<p>My DS is interested in pursuing an ME degree while participating in the honors program. Would this be too difficult? A 3.3 GPA must be maintained to continue in the honors program. I am concerned he will be overwhelmed. </p>
<p>Have your DS apply for the honors program. He can benefit from honors classes and programs that will encourage him to do his best. My DS likes being in the honors dorm because he is associating with like minded students who tend to be more interested in getting good grades. Plus the honors students get privledges that non-honor students don’t get… like not having to move their car on game day. </p>
<p>He was accepted to honors and he’s very excited about the challenge, but the additional perks, I did know about.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman engineering student and a member of the Honors Program. A significant percentage of Honors students are from the School of Engineering (they quoted the percentage, but I can’t remember exact number). So far, requirements seem attainable. AP credits help by freeing up space in the schedule. I understand that the advisors/leadership of the Honors Program advise Engineering students in planning their schedules because there is a shared goal to have engineers complete the requirements and graduate in honors. There are perks, housing and social connections, priority registration that are enticing. The honors sections of courses can also be desirable because they are smaller and taught by exceptional professors. I would suggest starting in honors, and seeing how it goes.</p>
<p>The perks are worth the effort. If it works out, then super. If it doesn’t, then at least you had the benefits while they lasted. :)</p>
<p>When my eng’g son was in the HC, he took the eng’g Honors classes, at least one Honors calculus class, Honors Deductive Logic, and he did a couple of the fun offerings…Alabama in Costa Rica, the Honors class where they teach kids chess, an Honors class where they helped high school kids prepare for their AP exams, and maybe something I’m not remembering. </p>
<p>Oh wow! That all sounds great! Thank you! Feeling relieved. </p>
<p>Honors students get priority registration for classes. Honors freshmen get to make their schedules before all non-honors students, even seniors. Honors students rarely get shut out of classes they need, and can usually build the schedule they want. This perk cannot be understated. </p>
<p>As for the classes, the requirement for an honors degree are no big deal. Usually satisfied just by taking the honors version of your required classes. According to DS, an honors EE student, those classes are not really harder than the regular class. They are just smaller and more engaging. If you are accepted to honors, you already have the goods to do well in those classes.</p>
<p>Chardo thank you for your input on this. My DS will be EE, and Honors also and this is reassuring to a parent of a incoming freshman.</p>
<p>Unless a student is entering UA with their lower division core curriculum requirements complete or almost complete, it’s typically very manageable for them to complete the requirements for the University Honors Program (UHP). Engineers typically do well in honors courses provided they understand how to manage time commitments and are willing to speak up in what are usually discussion-based classes.</p>
<p>Think of it this way; UHP requires 18 credits, 6 of which need to be from a set of selected UH or IHP courses. Provided a student can complete these 6 credits, the rest of the UHP course requirements can be satisfied via other UH/IHP courses, departmental honors courses, honors by contract courses (limit 2 courses), or graduate (500/600 level) courses. For most UHP students, they complete the requirements after taking 6 honors courses.</p>
<p>Unlike the honors programs at other universities, UA’s Honors College operates more as a facilitating organization for honors students. There’s really no such thing as a “typical” honors student at UA because UA has so many different honors programs and wants all students (with a GPA of 3.3 or higher) to be able to participate in the Honors College if they so desire.</p>
<p>For those parents already preparing for their students’ lives after college, I know many people who found their future spouse through Honors College events.</p>
<p>Ok, I have mentioned this before in other threads, but I’ll mention it again. There are two types of “honors” designation at UA. (actually, there are many others, but I’ll focus on just these two for now) One designation is earned through the Honors College, and one designation can be earned through each engineering department. So, for example, one can ‘easily’ complete the Honors College requirements of 18 credit hours in honors classes, true. But, to earn an honors designation in one’s engineering MAJOR is quite a different story. </p>
