The Curriculum

The honors curriculum includes entirely enriched honors courses, colloquia, interdisciplinary seminars, independent study, community-engaged research, and the culminating honors thesis or honors project. The full Commonwealth Honors College curriculum encourages students to develop broad perspectives through Honors General Studies and to engage in deep analysis through Honors Advanced Scholarship.

Outstanding first-year students who enter Commonwealth Honors College from high school begin in Honors General Studies and are joined, usually during the sophomore year, by other exceptional UMass Amherst students and also by students who transfer to UMass Amherst. Honors General Studies students, all qualified students in the University, and external transfer students may compete for a place in an Honors Advanced Scholarship track, i.e., Departmental Honors or Multidisciplinary Honors.

HONORS GENERAL STUDIES
The first portion of the honors curriculum focuses primarily on honors work outside the major. Honors General Education (Gen Ed) courses bring talented students from different disciplines together in the classroom to build the skills and knowledge to grapple with both the timeless issues of humanity and the current dilemmas facing our culture. Honors students complete four honors Gen Ed courses* including honors College Writing and one of the two required Honors College seminars, Honors 291A: Honors Seminar I: Ideas that Change the World (4-credit, general education interdisciplinary honors course). The second Honors College Seminar, Honors 391A: Honors Seminar II: Topics (1-credit seminars on a wide variety of topics) is a separate breadth-of-study requirement offered by departmental faculty. For more information and course descriptions, see the Honors Course Guide at www.honors.umass.edu/courseguide.

General Studies Honors
Students who complete the following requirements successfully and who do not complete the full curriculum (see the credential for full curriculum completion in the section "Graduation with Honors") earn General Studies Honors on their transcripts.*

1. Honors College Writing Competency (may be filled by exemption)*
2. Honors Gen Ed Course I (requirement usually met by Honors College Writing, unless exempt; this requirement may not be filled by exemption)*
3. Honors Seminar I: Ideas that Change the World
4. Honors Gen Ed Course*
5. Honors Gen Ed Course*
6. Honors Seminar II: Topics
7. Earned grade of B or higher in Gen Ed Integrative Experience
8. Overall graduation GPA of 3.400 or higher and fulfillment of the CHC residency credits requirement

* If you have met one or more of the above requirements prior to Commonwealth Honors College admission, consult with Commonwealth Honors College advisers for approved alternative honors courses. Note: Requirements 2, 4, and 5 must be met with honors courses from 3 different departments; only one of these may be in the student’s major.

 

HONORS ADVANCED SCHOLARSHIP
All UMass Amherst students and transfer students who enter Honors Advanced Scholarship do so through a competitive application process administered by Commonwealth Honors College. Within the sophomore year, students decide whether they would like to pursue Honors Advanced Scholarship. If so, Commonwealth Honors College students meet with Honors advisers and follow instructions for applying to either Departmental Honors or Multidisciplinary Honors (see below). UMass Amherst students who are not yet in Commonwealth Honors College apply to pursue either Departmental Honors (DH) or Multidisciplinary Honors (MH) honors via the Commonwealth Honors College web application at www.honors.umass.edu/admissions/apply-current-students. All students selected for this advanced honors work delve deeply into topics of personal interest and contribute original knowledge through an honors thesis or project.

Departmental Honors (DH)
Departmental Honors is the honors graduation credential that students earn for completing a DH track. DH tracks are available in most majors and also through Bachelor’s Degree with Individual Concentration (BDIC). See bdic.umass.edu.  DH is encouraged for students invested in continuing in the field of their majors, especially those who intend to pursue related graduate studies. Requirements for both admission and completion of DH vary by department and may exceed the minimum standards set by Commonwealth Honors College. Students can obtain more detailed information about each DH track at www.honors.umass.edu/departmentalhonors. The requirements of individual DH tracks may exceed the minimum standards of grades of B or higher in the four or more honors courses specified, including the honors thesis or project, overall graduation GPA of 3.400 or higher, and the Commonwealth Honors College residency credit requirement.

Multidisciplinary Honors
Students earn the graduation credential Multidisciplinary Honors on their transcript when they complete their Advanced Scholarship requirements, including an honors thesis or project, with grades of B or higher, earn an overall graduation GPA of 3.400 or higher, and meet the Commonwealth Honors College residency credit requirement.

Students are encouraged to integrate international study, internships, cooperative education, and community-engaged research into their honors experience. Portions of this work may be petitioned as substitutions to fulfill honors course requirements. For details, see a Commonwealth Honors College adviser or visit the website: www.honors.umass.edu/types-honors-courses.

International Scholars Program Requirements
Commonwealth Honors College and the International Programs Office co-sponsor the International Scholars Program (ISP), which allows qualified students to integrate international studies coursework and study abroad during their undergraduate years. The program is highly competitive with approximately 15-20 slots per year. Benefits of the program include individual advising for the integration of a student’s major requirements and study abroad, ongoing mentoring by a faculty member from a related international field, limited funding for study abroad via non-need-based scholarships, and the possibility of earning an International Scholars Program certificate. Qualified students are invited to apply in their freshman year. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.400 or higher and a commitment to pursuing international experiences or studies that will provide a global context for both their course of study and their career paths. The program requires nine credits of coursework, including preparatory cross-cultural and contextual courses, and a re-entry seminar.