Our Honors College is essentially a small college that provides individualized advising and coaching for students to excel beyond their expectations. We are a residential college. Most of our students choose to live in our residential college and we emphasize building community amongst the students. Think of us combining the support structures and friendly atmosphere of a small college with the advantages of attending a large public research university. Students in the Honors College are dual-citizens, as they also belong to the College of their majors.
No. We are nothing like high school. We are a community of amazing students who comes from diverse backgrounds from all across Texas and beyond. Students from all UTSA colleges attend the Honors College. Our job in Honors is to help each of those students, regardless of major or career goal, reach their potential and find success after graduation. So you will not find harder classes or more workbook pages. Instead, you will be exposed to more opportunities inside and outside of the classroom to build your resume for a job placement after graduation or to be a competitive applicant for graduate school.
In 2019, our incoming class had an average SAT of 1374 and was in the top 11% of their graduating class. The average returning Honors student had a 3.63 GPA, with over 27% of the students having a 3.9 or higher. However, here are no minimum test score, class rank, or GPA requirements for incoming freshmen. Current UTSA students are automatically considered for Honors College eligibility based on their cumulative GPA and completed credit hours as of the semester prior to invitation. Students who qualify for the Distinguished Presidential Scholarship requirements (starting at 25% in class rank and 1170 SAT) will receive an invite to the Honors College.
Yes. Honors students pay the same tuition as non-honors students, but have two additional Honors College fees. Starting in Fall 2019, students will have two Honors College fees. The Honors Experiential Enrichment Fee will be $240 and the Honors College Program charge will be $100. The total fee of $340 each Fall and Spring semester provides students with their Honors benefits of priority registration, advising, and materials required to meet seven experiential learning achievements. If a student chooses to exit the Honors College before census date of each semester, all fees are fully refunded. If a student exits the Honors College after census day, there is no refund.
We have students of all majors, so you will immediately be networking with the top students in your field.
The benefits are tremendous. Honors students have priority registrations, are eligible for honors scholarships, have access to competitive opportunities funding, participate in a residential honors experience, build networks with top students and employers in the region and beyond, are assigned special counselors, have priority consideration for special programs like Citymester and Legislative Scholars, receive automatic admission to several college-based honors programs (e.g., College of Business and College of Engineering Honors), and have uniquely designed experiential courses that encourage students to gain practical skills beyond their majors.
Honors believes in student development. From our special orientation onward, we want students to feel welcome and as if they are part of a community. That is one of the reasons we so heavily emphasize our residential component. We also have many events. These include speakers, professional development seminars, or just plain fun events like grocery bingo.
T.H.E. is our signature honors program. Rather than merely emphasizing honors coursework, T.H.E. encourages students to earn signature experiences that they can put on a resume or use to earn admission and funding at top graduate programs. Students can choose to complete honors requirements through our unique and engaging courses; but they can also opt for satisfying requirements through pre-approved UTSA experiences (e.g., study abroad, internships, research, ensembles, etc.) and even design their own experiences (click here to see several examples of student designed experiences). Some students complete T.H.E. while completing only 4 credits of honors courses. It is one of the most flexible, customizable honors programs in the country.
Yes, graduates of T.H.E. receive a diploma that says “Honors College Graduate.” It is also noted on their transcripts. Graduation from college honors programs or other special programs is noted on the transcript.
Absolutely not. Our classes are more intimate and encourage helping students earn real-world experiences that well help them develop professionally, but remember, most students complete T.H.E. outside of the classroom.
Our curriculum is not built solely around courses, so no student should need to take extra credit toward graduation than they would as a non-honors student.
Honors students who are accepted into the College of Business are automatically accepted into the College of Business Honors Program. There they can complete many of their major requirements through smaller, more engaged honors sections of courses. The same is true of Engineering and Sciences will Launch in Fall 2020.
Global Scholars will pilot in Fall 2020. This competitive program for students pursuing B.A. degrees will develop students through significant study abroad experiences and cross-cultural and international experiences in San Antonio. We will be sending more information about this program.
We also offer internship programs like Citymester and Students and Startups, as well political immersion programs like Archer and Legislative Scholars.
Students may pursue these programs will completing T.H.E. or independently. We encourage students to pursue multiple programs to get the full honors college experience!
Yes. Feel free to call our office at (210) 458-4106 and we can set up a meeting for you to talk to a staff member who can answer any questions that you might have.
A residential honors college is a community comprised completely of honors students. Besides the benefit of being closely networked with elite peers and living with students with like priorities, a residential honors college offers programming and special opportunities targeted toward an honors college student.
Because this is a real live-learn environment that is the heart of the honors experience, first-year students are required to live in the HRC unless they qualify and are approved for an exemption.
Our goal is help our students reach their potential and research shows that living in residential communities increase student retention rates and academic performance (Hotchkiss, Moore, & Pitts, 2006), as well as increase overall satisfaction with college (Baker & Pomerantz, 2000), and increase cognitive skills (Walker, 2003).
Additionally, this is how honors students network with each other to find opportunities, a place where they can join study groups or get informal tutoring, and make friends with UTSA’s best students.
Yes. The below list shows the circumstances for which a student may request a waiver
- Living with a parent or legal guardian within 20 miles of the UTSA Main Campus1
- Marriage occurring before the start date of the contract
- Dependents (as established by birth certificate, proof of guardianship, or medical documentation of pregnancy)
- Disability-related accommodation that cannot be reasonably accommodated on campus
- Military Relocation/Activation
In rare cases waivers may be granted for reasons other than those listed above.
The Honors Housing Waiver Form and the Local Commuter Status Addendum1 (if applicable) will be emailed to a student who requests a waiver upon submitting their Honors College Agreement Form.
The UTSA Top Scholar Program is a premier scholar program, well-known and highly regarded across the state for developing award-winning, academically talented, and exceptional servant leaders. High-caliber students from across Texas are recruited to be part of this exciting program. Please visit the UTSA Top Scholar Program site to learn more and how to apply.
Howard and Nancy Terry created the Terry Foundation to help young people help themselves and to invest in Texas students. Since 2006, the Terry Foundation has funded 348 UTSA Terry Scholars. Please visit the Terry Scholars Program site to learn more and how to apply.
More questions? Give us a call at 210-458-4106 or email us at honors@utsa.edu.
Opportunities within the Honors College
The Honors College offers students the opportunity to participate in a number of different programs to further expand knowledge, especially in the realms of professional development, leadership development, and public service. Special programs are fully integrated into the Honors College curriculum, making credit transfer simple and ensuring that students are working toward Honors requirements.
