College Requirements
The College aims to provide students with a rigorous educational experience that emphasizes high-impact learning practices and enrichment opportunities designed to help students mature into skilled researchers, innovators, and artists. In addition, the Honors College will promote collaboration between students, between students and faculty, and between students and the community. We shall draw on the regional resources that make UMass Dartmouth unique, such as our historical and cultural resources, to develop a College that has a local focus with a global vision. The College emphasizes the interactions of three dimensions that result in an optimal teaching and learning environment - integrated community, promotion of academic excellence, and bounded freedom - to allow innovation in a supportive environment and give students freedom and responsibility for their education.
General Requirements
Graduating as a Commonwealth Honors Scholar requires you to take a minimum of 24 credits. These are broken down as 21 coursework credits and a minimum of 3 APEX credits (this is the final project that all Honors students complete). Each College/Major may require a specific set of courses. You may take 6 of these coursework credits by Contracting (Honorizing) a regular non-Honors course. Please see the Curriculum Sheets below and the Honors College Handbook for details. Transfer students should contact Elizabeth Rodericks (erodericks@umassd.edu) prior to enrolling in classes for help in creating an academic plan for their college career.
In some cases a college or department may identify a required course as a "carve-out." This means that Honors students will be taking the class with non-Honors students, but will be enrolled in a different section identified as an Honors section. "Carve-out" classes will be designed to produce greater intellectual engagement with the material. Students can expect to meet 3-4 times per semester with the instructor outside of the scheduled class time.
Honors College Curriculum Sheets
General Honors Tracking Sheet for the College of Engineering:
Honors College Tracking Sheet - Engineering Majors
Honors College Tracking Sheets by Department:
College of Arts & Sciences | Charlton College of Business
For students accepted into the Honors College for Fall 2020 or later, Honors requirements are as follows:
- Maintain an overall university GPA of 3.2 or higher;
- Complete a minimum of 24 Honors credits with a grade of B or higher, comprised of:
- at least 21 credits of coursework1
- at least 3 APEX credits, completed under UMD faculty supervision, culminating in a public presentation of this work in an appropriate venue (e.g. Honors Convocation poster session, conference presentation, exhibition, thesis defense).
| Honors Course1,4 | # Credits | Semester Completed4 | Grade Earned |
|---|---|---|---|
| HON 1012 | 3 | ||
| HON 201, 202, or 203 (Choose one) | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective3 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective3 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective3 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective3 | 3 | ||
| HON 301 | 3 | ||
| APEX (e.g. HON 490) | 3 | ||
| 24 |
Please Note:
1 No more than six credits may be completed by Honors Contract (courses numbered 200 or higher)
2 Transfer students take an Honors Elective in place of HON 101.
3 Honors Electives: Options vary by semester and should be chosen in consultation with your advisor. See course listings in COIN or visit www.umassd.edu/honors/courses. Sections typically include, but are not limited to:
- University Studies: 1A (ENL 101H), 1B (ENL 102H), 2A, 2B, 3A, 4A, 4B, 4C
- Department specific courses:
- BIO 121/122/234H, CHM 162/251/252H, PSC 101/284H, PSY 101/202H, etc.
- MIS 101H, ACT 211/212H, ECO 232H, FIN 312H, MGT 312H, MKT 311H, etc.
- 4+1: With prior approval, up to three Graduate level courses (level 500+)
4 Credit Progression:
- Students must enroll in at least 3 Honors credits during their first semester in the Honors College.
- Thereafter, it is strongly recommended that students complete at least 3 credits per semester to ensure successful completion of all 24 credits within their degree timeline.
- Student must be aware of the need to plan their Honors studies in advance and they should take full advantage of the academic advising offered by the Honors College.
- It is recommended that students take HON 301 in the Junior year and then begin the APEX by Fall of Senior year.
College of Visual & Performing Arts
For students accepted into the Honors College for Fall 2020 or later, Honors requirements are as follows:
- Maintain an overall university GPA of 3.2 or higher;
- Complete a minimum of 24 Honors credits with a grade of B or higher, comprised of:
- at least 21 credits of coursework1
- at least 3 APEX credits, completed under UMD faculty supervision, culminating in a public presentation of this work in an appropriate venue (e.g. Honors Convocation poster session, conference presentation, exhibition, thesis defense).
| Honors Course1,3 | # Credits | Semester Completed3 | Grade Earned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honors Elective2 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective2 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective2 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective2 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective2 | 3 | ||
| HON 201, 202, or 203 (Choose one) | 3 | ||
| HON 301 | 3 | ||
| APEX (e.g. HON 490) | 3 | ||
| 24 |
Please Note:
1 No more than six credits may be completed by Honors Contract (courses numbered 200 or higher)
2 Honors Electives: Options vary by semester and should be chosen in consultation with your advisor. See course listings in COIN or visit www.umassd.edu/honors/courses. Sections typically include, but are not limited to:
- FOU 101H (1E), FOU 130H
- ARH 102H (3B), ARH 200H (1C)
- DES 253H, DES 307H, DES 353H, IAD 401H
- University Studies: 1A (ENL 101H), 1B (ENL 102H), 2A, 2B, 3A, 4A, 4B, 4C
3 Credit Progression:
- Students must enroll in at least 3 Honors credits during their first semester in the Honors College.
