UCLA Honors College: A Comprehensive Guide

The UCLA Honors College offers a variety of programs and opportunities designed to enrich the undergraduate experience for high-achieving students. From honors seminars and collegium courses to individualized majors and transfer programs, the Honors College provides a supportive and challenging environment for students to excel academically and personally. This guide provides a detailed overview of the Honors College's offerings, requirements, and resources.

Honors Seminars (Courses 89 and 189)

One of the unique opportunities offered by the UCLA Honors College is the chance to participate in honors seminars. These seminars, designated as courses 89 and 189, are one-unit adjuncts to primary lecture courses, offering students a small-group setting to explore course content in greater depth.

Purpose and Structure

Honors Seminars with course numbers 89 and 189 are reserved for honors seminars and advanced honors seminars. Seminars numbered 89 are adjuncts to lower-division lecture courses, while seminars numbered 189 are adjuncts to upper-division lecture courses. These seminars are designed to provide students enrolled in a lecture course an opportunity to meet separately with a faculty member in a small-group setting. The seminars explore content beyond that provided in the lecture course and discussion section.

These one-unit seminars serve as adjuncts to regular lecture courses at both the lower- and upper-division levels. This arrangement allows both faculty and students to receive appropriate workload credit through standard course enrollment procedures. The seminars do not replace the discussion section associated with the lecture course; they must be in addition to all the requirements for the lecture course.

Seminar Guidelines

Several guidelines govern the structure and content of these honors seminars:

Course Level: Seminars numbered 89 are adjuncts to lower-division lecture courses, while seminars numbered 189 are adjuncts to upper-division lecture courses.
Course Restrictions: Seminars are not permitted in basic skills courses such as elementary language classes, basic writing and composition classes, and basic math classes.
Concurrent Enrollment: Seminars are taken concurrently with a lecture course. Seminars must be offered by the instructor of record for the lecture course.
Class Size: Seminars are limited to 20 students, with a minimum enrollment of 8 students.
Instruction Time: In-class instruction must be for a minimum of ten hours per quarter, meeting on either a weekly or biweekly basis.
Grading: The grading basis for the seminars is P/NP or letter grade at the option of the student. The seminars follow the same deadlines as all courses for changing grading basis through MyUCLA. College Honors students must take both the adjunct seminar and lecture course for a letter grade in order to be eligible for College Honors credit; similar rules may be applied to students working towards departmental honors.

Setting Up a Seminar

Departments can establish an adjunct honors seminar (89 and 189) by following these steps:

CIMS Application: Faculty or staff designee must use CIMS, an online course request application. There is a customized form specifically for honors seminars that routes directly to the Registrar’s Office CIMS application.
Approval: The proposal must be reviewed and approved by the faculty instructor of the lecture course and the department or program chair.
Submission Deadline: CIMS forms must be submitted by Friday of the second week of the term.
Room Scheduling: Faculty must inform departmental schedulers of a seminar offering so schedulers can book a room.

Required Information

The CIMS form requires the following information:

Course Description: A brief course description for the Schedule of Classes.
Program of Study: A brief description of the course of study, indicating assignments, readings, written work, field experiences, or other planned enrichment activities beyond those in the primary course or discussion section. Similar to a syllabus.
Grading Structure: A statement on what basis the final grade will be assigned, and indicate the weight of each assignment or activity.

Enrollment

Enrollment is by consent of instructor using PTEs through Friday of second week without a fee. Add/drop policies and changing grading basis deadlines are the same as for any non-impacted course.

Honors Credit

The 89 and 189 seminars automatically carry an honors notation on the transcript. Students must receive a grade of B or better in both the lecture and the adjunct seminar to be eligible for College Honors Program credit.

Seminar Timeline

Adjunct honors seminars may be created in advance of the first day of class, or they may be added after the lecture begins in response to requests from interested students who want to participate in an adjunct honors seminar. In all cases, the seminars must be established by the end of the second week of the term.

