Honors Program
Your challenge. Your achievement.
Contact:
Dr. Claudia Oakes, Honors Program Director
oakes@hartford.edu | 860.768.5746
Are you a high-achieving student ready to continue this academic excellence in college? Our Honors Program includes exceptional courses, interdisciplinary seminars, faculty mentoring, and senior research projects.
The Honors Program at the University of Hartford is a unique program for students to push themselves academically. We've designed our Honors Program to align with each school and college so students are studying the topics that interest them while also working toward graduating with honors.
Honors Seminars
Fall 2022
These seminars provide students an opportunity to work closely with faculty members and think about complex problems and issues across disciplinary boundaries or outside of traditional disciplinary trajectories. They seek to cultivate the skills of critical thinking, cogent argumentation, and effective writing, all by attending to a particular subject matter.
What's Required
Honors students need to complete 18 honors credits (9 honors credits for Hillyer students) to achieve honors status. The 18 credits are incorporated into the curriculum a student is already studying, and typically ends up only being an additional 3-6 credits over and above their typical course load. Although the requirements for each school and college vary slightly, they generally include:
Benefits of the Honors Program
Our Honors Program includes exceptional courses, interdisciplinary seminars, faculty mentoring, and senior projects. In addition, you’ll have the chance to grow within a dedicated residential community and participate in special honor societies, campus events, and colloquium presentations.
Students who participate in the program have the benefit of:
- The opportunity to challenge themselves.
- An honors program designed to align with their school or college work.
- Mentoring by dedicated professors.
- Access to a residential learning community (by application).
- Encouragement to join prestigious honors societies.
- Undergraduate colloquium to present their work.
- Participation in enriching courses.
- Priority class registration (GPA 3.5+).
- Diverse award and scholarship opportunities.
- Small class sizes (12-20 students).
- Exposure to research projects and internships.
Alyssa Clifford '20, Honors StudentThe great thing about the program is you can make it what you want it to be; if you pick a research topic that thoroughly interests you, a lot of the final project won't feel like work. The honors program also helped me to prepare for the rigor of graduate school by forcing me to stay on top of my assignments and learn how to develop a healthy work-life balance. As tough as it can be at times, I feel like the program made me a stronger student overall and I am very glad I decided to stick with it."
Upcoming Events
Sept. 27, 2021
President's Reception for First-year Honors Students
12:45–1:45 p.m.
1877 Club
April 13, 2022
Undergraduate Colloquium
12–6 p.m.
1877 Club
May 13, 2022
Honors Seniors Luncheon
12 p.m.
1877 Club
Sydney Samele
Bachelor of Fine Arts, 2021
Don’t let fear or doubt keep you from taking on the challenge of becoming an honors student. There is much more to be gained from joining the program and falling short, than from not trying at all. It is less about committing to the honors program, and more about investing in your own education and potential opportunities."