What are Honors Courses?
Honors courses have greater expectations for student engagement with the subject matter and emphasize exploration, discovery, and critical thinking as opposed to factual learning. Students enrolled in honors courses take greater responsibility for their individual learning based on their own insights, passions, and creative abilities.
Any course with an Honors designation can be used to fulfill requirements in the UC Merced Honors Program. Graduate courses, independent study courses, and Honors Courses by Contracts may also be taken for Honors credit.
- Students interested in enrolling in a graduate-level course must complete and submit the Undergraduate to take a Graduate Course form.
- Please be advised that the completed form must be submitted to the Students First Center during the first three weeks of instruction.
- Students interested in enrolling in an independent study course are asked to fill out and complete this electronic form.
- Students will be automatically notified if their request has been approved or denied. Students may refer to the Student Guide for step-by-step instructions.
Honors students are also required to enroll in Honors Seminars (HON 001H, HON 002H, HON 003H, HON 004H) offered once an academic year.
Curricular Requirements
Students admitted as First-Years
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5 Honors-designated courses, 2 must be Honors-designated General Education courses
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4 Honors seminars (HON 001H, HON 002H, HON 003H, and HON 004H)
Students admitted as Sophomores and Lower Division Transfer Students
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4 Honors-designated courses, 2 must be Honors-designated General Education courses
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3 Honors seminars (HON 002H, HON 003H, and HON 004H)
Students admitted as junior level Transfer Students
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3 Honors-designated courses, 1 must be a Honors-designated General Education course
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2 Honors Seminars (HON 003H, and HON 004H)
Please note: these requirements will need to be completed through the duration of your undergraduate career. You are not required to complete these requirements every academic year or semester.
Honors Courses by Contract
Honors Courses by Contracts provide an opportunity for students to enrich their academic experience while establishing close working relationships with faculty. Honors Courses by Contracts allow Honors students to pursue individualized work while enrolled in a non-honors class, engaging in study beyond the course requirements. Graduate students may not supervise Honors Courses by Contracts.
A list of Honors Courses by Contract can be found here. If you identify a course not listed on the website, you may reach out to the instructor to request a contract.
For more information regarding Honors Courses by Contracts, please email honors@ucmerced.edu.
