyond just the subject-matter knowledge I gained from studying the course material.”

Enhanced Networking/Collaborative Skills

“In hindsight, my Honors experience is something that I utilize on a regular basis in my career and in interactions with people both professionally and personally.”

Critical Thinking & Life-Long Learning

“The honors classes encouraged a deeper understanding via discussion and practical experience. This differentiation in learning styles (I have reached for the honors class approach when learning a topic in my life after school) has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of anything that I desire to learn about.”

Undergraduate Research

“Doing undergraduate research provided me the experience of really doing science. I was able to observe and participate in all aspects of scientific research, including writing proposals, designing experiments, writing and publishing results. The experience prepared me for graduate studies and for my career as an academic researcher.”

“I pursued research at the graduate level because of my positive experience in the Research Fellows program. I currently find myself providing support for a developing Honors program for college students because I know participation in such a program can be a defining experience in a student’s intellectual and personal maturation.”

Common Intellectual Experience

“I value the fact that I had the opportunity to take Honors engineering courses as well as sociology courses that were entirely outside my major.”

What is the timeline for notification after I apply?

We will contact applicants by the end of March to give the status of your application. If you are on our alternate list, you may not hear a final status until after May 1

What's the difference between an Honors program and an honor society?

You may be invited to join an honor society based on your GPR or other accomplishments. Honor societies are typically student organizations; some are affiliated with academic colleges or departments. An honor society may require you to pay a membership fee in order to join and does not require Honors coursework. While many honor societies are legitimate and may be worth your time, scams do exist. We encourage you to investigate any invitations you receive to ensure that they are from real and significant organizations. Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi are the only two honor societies associated with our office.

Honors programs are coordinated by Honors Academy or academic colleges or departments. They require completion of Honors coursework and result in graduation distinctions officially recognized by Texas A&M. Some of these programs require an application to join, but you will not be charged for joining them.

What's the difference between Honors Academy and a college or departmental Honors program?

Honors Academy is open to students of all majors, while college and departmental Honors programs are more narrowly designed for those specific academic fields. Honors Academy is a great fit for students interested in an interdisciplinary academic experience and who would like to interact with Honors students from many majors.

College and departmental Honors programs typically require 18-21 hours of Honors coursework and usually require that those courses be taken within one department or college. While Honors Academy provides the option for a first-year living-learning experience in the Honors Housing Community, there are not similar offerings from college or departmental Honors programs. Some students find that an Honors program more specifically tailored to their major is a better fit for them than Honors Academy.

The primary differences between the Honors Academy and any of the college or departmental Honors programs are focus and rigor. Because the Honors Academy is open to students from all different majors, our minor must be flexible enough to accommodate any degree plan. That means that you customize the way in which you meet requirements, so the focus is on you and your interests. College and departmental Honors programs have a narrower focus on their particular discipline, so the course work required is typically restricted to the discipline. The two approaches are complementary, and can be layered for your benefit.

Honors Academy does not handle admissions or academic requirements for college or departmental Honors programs. You should contact an advisor or program coordinator within your college or department. You can find a list of college and departmental Honors options.

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Can I count my AP / IB / Dual-credit courses toward my distinction?

No, only courses taken through Texas A&M University can be counted toward Honors Fellows (with a few select exceptions for Honors courses taken via study abroad with partner institutions) or the Honors Academy Minor.

Can I use Honors credit from another school?

No, Honors courses from other schools will not count for distinction requirements, but the courses may transfer to meet degree requirements. Prospective students should check with an advisor in the department they are applying to for help on how transferred work will meet degree requirements.

What is Latin honors?

Latin honors are graduation distinctions based only on your final GPR. You do not need to participate in University Honors or any other Honors program to receive Latin honors at graduation. The GPR cutoffs for Latin honors are:

3.50 - 3.69 GPA = Cum Laude
3.70 - 3.89 GPA = Magna Cum Laude
3.90 - 4.00 GPA = Summa Cum Laude

What recognition will I receive for completing Honors Fellows?

You will receive an Honors Fellows medallion to wear at graduation and your status as an Honors Fellows graduate will be announced at graduation. Your Honors Fellows completion will be noted on your official Texas A&M transcript, and all Honors courses you take will be listed as Honors on your transcript.

