V. THE L&S HONORS PROGRAM

The Honors Program in the College of Letters and Science was established by the L&S faculty in 1959. Approximately 1600 of the undergraduates in the College participate in the Program. Students are considered for admission to the Program if they: (1) are new first-year students ranking in the top 10% of their high school class or have at least a 3.6 core high school GPA; or (2) are continuing or transfer students with a 3.3 or better cumulative GPA.

There are three different types of Honors degrees that are available to students in the College of Letters and Science: Honors in the Liberal Arts (HLA), Honors in the Major (HM), and Comprehensive Honors. Honors in the Liberal Arts is the primary focus of mostly first and second-year students before they begin to concentrate on their majors. The Honors in the Liberal Arts degree requires students to earn 24 Honors credits distributed in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. The curriculum for Honors in the Major is established by each academic department, but must include a two-semester senior honors thesis, completed for a minimum of six credits, or its equivalent.

HM can be completed independently from HLA; neither is a prerequisite for the other. Comprehensive Honors is the degree awarded for students who complete both HLA and HM. The Comprehensive Honors degree is the highest recognition the College of Letters and Science can award an undergraduate.

Students must maintain a cumulative 3.3 GPA both to continue in the Program and to receive an Honors Degree. Non-honors undergraduate students may register for honors credit in courses listed for honors credit in the Timetable, although the instructor's or advisor's consent is required for enrollment in an H course, and may be required in an ! course with special qualifying requirements. Registration priority is given to honors students in H honors courses. Detailed information about the various honors course designations (H, !, %) may be found under "For Students, Honors Degree Requirements" on the Honors web page. Students in the Honors Program may, with the instructor's approval and the approval of an Honors Advisor, arrange for honors credit in courses not listed for honors in the Timetable using a “Green Sheet” form available in the Honors Office.

The Faculty Honors Committee is responsible for the direction of the Honors Program and the supervision of policies and regulations. The faculty members represent the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. Professor Chris Kleinhenz (Department of French and Italian) serves as Director and Faculty Honors Committee Chair and Jeffrey Shokler as Associate Director; they are available in 420 South Hall (2-2984).

The Honors Program Officeprovides general assistance and information for students in the Honors Program. Each department in the College appoints a faculty or staff member (an Honors Coordinator) who is responsible for administering the department's major curriculum for the Honors Degree and who advises honors students in the major.

Some financial assistance is available to honors students to conduct research, travel abroad, and carry out special projects. Research grants are particularly available for the summer following the sophomore year and for senior thesis research. Students may obtain information from the Honors Office.

The Undergraduate Catalog (http://www.wisc.edu/pubs/ug/10lettsci/honors.html) provides complete information about the program's degree requirements, opportunities, and general policies. An Honors Program brochure that provides an overview of the program is also available upon request (262-2984). More information about the program is available on-line at http://www.honors.ls.wisc.edu.

Last revised: August 17, 2006