University of Florida Honors Program: Requirements and Curriculum

The University of Florida Honors Program is designed to "connect, nurture, and engage the next generation of scholars who change the world" by "recruiting high achieving students from around the world; inspiring curiosity, intellectual daring and creativity; and building a lifelong community of high-achieving peers, top-notch faculty and supportive staff." The program emphasizes "the power of opportunity, the strength in community, and the love of a challenge." It offers specialized honors courses, holistic academic advising and coaching, and honors student involvement opportunities. Students in the Honors Program also have early course registration for their first 10 credits each semester.

Honors Program Requirements: A Milestone Approach

Students admitted to the Honors Program starting in 2022 must meet specific requirements at three milestones to successfully progress through the program. Milestone reviews occur at designated checkpoints, and failure to meet the requirements by the review date will result in removal from the program. Details of all requirements are available in the Honors Cohort in Canvas, and students are encouraged to consult with their Honors advisor to align milestone requirements with their academic and career goals.

Milestone I: First Year

Entrance Survey: Completion of the First Year Entrance Survey.
Honors Courses: Completion of 2 Honors Courses, earning 2-4 Academic Points in the Honors Course Category. A grade of "B" or higher must be achieved in each course.
GPA: Maintain a minimum of a 3.5 Cumulative UF GPA.
Conduct: Maintain good standing with the Student Code of Conduct / Honor Code.
Checkpoint Review: End of the first Spring semester at UF.

An appeals process is available for students who do not meet the GPA requirement and / or do not complete their 2 honors courses due to an honors course grade / withdrawal.

Milestone II: Second Year

Academic Points: Accumulate 2 Additional Academic Points in any category.
Enrichment Points: Accumulate 2 Enrichment Points in any category.
GPA: Maintain a minimum of a 3.5 Cumulative UF GPA.
Completion Progress Check-in: Review of progress with the Honors Completion Coordinator.
Checkpoint Review: End of Summer C following the 2nd year and during the Third Year.

Milestone III: Graduation

Exit Survey: Completion of the Graduation Exit Survey.
Final Submission Clearance: Completion of Final Submission Clearance.
Academic Points: Accumulate 2-4 Additional Academic Points in any category.
Enrichment Points: Accumulate 4 Additional Enrichment Points in any category.
Honors Distinction: Achieve Cum Laude Honors Distinction in the Major or a 3.5 upper-division UF GPA.
Checkpoint Review: Published Honors Completion Deadline / Awarding of Undergraduate Degree.

Students who fulfill all three milestones receive a notation on their official UF transcript and a medallion to wear at commencement.

Academic Opportunities and Recognition

Honors Points System

Honors students must earn a minimum of 8 Academic and 6 Enrichment points, plus meet additional benchmarks to complete the Honors Program. All documentation for points and the Honors Graduation Application must be submitted by the published deadline in the student’s graduating semester.

Honors Courses

Two honors courses must be completed with a "B" or higher. Courses will earn a total of 2-4 Academic Points.

President's and Dean's Lists

Students are recognized for outstanding academic performance through the President's Honor Roll and the Dean's List. To appear on the President’s Honor Roll, students must achieve a perfect 4.0 GPA with at least 15 credits of graded academic coursework (no S/U) in the Fall or Spring semester, or at least 12 credits of graded coursework in the Summer semester (consisting of any combination of credits earned in Summer A, B, or C). Students will appear on their college's Dean's List if they meet the requirements.

Graduation with Honors

To graduate with honors, students must meet the college requirements for cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude. Eligible students must have a 3.50 or higher GPA on all courses taken at UF beginning the semester after accumulating 60 credits and completion of, and faculty evaluation of, a thesis, research project or other creative work.

Honors Course Offerings

The Honors Program offers a variety of courses designed to enhance students' academic experience:

IDH 1700 Honors Professional Development (1 Credit): Develop Career Related Skills to Succeed At Uf and Beyond.
IDH 2930 (Un)common read (1 Credit): Discussion oriented courses centered around a single book.
IDH 2931 Honors Seminar (3 Credits): Special topics restricted to those in the university-wide Honors Program. (WR)
IDH 3931 Interdisciplinary Junior Honors (1-3 Credits): Special topics restricted to those in the university-wide honors program.
IDH 4715 Professional Development Strategies (1 Credit): Helps select undergraduate students identify and compete for the most prestigious career-making scholarships by determining the activities and ideas most important and attractive to selection committees.
IDH 4903 Honors Tutorial (1 Credit): Must be taken in conjunction with other courses at the 3000 and 4000 level. Students must secure instructor permission of the course to which they wish to add this credit.
IDH 4905 Individual Work (1-3 Credits): Restricted to those in the university-wide honors program.
IDH 4912 Honors Undergraduate Research (0-3 Credits): Provides firsthand, supervised research with a faculty advisor or postdoctoral or graduate student mentor. Projects may involve inquiry, design, investigation, scholarship, discovery or application.
IDH 4940 Internship (0-6 Credits): Experiential learning in a variety of work locations. Permission of program director required.

