Honors Contract

Before submitting your Honors contract, please read the following guidelines carefully to ensure your proposal meets program expectations.

Contract Deadlines

Fall & Spring Semesters: Friday of Week 4
Summer sessions: 5th day of class

If you need additional time, you must request an extension from the Honors Director before the deadline.

Basic Requirements

To receive Honors credit, your contract must meet these core expectations:
The Honors component involves 15–30 hours of additional work beyond the standard course assignments.
The project must be approved by your professor and must be something they can evaluate directly.
You must earn at least a B in both the course and the Honors component to receive credit.

Note: For Capstone contracts, the course must be a 300- or 400-level class within your major or minor. Additional information is available on the Program Information page.

Course Eligibility

Students may propose Honors components in most courses, with professor approval. However:

100-level language courses are not eligible unless approved by the department chair.
1-credit courses are not eligible for Honors contracts.
Students not currently in the Honors Program may take a course for Honors credit with professor permission, allowing them to explore the program before formally joining.

Grading

You will receive two separate grades for a contract Honors course:

One grade for the standard course requirements
One grade based on the Honors component

The grade for the Honors component does not impact your course GPA, but you must earn an A or B to receive Honors credit.

Extensions & Withdrawals

You may:

Extend your Honors component past the semester with professor approval.
Drop the Honors component without dropping the course itself.

To withdraw or request an extension, notify the Honors Program Office by the last day of regular classes in the term. If the component is dropped, no Honors credit will be awarded.

Designing the Honors Component

The Honors component should promote deeper learning and student-driven engagement beyond the regular coursework. While the format and topic will vary, it should enhance your understanding of the course in a meaningful way.

Examples of possible components include:

An extended or alternate version of a class paper
A class presentation or leading a discussion
Fieldwork or a series of interviews with a written report
Literature or case study reviews
A conference paper or original research
Creative or scholarly work related to the subject matter

You’ll work closely with your professor to design a component that fits the course and your interests. A written description of the proposed Honors component, signed by your professor, must be attached to your contract. If it’s not ready by the submission deadline, you may submit it separately. All components require final approval by the Honors Director.