University Honors College
Dr. Paul Streufert, Dean
The University Honors College provides specialized content and programming for high-achieving and intellectually curious students at our university. Academically, the program emphasizes small, unique courses with engaged faculty and rigorous undergraduate research. The Honors College is made up of a diverse, motivated community of students that reflects the population and people of the East Texas region. We seek out and encourage intellectual curiosity, academic opportunity, and community engagement.
Eligibility
The Honors College is open to all majors. Students may enter the Honors College in the fall semester of their first year or in a subsequent fall semester as a transfer student. The application for admission to the Honors College is separate from the application for admission to the university and must be submitted separately. Contact the Honors College at honors@uttyler.edu for additional information.
Honors Scholar Scholarship and Honors Endowed Scholarship
First year students who meet the entrance requirements for the University Honors College are eligible to receive either the Honors Scholars Scholarship or the Honors Endowed Scholarship. Transfer students who meet the entrance requirements for the University Honors College are eligible to receive the Honors Endowed Scholarship. First year students will receive one of these scholarships for up to four years as long as they remain in good standing in the Honors College. Students who enter the Honors College after the freshman year are eligible to receive the Honors Endowed Scholarship for up to 3 years as long as they remain in good standing with the Honors College.
Honors Curriculum
The curriculum of the UT Tyler Honors College consists of academic and community requirements. All students who join the Honors College as a first-year student are required to take HNRS 1351 and HNRS 1352 without exception. All students in the Honors College are required to participate in at least one Honors academic experience each semester. This could be an honors credited class, an Honors in the Major class, or a Contract Course. Honors in the Major courses and Contract Courses are reserved for students who have begun upper division coursework in their major. Without exception, all students in the Honors College must complete an Honors Senior Project during the last year of their undergraduate degree, and they must present their project at the Lyceum and one additional academic conference or academic publication. Outside of these basic academic requirements, typically all honors students must participate in a designated number of experiential events each semester to remain in good standing in the College.
Honors Zero-Credit Seminars
In consultation with Honors faculty and staff, Honors students should enroll in the appropriate section of a zero-credit Honors seminar HNRS 1000, HNRS 2000, HNRS 3000, or HNRS 4000, as required. These courses ensure progress on requirements and student wellness.
Honors Events and Experiential Learning
The Honors College offers a variety of ways that honors students can participate in the College to remain in good standing. All students must engage in at least one academic Honors experience each semester; however, each student can choose between additional academic experiences, community experiences, and service experiences to meet their honors requirements each semester. Ideally, every Honors student will engage in academic, community, and service events every semester. Students are given a schedule outlining their options at the beginning of each semester.
The Honors College houses additional programs that promote academic engagement for motivated and gifted students at UT Tyler.
The Archer Fellowship Program
The Archer Fellowship Program sends students to Washington, D.C. for a semester to take specialized classes and participate in a full-time internship. Undergraduate students take 15 hours of classwork (CMST 4329, POLS 4380, POLS 4390, POLS 4685) in the fall or spring semester, and graduate students take 9 hours in a summer semester (POLS 5380, POLS 5381, POLS 5382). For more information regarding eligibility and application, contact Archer@uttyler.edu or visit www.archercenter.org.
Distinguished Scholarships
The Honors College supports all UT Tyler students in their pursuit of nationally competitive scholarships and awards. Students interested in pursuing a distinguished scholarship (e.g. Fulbright, Truman, etc.) should contact honors@uttyler.edu.