Honors Program Overview
The Honors Program at the University of the Incarnate Word offers intellectually gifted, academically talented, and community-minded individuals a customized and purposeful program. With the university's mission as the program's philosophical foundation, the concept of social justice, a synthesis of knowledge and faith, and community service are woven throughout the honors curriculum and co-curricular programming. The program provides a training ground for future leaders, helping them to prepare academically, professionally, and personally for the next phase of their lives after the baccalaureate degree.
The Honors Program provides for the development of future leaders within the community. Participation aims to provide these student outcomes:
1. Develop the whole person.
2. Cultivate leaders.
3. Nurture conscientious citizens of the world.
4. Foster the discovery of truth.
5. Encourage students to create a personal synthesis of their knowledge and faith.
6. Promote life-long learning.
Honors Classes at UIW (designated with an “H”: as in RELS 1330H) are restricted to students admitted to the Honors Program. Any other interested students would need the permission of the Honors Program Director to register.
Honors Admissions Requirements
Incoming Freshmen
Incoming first-year students and transfer students interested in applying to the UIW Honors Program must meet the following standards:
· Have a minimum of high school or college cumulative GPA of 3.3.
· Show evidence of leadership and concern for the common good.
Transfer Students
· Have a cumulative college GPA of 3.3.
Current UIW Students
· Have a cumulative college GPA of 3.3, if apply during the freshman or
· Have a cumulative college GPA of 3.35, if apply during the sophomore year.
The UIW Honors Program has three areas of concentration: curriculum, scholarship, and self-development. Students must meet a minimum number of points in each area and must earn a minimum of 20 Honors points in order to graduate from the Honors Program. See the Honors Program website for more details.
Because of how Honors Requirements are structured, students with more than 60 earned credits are generally not admitted to the program. Transfer students with Honors coursework from their previous institutions are encouraged to speak with the Program Director before applying.
Coursework and Program Requirements
Students will complete a minimum of 10 points in curriculum through the selection of six credit hours of required Honors courses and at least six credit hours of Honors elective courses. Students may supplement curriculum points through approved contract courses. Each Honors course is worth two points. Additionally, students will complete a minimum of one point in scholarship and a minimum of two points in the area of self-development. Students must earn a total of 20 Honors points to graduate with University Honors.
| Curriculum |
10 points |
Each Honors course is worth up to 2 points |
| Scholarship |
1 point |
Points are offered for a variety of research activities including presentations, performance, and publications |
| Self-Development |
2 points |
Points are also offered for service, leadership, internship, study abroad, and reflection/integration activities. |
Students in the Honors Program are expected to maintain a full-time course load and a minimum grade point average of 3.5. Honors students also attend co-curricular events in the areas of service, cultural, and academic presentations as well as monthly Honors Program meetings. More information regarding the Honors Program can be obtained at https://my.uiw.edu/honors or from the Honors Program Administration at HonorsProgram@uiwtx.edu or 210-805-3025.
Required Honors Courses
Honors students are expected to complete a minimum of four Honors courses plus additional elective or contract courses to meet a minimum requirement of ten points. In addition to the HONP 1110 Introduction to Honors Program course, two courses are required of every Honors student.
Transfer students and late-entering UIW students may substitute an upper-level Honors Philosophy or Religious Studies course if they already have the comparable 1000-level courses completed.
Elective Honors Courses
Students may contract with a professor to complete additional work in a non-Honors course in order to earn Honors points for that course. Students may also complete an equivalent Honors research course offered by their major discipline.
Self-Development
Students must complete a minimum of two points in this area which will be fulfilled by participating in approved leadership activities, completion of an internship program, demonstrating a commitment to service, study abroad, and writing a summative paper reflecting on their experience in the Honors Program.
Scholarship
Students must complete a minimum of one point in this area. A variety of options are available to meet this goal including conducting research with a faculty member or an independent research/creative project, participating in summer research programs, engaging in public presentations or creative performances, and publishing in a scholarly journal.
For more information about the Honors Program please visit our website. If you would like to review our Honors Student Handbook, you can find it here.