College-Specific Honors Requirements

Many colleges within the University of Florida have specific requirements for graduating with honors in the major. Here are some examples:

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College of the Arts

Art: Studio, graphic design and art education candidates are expected to work with their thesis advisor to determine appropriate content for their honors thesis submission. Art history candidates must submit a research paper.
Music: Music majors must submit a creative or research project under the guidance of a music faculty member.

Rinker School of Construction Management

Students must maintain a specific GPA in upper-division courses, varying from 3.5 to 3.8 depending on the level of honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude).

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Specific departments like Anthropology, Astronomy, Chemistry, Criminology, Data Science, Economics, Geography, Geology, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Jewish Studies, Linguistics, and Philosophy have their own unique requirements:

Anthropology: Student must register for three credits of ANT 4914 in their final semester and successfully complete and defend an honors thesis. Students must have an approved faculty mentor and signed thesis contract.
Astronomy: In addition, student must complete six credits of AST 4911 and write a thesis.
Chemistry: Student must complete six credits of CHM 4910 and write a thesis.
Criminology: Students must have a 3.70 GPA or higher GPA on all courses taken at UF. Students must defend a thesis and may enroll in CCJ 4970 or honors-focused courses for credit to write a thesis.
Data Science: To be eligible for the designation magna cum laude (high honors), data science majors must write a thesis in addition to meeting the GPA criterion of 3.50 or better. To be eligible for the designation summa cum laude (highest honors), majors must write a thesis and earn a GPA of 3.50 or better.
Economics: Student must earn a 3.70 GPA on all courses taken at UF the semester after accumulating 60 credits and a 3.50 GPA for all UF economics courses.
Languages, Literatures and Cultures: Students must complete a thesis and receive approval of the completed project by two full-time faculty members (excluding adjunct faculty), one of whom must be affiliated with Languages, Literatures and Cultures and serve as the student’s primary advisor. In consultation with the primary advisor, the student should identify the second faculty member no later than the mid-point of the semester. It is strongly recommended that the student complete up to 6 credits of 4911 in their area of specialization. Students must have earned an A or B in at least one semester of an approved 4911/4935 course. Students’ writing and research must be excellent, of nearly publishable quality.
Geography: Student must earn an A in GEO 4970 or GEO 4905 and submit an honors thesis.
Geology: Students must complete two semesters of GLY 4911 with grades of B or higher and submit an honors thesis.
History: In the Fall semester, student must pass the History Honors Seminar: Thesis Workshop while completing thesis research. Then, in the spring semester, student must enroll in HIS 4970 and write an acceptable thesis. Distinction of magna or summa cum laude is based on faculty evaluation of the thesis.
Interdisciplinary Studies: Student with a GPA of 3.5 or higher must be recommended by two members of the student's supervisory committee, including the principal supervisor, who will affirm that the student conducted an individual project in IDS 4906 (or equivalent).
Interdisciplinary Studies: Student with a GPA of 3.5 or higher must complete an honors thesis in their final one or two semesters under the supervision of a faculty mentor. A formal proposal must be submitted in the semester prior to starting the thesis project. Students may enroll in INS 4911 for 0-3 credits for one or two semesters while researching and writing the thesis. Distinction of magna or summa cum laude is based on faculty evaluation of the thesis in consultation with the undergraduate coordinator.
Jewish Studies: Student must enroll in JST 4970 and complete an honors project.
Linguistics: Student must complete at least three credits of LIN 4905, followed by LIN 4970.
Philosophy: Student must complete an honors thesis while enrolled in PHI 4912. A formal proposal must be submitted the semester prior to that during which the student writes the thesis. Upon completion, the thesis is reviewed by the department's undergraduate committee, which also conducts an oral examination.

College of Public Health and Health Professions

One Honors student per major (BHS, BPH, CSD) will be selected as a Dean’s Scholar based upon an exemplary honors thesis project.

Application and Admission

Any student applying to the University of Florida through freshman admissions can apply concurrently to the Honors Program. The Office of Admissions uses the information from the Honors essay to complete the selection process, considering both objective information such as high school GPA and standardized test scores, and subjective information from the UF application. After admission to the university, all students who received a score of 2070 or above on the math, writing and critical reading sections of the SAT or a 33 composite score on the ACT are encouraged to apply. Students who do not have the requisite test scores and/or grade point average may apply via a petition process.

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