Honors Program

The UNH Honors Program is designed for exceptionally motivated students who have shown high levels of academic achievement. The university requires every student, regardless of major, to take core courses in a number of general areas. The Honors Program offers students an intellectually exciting and challenging way to satisfy some of these core requirements.

Students may enter the Honors Program either as incoming freshmen or at the conclusion of their first year of study. Incoming first-year students with exceptional high school grade point averages and strong SAT scores, particularly on the reading and writing sections, will be invited to apply to begin the Honors Program upon entrance to the university. Students currently at the university and transfer students who have completed at least 24 credit hours with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3 are invited to apply to enter the Honors Program as sophomores.

Before graduation, all Honors students must complete at least four Honors courses. Each course actively involves students in problem solving and inquiry. The Honors Program offers both team-taught courses, featuring two faculty members from differing departments, and single-instructor courses. Team-taught courses focus on multidisciplinary approaches to learning and study linkages between disciplines. Honors courses with one instructor frequently also fulfill course requirements within various major fields of study at UNH.

In their senior year, students research and write an Honors thesis on a topic in their major discipline under the guidance of a faculty member in the major department. Students may arrange with their department for up to three academic credits for work on the Honors thesis. The results of the research are to be presented orally to members of the student's major department and to members of the faculty Honors Committee.

In order to remain in the program, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3 throughout their studies at UNH.

The Honors Program sponsors various co-curricular events throughout the academic year. All Honors students are encouraged to attend these whenever possible. Students not enrolled in an Honors course during a given semester are required to attend at least two Honors events during that semester.

A student-run Honors Student Council meets regularly to coordinate additional Honors events both on and off campus. All Honors students are encouraged to participate in the council's activities.