Honors Course by Contract

Only students participating in the University Honors Program can create a course contract.

Completing an Honors Course by Contract is a fantastic way to fulfill curricular requirements of the University Honors Program! It allows Honors Students to be proactive in their studies and enhance their coursework in a non-Honors course. The contract should require more effort from the UHP student than the regular coursework of the non-Honors class. The contract should be of high rigor and relevant to the academic field. Projects should be substantive and should be specific on how the contract enhances the non-Honors experience.

Please note the following:

  • UHP students may complete at most 2 [two] Honors Course by Contracts per semester. 
  • Honors Course by Contracts must for a letter grade, including independent study courses.
  • Honors Course by Contracts must be 2 or more units. 

Guidelines on how to initiate and propose an Honors Course by Contract can be found below:

  1. An Honors Student will contact the professor who teaches the course in which they wish to complete a contract (preferably prior to registration or before the start of the semester). The student and professor will agree upon the requirements and expectations for the contract.

    2. The student will fill out the Honors Course by Contract Proposal Form and send to the professor for their approval and signature.

    • The student will obtain a digital copy of the course syllabus.
    • Once the form is signed by both the professor and the student, the student will email the completed form and the course syllabus to honors@ucmerced.edu for review and comments by the DUE-EC Honors Subcommittee who will notify both the student and professor upon approval.
    • The contract proposal must be submitted by the Add/Drop Deadline of the semester [end of day, 9/16/2026 for Fall 2026].
      • Any proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered. No exceptions.
    • At the end of the semester, the professor will fill out the Honors Course by Contract Completion Form and send to honors@ucmerced.edu. This must be accomplished prior to the semester's grade submission deadline. Students may not see the Honors designation on transcripts until two to three weeks after grade submission.
    • The final deliverable must be sent over to honors staff at honors@ucmerced.edu. 

    Enhanced Projects/Assignments

    Examples might include:

    • a traditional research paper or elevated class paper [typically a minimum of 8 - 10, double-spaced pages in length].

    • In-depth analyses and/or research component
    • Survey and/or literature review

    • a case study or series of case studies

    • a specialized lab experiment

    • an art project, musical, or literary composition

    • an original software or hardware creation

    • an empirical research study or fieldwork

    • an extensive gathering and analysis of quantitative or qualitative data

    Considerations

    While students are deciding if they would like to complete an Honors Course by Contract, here are a few things to consider: 

    1. Discuss your proposed Honors Course by Contract with the professor as soon as possible.
    2. Contemplate passions, interests, and goals for the academic year - what is the motivation behind the Honors Course by Contract?
    3. Think about projects, activities, and tasks that can be accomplished in an Honors Course by Contract that can not be completed in a non-Honors course
    4. Anticipate timelines, deadlines, and schedules - what is the amount of time/effort needed for this contract to be impactful?
    5. Honors papers are typically a minimum of 8 - 10 pages [double spaced] in length and should include more in-depth analyses and research component.
      • Please include intended page count in your proposal.
    6. UHP students may not complete an Honors Course by Contract in a course that already offers an Honors version. 
      • For example:
        • WRI 010H
        • SPRK 001H
        • SPRK 010H

    As always, feel free to reach out to Honors Program staff for further discussion and information. We are here to help you succeed!