Honors College

Program Requirements

The Honors Baccalaureate is the most immersive honors pathway. Students pursuing this pathway must complete a total of 14 honors experiences of which eight (8) must be academic experiences – that is, honors courses. A maximum of six (6) approved cocurricular experiences may be used to satisfy the requirements of this pathway. The Honors Baccalaureate is well suited to first-time, first-year students seeking to engage with the Honors College throughout their undergraduate years.

Honoring the tremendous contributions of the Office of the Provost to honors education at the University, the Provost’s Scholars pathway offers a balanced middle ground. Students pursuing this pathway must complete a total of 12 honors experiences of which eight (6) must be academic experiences – that is, honors courses. A maximum of six (6) approved cocurricular experiences may be used to satisfy the requirements of this pathway. The Provost’s Scholars pathway is well suited to students who join the Honors College in their second year of study.

Named for the year of the University’s founding, the 1874 Scholars pathway is the foundational honors pathway. Students pursuing this pathway must complete a total of 10 honors experiences of which eight (4) must be academic experiences – that is, honors courses. A maximum of six (6) approved cocurricular experiences may be used to satisfy the requirements of this pathway. The 1874 Scholars pathway is well suited to the needs of continuing and transfer students as well as students whose degree programs allow for few elective courses.

Program Completion

While students are active in the Honors College, the generic Honors College plan appears in their MyNEVADA portals. At the point of graduation, students’ specific honors pathways are added to their transcripts and diplomas based upon their number of completed honors experiences.

Students in every honors pathway must complete a specified number of enhanced academic experiences:

1. Honors Baccalaureate: 14 total honors experiences of which eight (8) must be academic experiences.
2. Provost’s Scholars: 12 total honors experiences of which six (6) must be academic experiences.
3. 1874 Scholars: 10 total honors experiences of which four (4) must be academic experiences.

In order to complete an honors pathway, students must also submit three (3) artifacts – that is, samples of their work – to the Honors College via the Honors Record.

Key Terms

Honors academic experiences are equivalent to honors courses. These may be designated honors sections of courses or contract courses for honors credit. Honors first-year experience courses and Honors Signature Experience courses also count as academic experiences.

Honors cocurricular experiences include, but are not limited to, service within the Honors College; service and volunteerism in the community; paid and unpaid internships; supervised research; leadership of ASUN-recognized clubs and organizations; and applying for nationally competitive scholarships or fellowships. Credit earned in HON 210 - Honors Leadership Development and/or HON 399 - Honors Experience counts as a cocurricular experience(s). A maximum of six (6) approved cocurricular experiences may be used to satisfy the requirements of any honors pathway.

Students who enter the Honors College as first-year students enroll in a required, one-credit honors first-year experience course, either HON 109 - Honors First-Year Experience or – for students residing in the Honors Residential Scholars Community – HON 215 - Explorations in Honors: Global Perspectives. The honors first-year experience course counts as an academic experience.

The Honors Signature Experience is equivalent to a major-required thesis/capstone course for most academic majors. Students in majors without a designated Honors Signature Experience course enroll in HON 494 - Honors Signature Experience to satisfy this requirement. In HON 494, students design projects in accordance with their intellectual, professional, and personal goals and complete them with the assistance of a faculty and/or community mentor and the course instructor. The Honors Signature Experience course counts as an academic experience.

The Honors Record is an advising tool that combines artifacts – that is, samples of student work – related to honors experiences; critical reflection on learning; and feedback from honors advisors on students’ progression through the program. Students must submit three (3) artifacts to complete their Honors Records: 1) an artifact from the honors first-year experience; 2) an artifact of the student’s choice from another honors academic or cocurricular experience; and 3) the output of their Honors Signature Experience. Transfer and continuing students who do not enroll in an honors first-year experience course must submit two (2) artifacts from honors academic or cocurricular experiences and the output of their Honors Signature Experience. Because artifacts submitted to the Honors Record are used in assessment of student and program learning outcomes, submission of artifacts to the Honors Record is mandatory and required for completion of any honors pathway.

Progression Requirements

Continuation in the Honors College is dependent on students’ participation in advising Life Checks and active completion of honors experiences: 

Life Checks. Students must participate in an advising Life Check each semester. Life Checks are available as both in-person meetings or virtually over Zoom. Students may also submit a semester engagement survey in lieu of attending a Life Check meeting. If a student fails to participate in a Life Check or to submit a semester engagement survey for two (2) consecutive semesters, then the student will be placed in Honors Distress for a period of one semester. Students in Honors Distress will be notified of their status prior to the start of their Honors Distress semester. In order to regain good standing, students must attend a Life Check meeting during the Honors Distress semester. If a student fails to attend a Life Check or to complete the semester engagement survey during the Honors Distress semester, then they will be ineligible to continue in the Honors College and will be dismissed.

Honors Experiences. Students are required to complete at least one honors experience per semester. Examples of honors experiences include honors-designated courses, contract courses, and cocurricular experiences. Failure to complete at least one honors experience for two (2) consecutive semesters will result in the student being placed on Honors Distress for a period of one semester. Students in Honors Distress will be notified of their status prior to the start of their Honors Distress semester. To be placed back in good standing, students must complete at least one honors experience during the Honors Distress semester. If a student fails to complete at least one honors experience during the Honors Distress semester, then they will be ineligible to continue in the Honors College and will be dismissed.

Note: Students will be exempt from the honors experience requirement if any of the following is true in a given semester:  

• The student is enrolled in a study abroad program. 
• The student is on University leave of absence. 
• The student is enrolled in a full-time internship or practicum (9 – 12 credit hours; including but not limited to teaching, nursing, and social work). 
• The student has completed all requirements of their honors pathway with the exception of their honors signature experience. 

Nationally Competitive Fellowships and Scholarships

The Honors College houses the Office of Undergraduate and Graduate Fellowships and Scholarships. This office provides advice and assistance to University of Nevada, Reno undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni applying for external undergraduate- and graduate-level awards such as the Boren Scholarships and Fellowships, the Critical Language Scholarship, Fulbright grants, and the Gates Cambridge, Goldwater, Madison, Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes, Truman, and Udall Scholarships.

The Office of Undergraduate and Graduate Fellowships serves all students and alumni of the University of Nevada, Reno. Undergraduate students do not need to be members of the Honors College to receive assistance with their fellowship and scholarship applications. Interested students should visit the Honors College website for preliminary information and follow up with the Director of the Office of Undergraduate and Graduate Fellowships and Scholarships for more information.