Overview of Requirements

The University Honors Program curriculum changed to include Honors Experience requirements beginning in fall 2026. Students admitted before fall 2026 who are on track to graduate with University Honors may continue following their original curriculum path. Students who have questions about which curriculum path applies to them should contact their Honors Academic Advisor.

The University Honors Program maps flexibly and seamlessly onto any associate or bachelor's degree program.

Students in associate or bachelor's degree programs can graduate with the Honors Experience transcript designation by earning 14 points and maintaining a minimum 3.0 USU/overall GPA. Students in bachelor's degree programs can graduate with the Honors Experience and University Honors transcript designations by earning 28 Honors points and maintaining a minimum 3.25 USU/overall GPA. The two transcript designations are stackable and appear on a graduate's diploma and transcript.

Honors points track a student’s progress in meeting both program requirements and Honors Learning Outcomes. As they earn their first 14 Honors points, all students complete foundational, structured experiences, as well as an Honors Portfolio showcasing their best work. Meeting these requirements fulfills the Honors Experience transcript designation. Students in bachelor’s degree programs then move into the second half of the Honors curriculum, where they can earn the University Honors transcript designation by completing an additional 14 points (28 total) through increasingly independent work, including an Honors Capstone Project of their choice. Both the Honors Experience Portfolio and University Honors Capstone highlight a student’s hands-on learning and reflection, so they can clearly show and tell future employers or graduate programs what they can do.

The links below outline details for students completing an associate degree program (Honors Experience) or a bachelor's degree program (Honors Experience and University Honors).

Honors Experience

University Honors

Four-year Honors timeline. It begins with pre-program requirements, then moves through structured foundational experiences in years 1 and 2: 5-10 points and portfolio preparation by the end of year 1, and 10-15 points and portfolio completion by the end of year 2, which earns the Honors Experience designation. Flexible individualized experiences follow in years 3 and 4: 15-20 points and capstone preparation by the end of year 3, and 20-28 points and capstone completion by the end of year 4, which earns the University Honors designation. Associate degree requirements span the first two years, and bachelor's degree requirements span all four.