Navigating the UCF Honors Program: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements and Opportunities

The University of Central Florida (UCF) offers a distinguished Honors Program through the Burnett Honors College. This program provides academically talented students with enriched educational experiences, fostering intellectual curiosity, research opportunities, and a strong sense of community. This article provides a detailed overview of the UCF Honors Program requirements, application process, and available opportunities.

Admission into the Burnett Honors College

Eligibility and Application Process

After being admitted to UCF, the Burnett Honors College extends invitations to apply to the University Honors Program directly to academically talented students. However, any high-achieving incoming freshmen interested in applying may request an application. To be considered, an applicant must be a FTIC (first time in college) student for the summer or fall semesters. Applicants must submit a University Honors application and official high school transcript directly to the Burnett Honors College. Students are encouraged to submit additional information which illustrates their talents, skills and/or interests.

The Burnett Honors College has a rolling admissions process. Typically, applicants receive a decision within 3-5 weeks after they apply. Seats are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. It is important to note that all freshmen who apply by January 15 are automatically considered for the Honors Enhancement Scholarship. Scholarships are awarded based on the academic credentials of the student (test scores, high school GPA and class rank).

Visiting the Burnett Honors College

Prospective students are encouraged to visit the Burnett Honors College to learn more about the program. One-on-one visits are generally available Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, year-round except for holidays. Virtual One-on-One Visits with an Honors staff member and one of the Honors Student Assistants are also available via Zoom.

For a more comprehensive experience, students can plan to spend an afternoon at the Burnett Honors College to meet Honors staff and students, and ask questions about academics, extracurricular activities, and special programs. The number of available seats per session is 30, and prior advanced reservation is highly recommended.

Read also: Requirements for UF Honors

Confirming Participation

Students admitted to the Burnett Honors College are required to confirm their participation and reserve their seat for the Fall semester. BHC class size is limited, so admitted students are encouraged to reserve their seat as soon as possible. Students who reserve their seat after the class has filled are placed on the waitlist. Waitlist position is based on the date of the enrollment deposit to UCF and date of enrollment for Orientation; and not on the date of admission to the Burnett Honors College or the date of submission of the Honors Student Reply Form.

Maintaining Good Standing in the University Honors Program

GPA Requirements

All University Honors students are required to maintain a UCF GPA of 3.3 or higher in order to remain in good standing with the program. If a student's cumulative UCF GPA dips below 3.3, they will be placed on probation. Students must achieve a minimum 3.3 term UCF GPA at the end of each subsequent semester while on probation, until their cumulative UCF GPA returns to 3.3 or higher. Students who do not meet this requirement while on probation will be removed from the University Honors program. Additionally, scholars who do not receive an S grade in IDH 1920H will be removed from the University Honors program at the conclusion of the Fall semester, regardless of their UCF GPA or Honors GPA.

Honors Coursework

Students who do not take any Honors classes for two consecutive semesters (including future semesters) and/or are off-track with their Honors requirements will be asked to meet with the Office of Honors Advising to discuss future Honors coursework. Honors students will be informed of this during the semi-annual Honors audit process in December and May.

Reinstatement

Students who are withdrawn may apply for reinstatement into the program after meeting with an Honors advisor and devising a mutually agreed upon plan of study to complete University Honors requirements.

Pre-Health Emphasis: Shadowing and Volunteering Requirements

For students pursuing a pre-health track, the UCF Honors Program places a strong emphasis on experiential learning through shadowing and volunteering. These experiences are designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the medical field and to foster essential qualities for future healthcare professionals.

Read also: Ambitious Students' Guide

Shadowing Requirements

Shadowing is essential since much of the learning needed to become a good physician comes from careful observation of and reflection on clinical experiences. Examples of acceptable experiences include service in an emergency room, physician's office, or clinic. Students should complete a minimum of 75 shadowing hours by September of their third year. An additional 25 shadowing hours should be completed by graduation, bringing the total to 100 hours.

Medical Volunteer Hours

Demonstrated commitment to medicine through medical volunteering lessons in compassion, humility, and humanity are learned. Students should complete a minimum of 100 medical volunteer hours by September of the third year. An additional 25 medically related volunteer hours should be completed by graduation, for a total of 125 hours.

Community Service Requirements

Strong commitment to service as demonstrated by sustained and meaningful volunteer activities. The community service experience must be designed to promote ethical development, self-awareness, and a sense of social responsibility. Commitment to serving others is most effectively demonstrated by uncompensated, face-to-face engagement with individuals who are underserved. Students should complete a minimum of 100 contact hours of volunteer community service by September of the third year. An additional 50 volunteer hours should be completed by graduation, resulting in 150 hours.

Tracking and Reporting Hours

Progress of completed hours should be tracked by the student and reported on the CV due at the beginning of the second year and third year. Consistency of medical volunteering and clinical shadowing experience is expected.

Honors Undergraduate Thesis Program

The Honors Undergraduate Thesis program offers students the opportunity to engage in independent research or creative projects under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Finding a Faculty Mentor

Finding a faculty member to mentor you and chair your thesis committee is one of the most important aspects of success in the Honors Undergraduate Thesis program. Your faculty mentor is the person with whom you will be working most closely over the course of your research or creative project. The Honors Thesis Chair must be tenured or tenure-track (titles: Assistant/Associate/Full Professor) or have an appointment as Lecturer in the Department/School in which the thesis discipline is housed. Non-tenure-track faculty must possess a terminal degree in their discipline and be a subject matter expert in the discipline in which the student intends to write a thesis.

Resources for Finding Projects and Mentors

Projects and mentors can be found in a variety of ways:

UCF Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR): The OUR maintains a campus-wide research database where faculty and graduate students post research positions.
Faculty Profiles: Most faculty members post the list of their research publications or a copy of their Curriculum Vitae (an academic resume that lists their professional presentations, publications, teaching experience, grants, etc.). Browse these faculty profiles to see if someone is working on a project that is interesting to you. If so, contact them to ask for an appointment to discuss their research.
Classroom Interactions: Faculty members often discuss their research in class. If you have had professors whose enthusiasm for their research has spread to you, let them know!
Peer Recommendations: Perhaps you have a friend who has spoken highly of a professor she or he has had.
Honors Research Symposium: At this exciting event, Honors scholars can learn about cutting-edge research, meet with active researchers, and find meaningful research opportunities in a variety of settings.

Completion of the Honors Undergraduate Thesis program will satisfy one upper-division University Honors requirement for any major.

Colleges and Majors Supported by the Honors Program

The UCF Honors Program supports students in a wide range of colleges and majors, including:

College of Arts and Humanities
College of Community Innovation and Education
College of Health Professions and Sciences
College of Sciences
College of Nursing
Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Nicholson School of Communication and Media
Economics B.S. Majors
Medical Laboratory Sciences B.S. College of Medicine (Excluding Medical Laboratory Sciences B.S. College of Business (B.S.B.A.

Course Substitutions

EEL 3004C (Honors Linear Circuits I) is an acceptable substitute for EGN 3373 (Principles of Electrical Engineering) for Mechanical, Aerospace, and Industrial Engineering majors.

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