Below you will find questions and answers pertaining to the subjects below, as they relate to Honors.

Please, click on the links to go to that subject matter.

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General 

Academics

Admissions

Advising

Bama Bound

Housing 

General Questions

Generally, our students say that Honors classes are not necessarily more difficult, but more engaging and emphasize student-motivated learning. We encourage students to take departmental honors courses in their areas of strength. At the same time, taking Honors courses can demonstrate an eagerness and initiative that is impressive to graduate and professional schools.

The Honors College works together with the academic colleges to provide an environment where students can find their place, become engaged and ultimately leave their mark at UA and the greater community.

The Honors College is home to an engaged and diverse community of transdisciplinary scholars, transcending the boundaries of disciplinary perspectives for a holistic approach to solving the very complex issues we face today and will face tomorrow.

Through the Honors College, students will have access to smaller and unique class options, a dedicated Honors residential community, eight signature and thematic programs, faculty-led study abroad experiences, Honors College scholarships for current UA students and dedicated Honors College Faculty, Staff and Advisors.

There are no majors housed within the Honors College. Think of the Honors College as a supplemental enhancement to your educational experience. In fact, our students represent almost every major on campus, from engineering to fashion design.

All Honors College students must maintain a 3.5* UA GPA to graduate with the Honors College designation. Your transcript will indicate an Honors College designation upon successful completion of the Honors College requirements, which includes at least 18 hours of Honors courses. You will also receive an Honors cord and an Honors certificate of completion in addition to your diploma.

* Students with a 2019 catalog year or earlier must maintain a 3.3 overall GPA. 3.5 UA GPA for students on a 2020 catalog year forward.

Make sure to check out the Honors College Requirements for more specific requirements.

For education abroad opportunities led by faculty members in the Honors College, visit the Honors Abroad page. For additional education abroad opportunities outside of the Honors College, visit the Education Abroad Office.

Incoming first-year and transfer students will register at their Bama Bound orientation session. Current UA students will register according to the registration dates and times published by the Office of the University Registrar.

Summer and Fall registration usually opens in March while Spring registration normally opens in October.

As a member of The University of Alabama Honors College, you are a member of our Assembly. The Honors College Assembly provides numerous opportunities for students to participate in the non-academic programming of the Honors College.

Academics Questions

No. Honors College courses factor into a student’s GPA as would any non-Honors course. For more information about GPAs, please refer to the Undergraduate Catalog.

Departmental honors courses are offered through the department and college in which the course is based (for example, the Biology Department in The College of Arts and Sciences). Departmental honors courses are on average smaller in enrollment than their non-Honors counterparts, will be limited to only Honors students and will feature top-flight faculty members. Honors students may opt to take departmental honors courses, but are not required to take the Honors sections of courses. Departmental honors courses count as Honors Elective credit.

To apply for Honors College graduation consideration, a student must first complete The University of Alabama’s graduation application. The Honors College graduation application is free and may be found under the Academics tab of your myBama account (within the “Honors College” block). *Students may only apply for the term in which they will receive their UA degree.

Please check out the Commencement website for information about the UA graduation application and commencement programs each semester.

The Honors College graduation application is open during these timeframes:

  • Students graduating in May – January through May
  • Students graduating in August – May through August
  • Students graduating in December – August through December

Watch the Honors College newsletter and social media for detailed information and reminders about when and how to apply for Honors College graduation!

A student may graduate with both Latin honors and Honors College designation, but a student does NOT have to be in the Honors College in order to receive a Latin honors designation. Students do not complete an application in order to graduate with Latin honors designation.

For full details about Latin honors visit the Undergraduate Catalog.

We do not accept any transfer credits towards the Honors College requirements.

The Honors College does not give capacity overrides for Honors classes that are full. We also do not have wait lists associated with “UH” courses. We encourage students to diligently check the course each day to see if any open spots become available. You have until the last day of “add/drop” each semester to finalize your course schedule.

Admissions Questions

You may apply any time after receiving admittance to The University of Alabama. However, it is recommended to apply as soon as you’ve been accepted to UA due to other deadlines for housing, etc.