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Individual Major (Individual Field of Concentration)

For students with highly specific academic interests not covered by existing majors, the Honors College offers the opportunity to create an Individual Major (Individual Field of Concentration). This program allows students to design a personalized major curriculum in close collaboration with faculty advisors and an Honors academic counselor.

Eligibility and Requirements

Students who have completed at least three quarters of work at the University of California and a minimum of 45 UCLA units with a 3.4+ GPA and a sound proposal for a major that is not otherwise offered at UCLA may create an Individual Major.

The Individual Major curriculum must include 5-7 pre-major courses in the lower division and 13-15 upper division major courses. Typically, this coursework includes at least one directed research (199) course in which the student works closely with a faculty member on a specific student-designed project.

Application Process

Students seeking to design their own individual major should refer to the Individual Major Guidelines for proposal requirements and more info on completion of the Individual Major. It is highly recommended to consult with faculty advisors regarding the proposed individual major. Angel Perez, Honors Programs Director for Academic Counseling, coordinates the Individual Major Program.

Honors Collegium Courses

Honors Collegium courses are a central and longstanding feature of the undergraduate program, developed and offered specifically for honors students through the Honors Programs unit. These courses emphasize interdisciplinary learning and offer rigorous educational experiences that are designed to hone your abilities to think critically and creatively, engage you in applying knowledge, and enhance your communication skills.

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Access and Enrollment

Honors Collegium courses are reserved for students participating in the College Scholars or College Honors programs during first pass enrollment. During the second pass, remaining seats-if available-may open to a broader group of students. Because Collegium courses are small by design and in high demand, space is limited. Students are encouraged to explore available offerings and plan with flexibility when building their schedules.

Student Experiences

Many students have praised the Honors Collegium courses for their unique and impactful learning experiences. Some students have said:

"By far, the best course I’ve ever taken at UCLA. I learned so much and, most of all, I gained so many tidbits of life wisdome from our instructors and guest speakers."
"This class was amazing. So many things I loved about it. The fact that the students were all different years and majors. You end up with GREAT conversations and discussion and new ideas because everyone is looking at the same problem in a billion different ways. Collaboration and idea boarding at its finest."
"The professor is so passionate about the subject and so knowledgeable; she taught us so much…not only in terms of knowledge, but she inspired and excited us about (the topic) too. Fascinating subject. Very thought-provoking and eye-opening and perspective-changing."
"This may be the most impactful, habit-changing class I’ve taken at UCLA."
"This has got to be my favorite class so far at UCLA. This professor is absolutely amazing. I could go on and on. She really cares about her students and has spread her passion for the course to us. We grew so much as a class and learned so much practical information for life. It was so hands-on and creative, and I always felt valued."

Online Learning Resources

Through perspectives offered by Collegium faculty and students along with associated information gathering efforts, UCLA has created a portal to help you - as Honors Collegium students - facilitate online learning and otherwise help students thrive.

Collegium courses are taught by some of UCLA’s most talented teachers.

Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)

The Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) is designed to support community college students transferring to UCLA.

TAP Certification Steps

Please follow these steps to get UCLA Honors TAP Certified:

Read the Letter and Fill Out the Agreement: Read the letter sent by UCLA for TAP Applicants and fill out the UCLA TAP Applicant Agreement.
Complete the SmartSheet: Complete the SmartSheet form for local requirements. This form is for our local requirements. UCLA Applicant Agreement, but this is accessible to Foothill Honors Counselors.

Additional Requirements

Check-in with an Academic Counselor during a 30-minute Counseling appointment on a quarterly basis.

Please note these are minimums. Please submit official transcripts to Foothill Admission and Records. guidance. the search icon and type in "transcripts". up, and follow the directions on how to order official transcripts. Many transfer students also receive their Associate Degrees. Send them your certified GE pattern by requesting a GE Certification. to ensure you don't miss a step! We expect Honors students meet with an Honors Counselor at least once a quarter. separately.

Admissions

Students submit an admissions application to UCLA by using the systemwide application to the University of California. opens in October 2025 and closes on December 1, 2025. dates on the UC application. Information about dates and deadlines will be in our Honors Newsletter. and Sciences.

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