- Thereafter, it is strongly recommended that students complete at least 3 credits per semester to ensure successful completion of all 24 credits within their degree timeline.
- Student must be aware of the need to plan their Honors studies in advance and they should take full advantage of the academic advising offered by the Honors College.
- It is recommended that students take HON 301 in the Junior year and then begin the APEX by Fall of Senior year.
College of Engineering
For students accepted into the Honors College for Fall 2020 or later, Honors requirements are as follows:
- Maintain an overall university GPA of 3.2 or higher;
- Complete a minimum of 24 Honors credits with a grade of B or higher, comprised of:
- at least 21 credits of coursework1
- at least 3 APEX credits, completed under UMD faculty supervision, culminating in a public presentation of this work in an appropriate venue (e.g. Honors Convocation poster session, conference presentation, exhibition, thesis defense).
| Honors Course1,6 | # Credits | Semester Completed6 | Grade Earned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honors Elective4 (e.g. EGR 111H, PHY 109H) | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective4 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective4 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective4 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective4 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective4 | 3 | ||
| HON 3015 | 3 | ||
| APEX (e.g. HON 4902 or select capstones3) | 3 | ||
| 24 |
Please Note:
1 No more than six credits may be completed by Honors Contract (courses numbered 200 or higher)
2 HON 490 is recommended for students who will pursue graduate study and will count as a Specialization course.
3 Capstones allowed towards APEX credits: BNG 497/498H, CIS 498/499H, DSC 498/499H, MNE 497/498H, PHY 490H
4 Honors Electives: Options vary by semester and should be chosen in consultation with your advisor. See course listings in COIN or visit www.umassd.edu/honors/courses. Sections typically include, but are not limited to:
- ENL 101H, ENL 102H, ENL 266H
- MTH 153H, MTH 154H, MTH 213H, MTH 212H
- University Studies: 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C
- Department specific courses: CIS 272H, CIS 381H, BNG 219H, BNG 255H, ECE 201H, ECE 202H, PHY 213H, PHY 320H, MNE 280/380/380 (1 credit each over 3 semesters), etc.
- 4+1: With prior approval, up to three Graduate level courses (level 500+)
5 HON 301: Required unless a waiver is granted to substitute an Honors Elective, typically in cases where a student is using their major capstone or pursing the internship track. See your Honors advisor to discuss.
6 Credit Progression:
- Students must enroll in at least 3 Honors credits during their first semester in the Honors College.
- Thereafter, it is strongly recommended that students complete at least 3 credits per semester to ensure successful completion of all 24 credits within their degree timeline.
- Student must be aware of the need to plan their Honors studies in advance and they should take full advantage of the academic advising offered by the Honors College.
- It is recommended that students take HON 301 in the Junior year and then begin the APEX by Fall of Senior year.
College of Nursing & Health Sciences
For students accepted into the Honors College for Fall 2020 or later, Honors requirements are as follows:
- Maintain an overall university GPA of 3.2 or higher;
- Complete a minimum of 24 Honors credits with a grade of B or higher, comprised of:
- at least 21 credits of coursework1
- at least 3 APEX credits, completed under UMD faculty supervision, culminating in a public presentation of this work in an appropriate venue (e.g. Honors Convocation poster session, conference presentation, exhibition, thesis defense).
| Honors Course1,3 | # Credits | Semester Completed3 | Grade Earned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honors Elective2 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective2 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective2 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective2 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective2 | 3 | ||
| Honors Elective2 | 3 | ||
| HON 301 | 3 | ||
| APEX (e.g. HON 490) | 3 | ||
| 24 |
Please Note:
1 No more than six credits may be completed by Honors Contract (courses numbered 200 or higher)
2 Honors Electives: Options vary by semester and should be chosen in consultation with your advisor. See course listings in COIN or visit www.umassd.edu/honors/courses. Sections typically include, but are not limited to:
- ENL 101H, ENL 102H
- PSY 101H;
- PHL (HON 201: "Medical Ethics" topic only)
- University Studies: 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C
- Department specific courses:
- NUR 102H, NUR 211H, NUR 216H, NUR 261H, etc.
- MLS 105H, MLS 106H
- With prior approval, up to three Graduate level courses (level 500+)
3 Credit Progression:
- Students must enroll in at least 3 Honors credits during their first semester in the Honors College.
- Thereafter, it is strongly recommended that students complete at least 3 credits per semester to ensure successful completion of all 24 credits within their degree timeline.
- Student must be aware of the need to plan their Honors studies in advance and they should take full advantage of the academic advising offered by the Honors College.
- It is recommended that students take HON 301 in the Junior year and then begin the APEX by Fall of Senior year.