The Honors Experience requirements depend on how many credits a student has earned at the time when they enter the Honors College:
- All students complete the Lower Division Coursework.
- Students entering with fewer than 60 credits complete 18 credits beyond the Lower Division Coursework.
- Students entering with 60 or more credits complete 9 credits beyond the Lower Division Coursework.
This information is also listed in the UTSA Undergraduate Catalog under "Honors College", and is summarized in the Graduation Paths and Satisfactory Progress section.
- These requirements apply to any student admitted to the Honors College in the Fall 2018 semester or later as well as students admitted prior to Fall 2018 who have chosen to move to T.H.E. curriculum. If you are looking for the "old" requirements that apply to some students admitted prior to Fall 2018, please visit our Legacy Requirements page.
Lower Division Coursework
All first-year students, transfer students, and current UTSA students joining the Honors College take HON 1000: Honors 101, an 8-week, 0-credit personal exploration that helps them map out their Honors Experience. With feedback each week from academic counselors and peer coaches, students will set goals and chart out a semester-by-semester experience plan that will prepare them to pursue opportunities outside of the classroom in areas such as internships, service learning, and study abroad.
Students are encouraged to take HON 2301: Civic Ethos in their first semester in the Honors College. In Civic Ethos, a 1-credit course, students discuss theories about the value of civic engagement and the role of service in one’s community. At the end of this course, all students design their own service project.
Students are also encouraged to take CSH 1213: Honors Topics in World Cultures in their first year in the Honors College. In Honors Topics in World Cultures, students learn about pertinent global issues through the overview of a specific culture or region, as revealed through the diversity of its heritage. This course is taught by faculty in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts.
- Current students who already completed Tutorial I or CSH 1213 in a non-Honors section prior to Fall 2021 have satisfied the CSH 1213 requirement.
- Entering students who already have credit for CSH 1213 will still need to enroll in an Honors CSH 1213 section.
- Honors CSH 1213 also counts toward the UTSA Core Curriculum requirement in Language, Philosophy, and Culture.
In Honors Composition II, students will take what they learn in their Topics in World Cultures and Civic Ethos classes, and further develop these topics through persuasive communication and critical thinking. WRC 1023: Honors Freshman Composition II provides intensive writing practice in developing argumentative claims, addressing logical fallacies, and understanding bias and assumptions to help students write clear and effective arguments. Students will further develop the ability to communicate with professional and academic audiences through written, oral, and visual methods by means of individual and team projects.
- Current students and entering students who have already completed Composition II at UTSA or transfer credit have satisfied this requirement. Students who have not taken Composition II prior to entering the Honors College must register for an Honors section.
- Honors WRC 1023 also counts toward the UTSA Core Curriculum requirement in Communication.
Upper Division SPICES (9 SCH)
| You select 9 SCH of Upper Division SPICES to fulfill this requirement. These may include any HON course, Honors contracted course, any Honors section with a non-HON prefix, or an experience on your own of 75 hours or more approved by the Honors College. With the exception of HON 1000, HON courses with a course number ending in 0 (e.g., HON 3100, 3310, etc.) substitute for 3 SCH of Honors Electives if not used to fulfill the SPICES requirements above. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Service | HON 3103: Honors Service (May substitute HON 3533, or any 3 SCH Honors section designated as Service; May also substitute service or volunteer work of 75 hours of more as HON 3100). | |
| Professional Development | HON 3263: Honors Professional Development (May substitute HON 4933, HON 4936, any 3 SCH Honors section designated as Professional Development, or any internship course; May also substitute any professional development experience of 75 hours or more, such as internships or certifications, as HON 3260). | |
| Intellectual Achievement and Research | HON 3313: Honors Intellectual Achievement and Research (May substitute HON 4993, HON 4913, any Independent Study course, any Thesis course, or any 3 SCH Honors section designated as Intellectual Achievement and Research; May also substitute any research experience, creative projects, or business plans of 75 hours or more as HON 3310). | |
| Cultural Exploration | HON 3403: Honors Cultural Exploration (May substitute any 3 SCH Honors section designated as Cultural Exploration; May also substitute any cultural exploration experience of 75 hours or more as HON 3400. Examples include study abroad, working with immigrant groups domestically, and doing language immersion programs). | |
| Engaged Living | HON 3503: Honors Engaged Living (May substitute any 3 SCH Honors section as Engaged Living; May also substitute engaged living experience outside of the classroom as HON 3500. Examples include development of a social organization dedicated to philosophy or lifestyle; physical training toward a goal; advocacy and activism). | |
| Skill Development | HON 3603: Honors Skill Development (May substitute any 3 SCH Honors section designated as Skill Development; May also substitute skill development experiences of 75 hours or more as HON 3600. Examples include professional training outside of your major; sustained training in a creative field such as art, dance, or music). | |
Electives (9 SCH, only applies to students admitted with fewer than 60 SCH)
You select 9 SCH of Honors Electives, which can be a combination of Honors designated coursework or experiences outside of the classroom, such as:
- An Honors section of Academic Introduction & Strategies (AIS)
- Up to 9 SCH Honors coursework beyond the lower-division requirements:
- HON courses designated in a SPICES category (not used to fulfill requirements above)
- HON courses designated as Interdisciplinary Seminars
- Non-HON prefix-Honors sections of courses offered in other colleges (example: Intro to Community Public Health, Honors section)
- Up to 6 SCH of Honors course contracts may be applied to Honors Electives
- Up to 6 SCH of Independent Study, regardless of course prefix, may be applied to Honors Electives
- Up to 6 SCH of graduate-level coursework taken for undergraduate credit may be applied to Honors Electives
- Additional experiences beyond the classroom in the SPICES categories
- Up to 6 SCH of Internship, regardless of course prefix, may be applied to Honors Electives
- Up to 6 SCH of Thesis, regardless of course prefix, may be applied to Honors Electives
- Up to 6 SCH of research coursework, regardless of course prefix, may be applied to Honors Electives
- Completing a Double Major counts as 3 SCH toward this requirement.
- Graduate of a two-year non-UTSA Honors program counts as 3 SCH towards this requirement
Non-curricular Requirements
- Students must attend a minimum of three Honors College events per semester. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the loss of merit scholarships and ineligibility for development award funding.
- Students are responsible for knowing when events are happening and for signing in at each event. You can find event information on the Honors College RowdyLink page and by reading our weekly Monday Messages. Signing in to in-person events is done through RowdyLink Events Pass. Virtual events will take attendance with RowdyLink. Please make sure to RSVP for events and to have your first and last name as your username in Zoom.
Complete an Experience with SPICES
Each Experience represents an achievement in one of six designated categories which we call SPICES. See the Honors Experiences homepage to learn about all of the different ways to complete an experience.