<p>Let’s look at Aero-space Eng’g, as an example. There is a separate honors program just for this major, and this is not an automatic thing based on your GPA and test scores. You have to apply for this program: <a href=“Honors Program – Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics | The University of Alabama”>About – Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics | The University of Alabama. A student will find that these honors courses are considerably more challenging than merely taking honors seminars and lower division honors courses such as Honors Introductory Chem, Honors Physics, Honors Calc, Honors MicroEcon, etc. </p>
<p>A quick look at each eng’g department at UA yields a similar requirement to apply to the departmental honors program. There is a link for each eng’g department’s honors program on each department’s website. IMO, the aero- and the chem-/bio- eng’g honors programs appear to be the most challenging and include quite stringent requirements which include a bucket-load of level 400 and 500 courses.</p>
<p>Better yet, here is a summary link to all DEPARTMENTAL Honors programs at UA, including all 7 eng’g disciplines + 8 other departments across campus: <a href=“http://honors.ua.edu/programs/campus-programs/”>http://honors.ua.edu/programs/campus-programs/</a>.</p>
<p>It is one thing to be a member of the Honors College throughout your time there and satisfy the Honors College requirements. It is another thing altogether to receive a Departmental Honors Certificate at graduation. I’d be interested in hearing from any students or families of students who are choosing to complete their Departmental Honors Certificate.</p>
<p>If a student is entering with a lot of the lower level core major requirements, how difficult is it to fulfill the honors requirements? Ds did call earlier and based on what he was told, I was under the impression he could get individual courses to qualify as honors by working with the dept/professor. Is that incorrect?</p>
<p>My ds will be starting with 300 level credit for some of his courses.</p>
<p>Mom2aphysicsgeek: Does your student want UHP (University Honors Program) info, or Departmental Honors Program info? Re the UHP, as an incoming student w/ many of the ‘lower’ courses already completed, he might find it difficult (not in terms of content, but in terms of no-room-in-schedule) to complete the 18 UHP credit hours, because these are usually earned by taking UH mentoring courses and seminars (UH105, UH120, UH333, etc.), as well as the ‘lower’ division departmental honors courses (Honors Chem, Honors Calc, Honors Physics, Honors MicroEcon, Honors Psych, etc.). Look at the link I provided above for DEPARTMENTAL honors programs, and have him click on the appropriate link for his major (if it is one of the 15 listed), and there will be info on the departmental website on how to apply for honors credit for a class (called “Honors By Contract”). Note that all requests for H-b-C need to be put in before a class starts.</p>
<p>my student will graduate with the departmental honors designation (ChE).</p>
<p>it is a bit difficult to get the required honors credits if you are coming in with a lot of your gen. ed. completed, but it is not impossible. you just have to be mindful to try to get those honors hours when you can. then you can fill in a few with honors by contract.</p>
<p>Elaborating on my previous post, students who enter UA with a lot of college credits often find that that they already have credit for many of the 100/200-level honors courses. In order to satisfy the requirements for UHP, they need to take 18 honors credits, 6 of which are from specific UH/IHP courses. The key here is to take UH versions, if available, of the core curriculum requirements one still needs to complete, one of which is often the fine/performing arts requirement. The literature requirement is also one that many incoming students with large amounts of college credit have not yet fulfilled. The English department offers several honors literature courses. Note that one can take American Literature 2 without taking American Literature 1, take American literature without taking English literature, etc.</p>
<p>With the above two suggestions, one already has 6 honors credits, 3 of which are UH credits. I highly suggest students take IHP 105 or IHP 155, the latter being the freshman-only version of the former. IHP 105/155 count towards UH requirements and provide an excellent look at how to work in other countries and with people from other cultures. Right there one has all 6 UH credits completed and 9 of the 18 required honors credits completed. </p>
