Where can I apply?
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Our online application can be found here.
Can I be in a departmental honors program and the University Honors Program?
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Yes! Neither excludes the other as long as you fulfill each program's requirements.
What special courses are offered to Honors Students?
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Honors Seminars are one (1) unit courses that Honors Scholars are required to take once an academic year.
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Other Honors Courses that are offered can be counted towards General Education and major requirements.
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Additional information regarding Honors Courses can be found here.
Do I have to be an incoming freshman to apply?
- For Fall 2025, we are accepting applications from first year, admitted students and continuing, UCM students who will be second-year students in the 2025-2026 academic year.
I am currently enrolled at UC Merced. Can I apply for the Honors Program?
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Current first-year UCM students may apply as continuing students starting Spring 2025 for the Fall 2025 cohort.
Can I apply as a transfer student?
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Incoming lower division transfer students may apply for the program starting Spring 2026 for the Fall 2026 cohort.
Am I able to submit multiple items for the Creative Product portion of my application?
- We kindly ask that you submit only one (1) Creative Product for your application.
Do I have to live on campus in order to officially participate in the University Honors Program?
- No, you do not have to live on campus in order to officially join the program!
- For Honors Scholars that are electing to live on campus, we offer them a chance to live within the Honors Living Learning Community (Honors LLC). However, it is not required for an Honors Scholar to live on campus.
- We do expect all Honors Scholars to attend mandatory workshops/meetings on campus (whether you live on or off campus).
- Once we get closer to the start of the semester, we will send out important dates to all Honors Scholars.
I applied for the Fall 2025 cohort - when should I expect to receive decisions if I am admitted to the program?
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We aim to notify all applicants of our decisions in mid-March 2025. Decisions will be sent out on a rolling basis.
I am placed on the waitlist for the Fall 2025 cohort - what happens next?
- If a spot becomes available for the 2025-2026 academic year, we will reach out to those on our waitlist as soon as possible. If you have a specific question about the decision you received, please email us directly at honors@ucmerced.edu.
I applied for the Fall 2025 cohort but I was not selected as a finalist to join the program. Can I apply for future cohorts?
- Absolutely! You may reapply for future cohorts of the University Honors Program if you were not admitted to the current cohort.
