Overview

The Honors Scholars Program (HSP) provides CU Denver undergraduates with opportunities to create an individualized curriculum so they can identify, develop, and accomplish challenging and enriching learning experiences. Students may combine curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities to design a path to completion of the honors certificate.

Students must complete the equivalent of 15 credit hours of honors-identified work and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 to earn the certificate.

Students may enter HSP at any time. To be eligible for the program, students must have a cumulative 3.25 GPA or better. Students with a lower GPA may petition for a waiver for entry into the certificate program.   

Details on how to apply and on how to complete the certificate can be found at www.ucdenver.edu/honors.

Program Requirements

The Certificate has two elements:

Curricular: Students complete 12 credit hours of coursework (or 15 hours if they opt out of the extra- and co-curricular activities described below). The curricular requirement might be accomplished through fulfillment of a range of activities including, but not limited to, an honors section of a course, a first-year experience seminar designated as honors, a 5000-level course (by permission of instructor), thesis credit hours in a department, an honors contract negotiated with faculty to extend assignments in existing courses, and/or an independent study. No more than 12 credits from one course prefix (e.g, COMM, ECON, CRJU, etc.) can be applied toward the certificate.

Extra-Curricular: Students who wish to replace one course with extra-curricular or co-curricular activities will need to complete 90 total hours of engagement that enhance student learning. These may include, but are limited to, participation in EUReCA! grants or other extra-curricular mentored research, presentation at conferences, colloquia, or seminars, participation in RaCAS, performances, exhibitions, or leadership activities, community service and engagement, study abroad, internships, or completion of honors workshops. To earn credit, students must propose an activity and specify the time commitment and the ways it enhances their education or development. These activities will be evaluated, approved, and tracked by honors program staff, advisors, faculty, and administrators.

Curriculum

To earn the HSP Certificate, students must complete 15 credit hours of honors-level work and maintain a cumulative 3.25 GPA or better.

Students may do so in a variety of ways, including:

• an honors section of a course, offered by a department
• a first-year experience seminar designated as honors
• a 5000-level course (by permission of instructor)
• departmental thesis credit
• an honors contract negotiated with faculty to extend assignments in existing courses
• an independent study

Students may replace three (3) credit hours of coursework with co-curricular or extra-curricular activities that may include but are not limited to:

• Undergraduate (EUReCA!) research grants or other mentored research conferences, colloquia, or seminar presentations
• Research and Creative Activities Symposium (RaCAS)
• Performances
• Exhibitions
• Leadership activities
• Community service and engagement
• Study abroad
• Internships
• Honors workshop