<p>In the above example, a student would have 9 more honors credits to complete. 6 of these credits could be satisfied via honors by contract. A student could also take the honors versions of two calculus courses (4 credits each) and a 1-credit UH course which counts towards UHP requirements. Students in a combined bachelor’s/masters degree program or a departmental honors program will take graduate level courses which also count as honors courses. If none of the above apply, they can always take the 500-level versions of selected 400-level classes.</p>
<p>SEA_tide, so can they accomplish most of the hours via 500 level credits? </p>
<p>How does the honors work? I just checked the EE honors and they have to complete the university honors requirements. The physics dept’s honors program isn’t clear on their pg. What about the specialty honors programs like CBHP? Do they have to fulfill general honors requirements? </p>
<p>I know he was concerned when he was first looking at the requirements. That is why he called and told it was not a problem. But, now I am wondering if he needs to investigate this more thoroughly.</p>
<p>“What about the specialty honors programs like CBHP? Do they have to fulfill general honors requirements?”</p>
<p>CBHers use their CBH credits to fultill most of their UHP req’ts. They also need to take 6 credits of Honors College classes (UH). There is a IHP class that will also count. </p>
<p><a href=“http://honors.ua.edu/academics/honors-requirements/”>http://honors.ua.edu/academics/honors-requirements/</a></p>
<p>University Honors Graduation Requirements</p>
<p>1) Minimum OVERALL GPA of 3.3
2) Minimum of 18 hours of Honors courses including:
a) 6 hours of Honors Seminars:
i) Seminars are UH courses at the 100, 200, or 300 level
(1) IHP 105 or IHP 155 may be used as a seminar
(2) UH 400 courses are NOT considered seminars
ii) Many UH courses can be retaken provided the course content differs. See the
Honors College for current repeat limits.
b) 12 additional hours of Honors Electives:
i) Electives are UH, Departmental Honors, Honors by Contract, Graduate,
or CBH courses
(1) Honors by Contract is limited to six hours
Pass/Fail courses are limited to two hours
3) Completion of an Honors College Graduation Application</p>
<p>Computer-Based Honors Program Graduation Requirements</p>
<p>1) Minimum OVERALL GPA of 3.3
2) CBH 101 and 102
3) Four 3 credit projects combining the student’s research and computer applications
4) Completion of an Honors College Graduation Application</p>
<p>University Fellows Experience Graduation Requirements</p>
<p>1) Minimum OVERALL GPA of 3.3
2) UH 120: Freshman Fellows Experience
3) UH 101: Freshman Fellows Experience II
4) UH 120: Sophomore Fellows Experience I/II (2012+ Cohorts Only)
5) Completion of The Black Belt Experience
6) Completion of an Honors College Graduation Application</p>
<p>International Honors Program Graduation Requirements</p>
<p>1) At least 9 hours in any combination of the following courses:
a. IHP 105 OR IHP 155
b. UH courses with an “International Honors” attribute
c. UH 400 Independent Study on “International Material”
d. Honors by Contract with an additional project on “International Material”
2) At least 12 hours in any combination of foreign language coursework
a. Transfer credit and documented proficiency fulfill the requirement
3) Study abroad for one semester or two summer terms
a. Semester: Fall, Spring, or Full Summer
b. Summer term: Interim, Summer I, or Summer II
c. All experiences must be completed through Capstone International
i. Courses, research, internships, and service programs all fulfill the requirement
4) 3.3 Overall GPA
5) Completion of an Honors College Graduation Application</p>
<p>While most CBHP students complete UHP, it’s not required. University Fellows (UFE) are required to complete UHP. It’s interesting that EE requires its honors students to complete an honors program managed by the Honors College (UHP/CBHP/UFE) as most departments don’t seem to have such a requirement.</p>
<p>I and many other people I know used 500-level classes to earn the honors credits required to graduate from UHP. A lot of UA’s 400-level courses are also 500-level courses, the difference being that 500-level courses require an extra paper, project, or homework assignment of the professor’s choice and might have a harder grading scale. </p>
<p>Sea_tide, I was just digging around on the EE site, and they have a scholars program where the 500 level course can count toward both his BS and and masters. Maybe this is something he should look into some more. He was originally focusing just on physics, so he missed a lot of the info on the EE side.</p>
<p>Does anyone have experience with this.scholars program? </p>
<p>^^
Is that the University Scholars Program? </p>