Honors Activity Options

Types of Honors Activities Heading link

Honors College Core Courses – 3 HU each

Students joining the Honors College as freshmen must enroll in a 3-credit Honors Core course each semester of the freshman year (two courses total by the end of the first year). Core courses count toward students’ degree requirements and may fulfill university general education requirements. The Honors College updates the list of available Core courses each semester, which is available here.

First-Year Seminar – 1 HU

All Honors College freshmen must also register for a 1-credit first-year seminar in their first semester. The options vary depending on students’ major. Your Honors College academic advisor will help you register for the appropriate seminar during Orientation.

Upper Division Seminars (at least TWO required) – 1 HU each

All Honors College students must complete the following two upper-division seminars before entering the senior year:

HON 201: Honors Seminar (topics vary) (1 credit hour, S/U grading)
HON 301: Foundations for the Future (1 credit hour, S/U grading)

An updated list of seminar options is available each semester here.

Other Activity Options Heading link

Course-Based Options

Honors Lectures (HON 200)

Honors Lectures are non-credit and graded on an S/U basis. Students may take only one Honors Lecture for Honors Activity credit. Topics and descriptions are available here.

Honors Lectures (HON 200) = 1 Honors Unit

Honors Supplement

The Honors Supplement is undertaken in a non-Honors course with the approval of the Professor teaching the course. The Supplement provides the student with an opportunity to delve more deeply or broadly into the course subject, or into an area related to the course, than is specified in the course requirements. Wherever possible, the project grows out of the student’s own interests.

For examples of Honors Supplements and guidance on crafting a plan, see the Guide to Honors Supplements.

The work required of the student for a Supplement cannot be precisely quantified across all disciplines and courses. Honors Supplements must be described by the student in as much detail as possible on both Agreement and Completion Forms. The college will not accept forms without such descriptions.

Supplement in 100- and 200-level courses = 1 Honors Unit

Supplement in 300- and 400-level courses = 2 Honors Units

Honors Sections of Regular Courses

Some departments offer special Honors sections of regular courses. An Honors section is designed and enhanced specifically for Honors students, providing a more intensive learning experience with a smaller student-to-faculty ratio, than the tradition, non-Honors sections of the course. They are also restricted to Honors students. As required for all courses, students should consult the prerequisites for Honors sections before enrolling in them.

The Honors status of the course is noted on the student’s transcript by the addition on the letter “H” after the letter grade given for the course.

# Credit Hours of the Course = # Honors Units Earned

Advanced Coursework Outside the Major

Students may take advanced courses (400 level or above) that are not part of their academic program requirements for Honors Activity credit. Students should be sure to verify that they have all required course prerequisites for any advanced courses in which they wish to enroll.

# Credit Hours of the Course = # Honors Units Earned

Independent Study and Research

As students enter more advanced coursework in their major, they may consider independent study in an area not covered in standard courses under the supervision of a faculty member. In planning such projects, students should consult the departmental policies and procedures to which they are subject, as well as obtaining their Faculty Fellows’ approvals. Students may also choose to engage in supervised work in faculty research laboratories or on other research projects, again with their Fellows’ approvals. Sometimes these projects provide course credit, in which case students enroll in a course number designated for such work. With the approval of their Fellows, some students may do independent work without course credit that still fulfills the Honors Activity requirement.

Students who undertake an Independent Study for course credit will receive an equal number of Honors Units as credit hours. Students who undertake an Independent Study without course credit will receive 1 Honors Unit.

Students will receive 1 Honors Unit for 3-8 hours of Research per week (45-120 hours per semester), 2 Honors Units for 9-17 hours of Research per week (135-255 hours per semester), and 3 Honors Units for 18 or more hours of Research per week (270 or more hours per semester).

Samples of Independent Research:

“I am studying pinewood nematode sampling methods at the Morton Arboretum and determining the distribution within the tree.” (Fellow’s comment: “XXX discussed the project with me at the beginning of the term and added some of the principles of ecology to her study. She is senior author of a poster session to be presented this June at the national Phytopathology meetings. She has most certainly done work of honors caliber.)”

“I have a full load of required courses in Bioengineering this term. Having completed BIOE 354 last term, I became aware of electrical safety issues in hospitals. I plan on researching the numerous electrical codes for hospital safety, and then examining the actual application, or misapplication, of the various regulations in a hospital setting, where I volunteer in the engineering department. I plan on creating a file on electrical safety for future reference when employed.”

“This independent study project will involve research concerning the phenomenon of ritual fire-walking (particularly in southern India) and participants’ immunity to injury. In addition to information from various sources, I will have the opportunity to study the personal field research of my instructor. After research and contemplation, I will present my findings and attempt to provide a plausible explanation(s) for the apparent immunity to the fire.”

“Comparing the distribution of hawkmoths and hummingbirds in the United States, the latitudinal distribution of sunbirds and hummingbirds, and the foraging efficiency of hawkmoths and hummingbirds. I will be doing the bulk of the research.”