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How can I check my progress toward Honors Fellows distinction requirements?

We encourage you to visit with your Honors Advisor on a regular basis to ensure you are meeting distinction requirements. Your advisor will also send you an update by email on an annual basis.

I have B's in the only HNR courses I've taken, but have over a 3.5 cumulative GPR. Will I be put on probation for not having a 3.25 GPR in my Honors course work?

No, you will not be put on probation, but you should discuss this with your Honors Advisor to ensure you have a plan for meeting this requirement by graduation. You must have a 3.5 cumulative GPR and a 3.25 in your Honors course work to graduate with a distinction. Additionally, you must not have a grade lower than a "D" in any Honors course.

If I am in multiple Honors programs, do I have to be in good standing in all of them to get an Honors Priority Registration assignment?

Yes, since the Honors Priority Registration privilege is the same no matter which program you are participating in, you have to be in good standing with all of your programs to receive it.

Any changes to your Honors program membership should be made no later than the 12th class day of the Fall or Spring semester in order to be taken into account for Honors Priority Registration assignments.

I'm not taking an Honors course this semester. Is that a problem?

No. As long as you are making sufficient progress toward your distinction requirements, you do not need to take a certain number of Honors courses per semester. We will check to ensure that you have at least 12 hours of Honors credit by the start of your junior year, and ask you to meet with us to discuss a plan to complete requirements if you haven't.

I've tested out of or already taken my core curriculum classes. How do I complete the Breadth distribution requirement for Honors Fellows?

First, check core.tamu.edu for a full list of core and ICD/CD courses. You may be surprised to find that you have remaining coursework that is included! Any of these courses taken for Honors credit will count toward Breadth.

For example, many engineering majors must take ENGR 482, Ethics and Engineering, which is in the core. Other core curriculum categories that students typically have not earned credit for through AP/IB testing include Creative Arts and Language, Philosophy and Culture. Your International and Cultural Diversity (ICD) courses required for graduation may also be taken for Honors credit to meet this distribution requirement.

If you still are not able to find core courses you can take, you need to submit an appeal to count a non-core course toward the core curriculum requirement. Discuss the appeal process with an Honors Advisor. To appeal, you will submit an online form describing how the Honors course you are taking or have taken addresses the educational goals of the core curriculum. You can find descriptions of the core categories in the undergraduate course catalog.

My GPR is below a 3.5. What happens now?

When your cumulative TAMU GPR falls below 3.5, you are no longer eligible to register yourself for any Honors classes. You may remain in any Honors sections for which you are already registered, but cannot add more or change into different Honors sections.

Honors Academy Students who fall below 3.5 GPR are given a semester of probation (see University Honors Program Policy Guide 2.f) to meet requirements. While on probation, you will not be assigned Honors Priority Registration, but you can work toward distinction requirements using Honors Course Contracts. If you do not meet requirements after a semester of probation, you are removed from the program.

What are the requirements I need to meet to stay in Honors Academy?

Please see our Program Requirements page.

What is an ePortfolio? How do I do it?

Please see our ePortfolio section at the bottom of the Honors Fellows Distinction page.

What is Honors Priority Registration? How do I use it?

Honors Priority Registration is a privilege reserved for students actively pursuing an Honors distinction at the university, college, or department level. This privilege is granted to help students arrange the rest of their courses around the relatively limited Honors course offerings.

Students who are meeting requirements (not on probation) with all of their Honors program(s) are automatically given an Honors pre-registration assignment. This assignment will show up in the registration channel in the Howdy portal.

Why do I have to attend Honors Student Council (HSC) events?

Feedback from graduating and former Honors Students highlights the important role that participation in the Honors community played in their experiences. After the freshman year, we set a minimum expectation for this participation by requiring Honors Academy students pursuing Honors Fellows to participate in at least two HSC events each semester.

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I no longer wish to be in Honors Academy. What should I do?

Please schedule an appointment with an Honors Advisor to discuss your reasons for leaving the program. We will take care of administrative tasks related to removing you from the program after meeting with you and ensuring you understand any options still available to you.