If a counselor will not release the letter of recommendation to students to upload, the counselor needs to email it directly to honors@ua.edu. If the student is able, they can upload while applying.

Typically applications are evaluated every 8-10 business days. We will notify you first via your Crimson E-mail account and you will receive a physical letter in the mail.

Entering freshmen with composite ACT scores of at least 30 or composite SAT scores of at least 1360 and at least a 3.5 high school GPA are invited to apply to the Honors College. For in-state students with a 28 ACT or SAT equivalent (or higher) they may be admitted with a counselor letter of recommendation or documentation stating that they are in the top 5% of their high school class.

Upon receipt of their Honors College freshmen applications, all National Merit Finalists and National Recognition Scholars are admitted automatically (but they must submit the Honors application). Students will be notified of their acceptance by e-mail.

Admission to the Randall Research Scholars Program and the University Fellows Experience is a more involved admissions process reserved for incoming freshmen.

Yes! We have a test-optional policy that allows you to apply if you have at least a 3.7 GPA. This requires submission of additional documents with the application. Visit our application page to learn more about how to apply test-optionally.

Yes! Current UA students with a minimum overall 3.5 GPA and at least 12 hours of UA coursework will be accepted into the Honors College upon submission of an application. All students who apply with greater than 25 hours should touch base with an Honors College advisor prior to finalizing their admissions into the Honors College. Students will be notified of their acceptance by email.

You can schedule an in-depth visit to the Honors College by filling out our “Schedule a Visit” request form here: https://honors.ua.edu/schedule-a-visit/. With at least two weeks’ notice, we will arrange visits across campus that match your interests in addition to an Honors College information session.

Please submit an academic resume detailing any honors or advanced classes taken, extracurricular involvement, leadership positions, community service or other activities that you are involved in. This can be in a very basic resume format.

Yes, you must be admitted to The University of Alabama before applying to the Honors College.

Yes, the Honors College has rolling admissions. If you are an enrolled UA student and meet the requirements, we encourage you to apply to the Honors College.

We do not currently offer any scholarships for incoming freshman through the Honors College. However, all Honors College students are eligible for merit-based scholarships through Undergraduate Admissions. The Honors College does offer scholarship opportunities for current UA students in good standing within the Honors College. For more information, please visit our Honors College Scholarship website.

Advising Questions

No. However, we strongly recommend taking at least one Honors course each semester and no more than two.

Yes.

To connect with one of our Honors College advisors,

No. Advising for your major and minor will be done by an advisor in your home college.

 

There are three options to make an appointment to see your Honors College advisor:

  • Use our Ask an Honors Advisor form,
  • Reach out to us via phone, 205-348-5500 or
  • Email honors@ua.edu to schedule an advising appointment.
    • Be sure to mention that you wish to schedule an advising appointment in your message.

Regardless of how you decide to make an appointment, you will need to provide the following information:

  • first and last name,
  • CWID,
  • phone number,
  • why you are requesting an appointment,
  • your availability.

Providing this information helps us prepare for our meeting. If you send an email appointment request, please allow up to two business days for a response.

Please note we do not offer same day advising appointments or walk-ins.

Advisors play an active role in helping students reach their personal, professional and academic goals. We help students define their goals, assist with class selection, ensure all Honors College requirements are being met and appropriate progress is being made, help interpret policies and procedures and connect you with campus resources.

No, Honors advising is not mandatory. However, your Honors College advisor is here to help you whenever you need it. You can make an appointment to see us each semester before class registration to talk about honors requirements or to ask us questions throughout the semester about classes, resources and ways to get plugged in to the Honors College. We are here to help all year long so come and see us.

Honors College advisors are available to meet throughout the academic year. If you are preparing for upcoming class registration, we recommend meeting with your home college major advisor first. Then, come meet with an Honors College advisor to discuss the Honors portion of your plan of study.

Be proactive in scheduling advising appointments. Honors College advisors may have less availability during peak advising and registration periods (e.g. March/April and October/November).

While our advisors can provide some general professional guidance, the best resource to utilize is the Career Center. You can contact the Career Center. You can contact the Career Center by emailing career@ua.edu, calling 205-348-5848 or by stopping by their office located at 3400 Ferguson Student Center.

