Admitted students seeking a bachelor’s degree can graduate with University Honors by earning a total of 28 Honors points, completing an Honors Capstone Project, and maintaining a minimum 3.25 USU/overall GPA.
How Many Points Should Students Earn by the End of Each Year?
Honors has set guidelines for the number of points that students should have earned by the end of each year in the program. NOTE: Transfer and current USU students who apply to Honors are admitted with up to 12 points, which count toward this four-year plan.
End of Year One
5-10 points
By the end of this year, students should have earned 5-10 points focused on co-curriculars, courses, and structured Honors-in-Practice work.
End of Year Two
10-15 Points
By the end of year two, students should have earned 10-15 points focused on courses and independent and structured Honors-in-Practice work.
End of Year Three
15-20 Points
By the end of year three, students should have earned 15-20 points focused on Honors-in-Practice and pre-capstone work. They should be on track to earn the required 28 points for graduation with University Honors.
End of Year Four
20-28 points
Students need 28 points to graduate with University Honors. By the end of year four, they should have earned 20-27 points (if they are not yet graduating) or 28 points, if they are graduating.
How Do Students Earn Honors Points?
Honors points track each student's progress toward completing program requirements and meeting Honors Learning Outcomes. Students earn Honors points by engaging in four areas of the Honors curriculum. Honors points give students credit for developing mentoring relationships with professors, building portfolios of independent project-based work, and articulating the value of a USU education.
The point maximums and recommendations below are designed to guide rather than dictate progress toward graduation with University Honors. Because this curriculum is carefully tailored to each student’s goals, all Honors students should schedule an Honors advising appointment to create an individualized plan. Our sample plan also offers a sense of what a student’s path might look like. NOTE: If you have recently joined Honors as a current USU or transfer student, please see additional information below for Current/Transfer Students.
6 POINTS maximum
Honors students engage with the USU community by attending and reflecting on campus, community, or virtual co-curricular events that enrich their college experience. Honors students earn half a point when they submit a brief reflection describing the impact of an activity on their USU experience. Students can earn a maximum of 6 points for co-curricular engagement activities during their time in the University Honors Program.
18 POINTS maximum
Honors courses are designed to create community among Honors students across disciplines and to meet USU’s General Education or other major requirements. Students earn 1-4 points (1 credit = 1 point) for every Honors course or Honors section of a departmental course they successfully complete. During their first year, all Honors students are required to take one non-capstone Honors elective course in addition to USU 1010: Honors Connections. Students can earn a maximum of 18 points by completing Honors coursework.
Variable POINTS maximum
Honors in Practice (HIP) allows students to apply their academic knowledge outside the classroom. HIP dares students to think imaginatively and practically about the value of experiential learning by engaging in research, creative projects, community service, and interdisciplinary collaboration. This work often lays the foundation for both Honors Capstone Projects and future professional paths by training students to take responsibility for their own learning and to communicate its value to others. The University Honors Program offers various pathways toward earning the recommended 9 to 12 points for HIP.
5 POINTS
In their final semesters, all Honors students complete an Honors Capstone Project, earning a total of 5 Honors points (1 point each for the proposal and work plan, and 3 points for the capstone itself). The ultimate “Dare to Know,” the Honors Capstone empowers students to follow their curiosity, express their passions, and demonstrate their growth by managing a long-term project on the topic of their choice. Honors Capstones offer professional training, opportunities to shape graduate school essays and publications, and evidence of independent initiative. Capstone mentors provide students with detailed recommendation letters, reliable advice about how to structure and complete their projects, connections to other professionals in their fields, and insight into the pursuit of professional goals.
Note for Current/Transfer Students
Transfer or existing USU students who apply to the University Honors Program after their first semester in college must still earn 28 points to graduate with University Honors, but most students enter with some Honors points awarded based on prior work articulated in their applications. Students should schedule an appointment with an Honors academic advisor to map Honors requirements onto their individual USU degree plans.
Students can earn their 28 Honors points through a combination of the following:
- Credit for Past Work: Previous Honors course credits transfer directly (3 credits = 3 Honors points) and academic work outside the classroom typically earns 3 points per an experience of at least 20 hours. Students can earn up to 12 points for these kinds of past work.
- Credit for Present Work: During their 4-6 remaining semesters at USU, Honors students admitted after their first year earn points as all Honors students do: they complete and document work in the four key areas of the Honors curriculum.