Honors Program

Cara Hersh, Ph.D., assistant provost for scholarly engagement & career readiness

Honors Program Mission

The Mission of the University of Portland Honors Program is to enhance the intellectual life of the University community by mentoring high achieving and intrinsically motivated students to serve as public intellectuals at the University and beyond. The Honors Program will foster in these passionate and gifted students a love for the life of the mind and the desire to enrich their communities.

Curriculum of the Honors Program

The traditional Honors Program curriculum is composed of eighteen credit hours, twelve of which also fulfill requirements in the individual student’s academic degree program. The lateral entry program curriculum is composed of fifteen credit hours, nine of which also fulfill requirements in the individual student’s academic degree program. Students in the lateral entry program are not required to take the first-year Core Honors course.

Each year, Honors students take one three credit hour course that fulfills a course requirement for their academic degree program. In the first and second year, the Honors course fulfills a UP Core requirement. In the third and fourth year, the Honors course fulfills an academic major course requirement.

The additional six credit hours are spread over the student’s four-year career. In the first year, students enroll in HON 101, a two credit hour course that meets prior to the start of their first semester at UP. In the second year, students take HON 201, a one credit hour course, and in the third year, students take HON 300, a one credit hour course. In addition, students take two Readings Courses of their choice, normally in their third and fourth year. Readings Courses are one credit hour courses designed to offer Honors students learning experiences outside of their disciplinary academic home.

First year: HON 101 (2 credits hours) and Core Requirement (3 credit hours) (lateral entry students are exempt from this Core Requirement)

Second year: HON 201 (1 credit hour) and Core Requirement (3 credit hours)

Third year: HON 300 (1 credit hour), Readings Course (1 credit hour), and Major Requirement (3 credit hours)

Fourth year: Readings Course (1 credit hour) and Senior Honors Project (3 credit hours)

Mentored Reflection

During the first two years in the Honors Program, students focus on reflectively integrating their classes and experiences. Each student is assigned a faculty mentor to aid in this process. Mentors will meet with their students over lunch or coffee or on a walk around campus. During these encounters, discussions ensue about how ideas from classes fit together, where the student’s passions are leading them, and what intellectual avenues they might want to pursue. In their sophomore and junior years, Honors students take a one-credit course each year designed to aid them in defining a possible future and charting the means to reach it. In HON 201, students develop a personal statement that can be modified for graduate school and major fellowship applications.

In HON 300, students develop their skills as public intellectuals by cultivating their leadership and collaborative skills. Using disciplinary knowledge and interests, they design and implement group projects that improve a community aspect of the University.

For details contact the Director of Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement, Buckley Center 114, University of Portland, 5000 North Willamette Blvd., Portland, Oregon 97203-5798. Telephone: (503) 943-8264. Toll free: (800) 227-4568. E-mail: honors@up.edu.