This post about the University of Florida Honors Program is the first post about honors changes effective for Fall 2013. We anticipate several additional posts in this series, including upcoming discussions of Indiana University’s Hutton Honors College, the South Carolina Honors College, the Texas A&M Honors Program, and others.
Previously students in UF honors had to complete four honors courses and at least one enhancement experience, which could be an internship, study-abroad course, research project, or a leadership activity.
But in some cases students found it difficult to complete these requirements, so now program completion requires at least cum laude achievement in the college of the student’s major along with 14 honors points, eight of which must be academic (A) points and six of which must be enrichment (E) points.
Below is a list that shows the point correlations to course and enrichment activities:
Activities worth 1 Honors point
- 1- or 2-credit Honors course (grade of B or higher) (A)
- Apply for a nationally competitive scholarship or fellowship (e.g., Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, Fulbright) (A)
- Induction into Phi Beta Kappa or Phi Kappa Phi (A)
- A publication in a refereed undergraduate journal (such as the UF Journal of Undergraduate Research) (A)
- Complete a minor (A)
- A regional conference presentation in a discipline relevant to the student’s major (A)
- Short-term study abroad (E)
- Participate in a Partners in the Parks program (E)
- Participate in leadership activities (e.g., hold a leadership position in a student organization or activity) (E) (note: a maximum of 3 points is allowed for this type of activity)
- Participation in a leadership conference (e.g. LeaderShape, Gatorship, UF Women’s Leadership Conference) (E)
- Participation in a Florida Alternative Breaks trip (E)
Activities worth 2 Honors points
- 3+ credit Honors course (grade of B or higher) (A)
- Graduate course (grade of B or higher) (A)
- A publication in a refereed professional journal (A)
- Complete a second major (A)
- Faculty-directed independent study or research (A)
- A national conference presentation in a discipline relevant to the student’s major (A)
- Six-week summer or semester study abroad (E)
- Complete at least 50 hours of community service (documentation required, hours may come from multiple sources) (E)
- Complete an internship at least 45 hours in duration (E)
Activity worth 3 Honors points
- Complete an Honors thesis as part of requirements to graduate magna cum laude or summa cum laude (A)
- For students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, complete the CALS upper-division honors program (A)
Please note that IDH 4917, Honors Research, and IDH 4905, Independent Study, do not count as Honors courses for these purposes, but they do serve as proof of faculty-directed independent study or research; that is, you may not receive points for both IDH 4917/4905 and performing research/independent study. The same comment applies for IDH 4940 and internships.
Note also that the maximum number of points that can be earned for community service is two; that is, performing 100 hours of community service is not worth four points.
sis as part of requirements to graduate magna cum laude or summa cum laude (A)
- For students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, complete the CALS upper-division honors program (A)
Please note that IDH 4917, Honors Research, and IDH 4905, Independent Study, do not count as Honors courses for these purposes, but they do serve as proof of faculty-directed independent study or research; that is, you may not receive points for both IDH 4917/4905 and performing research/independent study. The same comment applies for IDH 4940 and internships.
Note also that the maximum number of points that can be earned for community service is two; that is, performing 100 hours of community service is not worth four points.