DegreeWorks is The University of Alabama’s degree audit system, and you will use it throughout your entire undergraduate career. The Office of the University Registrar has a page with tutorials and FAQs regarding Degree Works.

Classification Qualification

  • Freshman: 0 – 30 hours
  • Sophomore: 31 – 60 hours
  • Junior: 61 – 90 hours
  • Senior: 91+ hours
  • Post-graduate: any student who has completed an undergraduate degree and is taking courses towards another undergraduate degree or as a non-degree seeking student.

You can check your classification by looking in Degree Works and finding your “Classification” on the left-hand side.

You can drop a class without a grade of “W” (withdrawal) during the first week of classes.
Before dropping a class, we strongly encourage you to speak to your home college major advisor. If, after meeting with your advisor, you feel dropping a course is the best option, follow these steps:

  1. Go to myBama.
  2. Click the “Add/Drop Classes” link on the Student tab.
  3. Click on “Drop/Delete” from the dropdown menu next to the class you intend to drop.
  4. Click “Submit.”

A grade of “W” will be issued for the dropped course if dropped within the first ten (10) weeks of the semester. After the first 10 weeks, you may NOT withdraw from a course. Please contact your home college major advisor for assistance.

In the Honors College, a student is considered to be in “good standing” if they maintain a UA GPA of 3.5* or higher. Students who remain in the Honors College below a 3.5* UA GPA are not considered to be in good standing and may be placed on Honors College probation and/or suspension. Students who are suspended from the Honors College will be automaticall reinstated once their UA GPA increases to/above the 3.5 UA GPA threshold.

*Students with a 2019 catalog year or earlier must maintain a 3.3 overall GPA. 3.5 UA GPA for students on a 2020 catalog year forward.

Please be aware that The University of Alabama’s academic standing policy differs from that of the Honors College.

Please check out the Honors College Scholarships page of our website for the most up to date information. The Honors College Tuition Support application is due March 1 each year, and students may access this application by going to myBama > Student tab > Honors College block.

Students must be in good standing within the Honors College (3.5* overall GPA or higher) in order to apply for Honors College scholarships.

*Students with a 2019 catalog year or earlier must maintain a 3.3 overall GPA. 3.5 UA GPA for students on a 2020 catalog year forward.

Should you encounter any “UH” course registration issues, or if you need to request a permit for a UH course, please fill out the UH Course Permit Request form. An Honors College advisor will get back in touch with you, via your Crimson email address, within 48 hours.

If you are encountering an issue with an Honors course that does not have UH in the course title (e.g., EN 103), please reach out to the department which oversees that course.

If you are thinking about withdrawing from the Honors College, we encourage you to consider meeting with an Honors College advisor first.

If you are certain you want to withdraw from the Honors College, email honors@ua.edu with your full name, CWID and a statement requesting withdrawal.

You are welcome to schedule an appointment Monday – Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.  and 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. with an Honors College advisor.

Yes! The Accelerated Master’s Program will allow you to earn graduate level credit while you are still an undergraduate, and this credit will also apply to your Honors requirements. We encourage highly motivated students who wish to pursue a Master’s degree at The University of Alabama to consider the Accelerated Master’s Program.

If you would like to request to have your graduate-level coursework applied to your Honors College record, please complete the 500-Level Graduate Course Credit Request for Honors Elective Form.

Bama Bound Questions

You will meet with an advisor from the college of your home major. And, we encourage you to reach out to an Honors College advisor anytime you have questions.  We’re here to help Monday through Friday!

No. The Honors College does not allow AP/IB/CLEP or transfer work to count toward Honors College credit requirements.

No, there is not. The content will be the same in each Bama Bound session.

Housing Questions

Students in the Honors College live in residence halls across campus and make their selections based on location, cost, roommate choice, etc. Housing selection is based on date of housing application, so students who really wish to choose their own housing and have the most choices should apply as soon as possible, after being admitted to UA. Students who apply for housing after February 1 will be assigned by Housing and Residential Communities. For more information, visit the HRC website.

Living in Honors housing is an option, not a requirement.

Non-Honors students are not able to live in Honors housing, nor can they be invited by Honors students.