University Honors Program

Mission and Vision

Vision: The honors program is a community of independent thinkers committed to the pursuit of academic excellence and global engagement.

Mission: The University Honors Program promotes intellectual excellence, critical thinking, and global engagement through seminar-style courses, difficult dialogues, and mentored independent research. Student-directed Honors programming builds community ties and fosters student leadership in the campus community and beyond.

General Information

The University Honors Program is the umbrella Honors Program for the entire University, providing Santa Clara’s most academically accomplished students with intellectual opportunities based in small, seminar-style classes, especially in courses fulfilling Undergraduate Core Curriculum requirements. The UHP course of study combines broadly based, liberal learning with depth of specialization in a major field. UHP courses are designed to fit within the curricula of the humanities, natural and social sciences, business, and engineering. Possible majors include every undergraduate field in the University. With an average of 17 students each, seminars emphasize analytical rigor, effective expression, and interaction among professors and students. In the classroom and in the UHP community. UHP students enjoy a level of collaboration exceptional, even at Santa Clara University.

Notable Features

The University Honors Program features priority registration, housing in four of the eight RLCs, community events and conversations, a mentored yearlong senior thesis or project, and special fellowships and scholarships available only to Honors students.

How and When to Apply

Level I

The Honors Program admits 85 first-year students each fall into what is called Level I. Students apply after they have been admitted to SCU.  Level I includes a curriculum of nine Honors-level courses plus a senior thesis. See the UHP website for more detail.

Level II

First-year students who have established a grade point average of 3.75 after completing two full time quarters of study at Santa Clara may apply for admission to Level II. Applicants will be evaluated for entry into Level II based on academic performance, endorsements from two faculty members, and a short essay. To complete the Honors program, students must take Honors 20; one Honors RTC or Ethics; four Honors electives; and complete a senior thesis. Students must submit applications for Level II by the end of week 4 in the spring quarter of their first year. Level II application forms are available on the UHP website.

Students who transfer from another institution are encouraged to contact UHP to be considered for admission to the program as soon as they have been admitted to SCU, based on their prior academic record.

Qualifications for First-Year Admission

Honors is a selective program that admits a small group of students each year from across the University, approximately 5% of the incoming class. Although there is no minimum academic requirement to apply to the Honors program, our students are typically high achieving, have pursued a rigorous course curriculum in high school, and are engaged in a range of activities beyond their academic interests. We are seeking a diverse class that brings a variety of life experiences and perspectives to our community.