Internships

Students may complete internships, externships, co-ops, practica, or student teaching (for students majoring in an education or “teaching of” program) to earn Honors Units. HUs will be earned based on hours per week spent in their professional development role (a minimum of 3 hours/week is required) or based on their equivalent academic credits. Students can be paid for their professional development activities.

The Honors College also encourages students to pursue opportunities to receive academic credit for their experiences through courses such as:

ANTH 496, ARCH 395, ART 499, AH 482, AHS 393, BA 289, CHEM 488, COMM 474, CLJ 395, EAES 492, ED 350, ED 351, ED 450, ED 451, ENGR 289, ENGL 493, GEOG 496, GER 492, GER 493, HIM 384, HN 480, KN 393, LALS 497, LALS 498, LAS 289, PA 490, PA 496, PA 497, POLS 301, POLS 302, PSCH 385, SOC 298, THTR 474, US 302, US 495

Students should consult their degree-granting advisor about earning internship credit.

Students will receive 1 Honors Unit for 3-8 hours per week (45-120 hours per semester), 2 Honors Units for 9-17 hours per week (135-255 hours per semester), and 3 Honors Units for 18 or more hours per week (270 or more hours per semester).

Student Service

Students are limited to ONE service activity to count toward Honors Units. Students will receive 1 Honors Unit for a minimum of 45 hours per semester (an average of 3 hours per week) for service completed within a single organization. This Honors Unit can only be earned once. Service activities cannot be paid positions.

Service Activities can include:

Tutoring/Mentoring (does not include Honors College Tutors)
- Examples: Tutoring at campus tutoring or writing center, or office campus; serving as an unpaid teaching assistant for a course
Volunteering
- Examples: Volunteering in a hospital or clinic; volunteering weekly in a local community center; staffing the UIC InTouch Crisis Hotline to provide crisis intervention and referrals; attending a week-long trip with Alternative Spring Break
Student Organization or Student Publication Leadership
- Examples: Being on the editorial board for a student publication; executive board member of the Honors College Advisory Board or other UIC registered student organization; acting as the UIC Student Trustee
- If the service performed is related to leadership in a student organization, the organization’s faculty advisor must sign off on Agreement and Completion Forms. Other students cannot serve as approvers of Honors Activity credit.

Students are required to complete two reflection documents by the following deadlines (in addition to regular Honors College Agreement Form and Completion Form requirements and deadlines):

Service Learning Goals Form – Must be submitted by 5pm on the Friday of Week 7
Service Learning Goals Assessment Form – Must be submitted by 5pm on the last Friday of the semester (Week 15)

The above forms are shared with students via email who have submitted or drafted Service Activity forms in HARS.

Honors College Tutoring

Students who have applied to and been selected to serve as a tutor for the Honors College, in the Burnham Hall Tutoring Center, register for HON 202 (0 credit) each semester in which they are serving as a tutor. Requirements to serve as an Honors College Tutor include: be in at least second year (have completed two semesters) at UIC by the time begin tutoring, have a 3.4 UIC cumulative GPA or higher, be in good standing with the Honors College, must commit to a minimum of 4 hours per week, and must be available for required training dates and regular tutor meetings.

Honors Tutoring and HON 202 registration is seen as an integral part of the Honors College, and therefore are not included in the Student Service Activity category. This allows for tutors to serve in the Burnham Hall Tutoring Center for more than one semester as an Honors Activity and to earn Honors Units (provided they are selected for the role by the tutoring coordinator each semester).

Visit https://honors.uic.edu/resources/tutoring/ for more information about the Burnham Hall Tutoring Center.

Study Abroad – 1-3 HU

1 to 3 Honors units per term abroad; students do not need to complete an additional Honors Activity while abroad.

In order to receive Honors Units for study abroad, students are required to complete reflection assignments (in addition to regular Honors College Agreement Form and Completion Form requirements and deadlines). Information about these requirements is shared with students studying abroad each semester via email.

Students will receive 1 Honors Unit for programs shorter than 2 weeks, 2 Honors Units for programs between 2-8 weeks, and 3 Honors Units for programs longer than 8 weeks studying abroad per semester.

Capstone Project Heading link

Honors College Capstone – 6 HU (3 for each term)

All Honors College students complete a Capstone Project—a scholarly experience that incorporates concepts and techniques learned throughout the undergraduate career, through which students can make original scholarly or professional contributions to their field.

The Capstone Project is typically pursued in the final two semesters at UIC, building upon the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the undergraduate years. The Capstone may focus on a research problem, theoretical issue, new creative work, professional challenge, or novel application (such as design, technological, or social innovation).

Types of Honors Activities Heading link

First-Year Honors Activity Requirement for Freshmen:

Honors College Core Courses – 3 HU each
Students joining the Honors College as freshmen must enroll in a 3-credit Honors Core course each semester of the freshman year (two courses total by the end of the first year). Core courses count toward students’ degree requirements and may fulfill university general education requirements. The Honors College updates the list of available Core courses each semester, which is available here.
First-Year Seminar – 1 HU
All Honors College freshmen must also register for a 1-credit first-year seminar in their first semester. The options vary depending on students’ major. Your Honors College academic advisor will help you register for the appropriate seminar during Orientation.