FAQs

• Honors students are to register for a range of honors courses, which are typically smaller, taught by highly-ranked faculty, and discussion-based.
• Honors students form a community of intellectually curious, engaged students who value learning from and with each other.
• Honors students may join our Honors Learning Community and enjoy close connections in Spring Hall.
• Courses taken for honors credit are clearly marked on your transcript and add distinction to graduate school and employment applications.
• Honors students can register for courses one business day before the assigned registration date.
• The Honors program manager assists students in developing a holistic plan that integrates honors requirements into the plans at SLU.

No. Students from all majors and pre-professional programs can apply for admission to the University Honors Program. Honors core seminars, dual-listed courses, contract options, independent study options, and the senior capstone allow students in all disciplines, including those pursuing post-graduate studies, to take part in the program.

While the majority of students join as first-year students in their fall semester, the Honors Program also welcomes applications from current SLU students, transfer students, and students on our SLU-Madrid campus. Transfer and current students with fewer than 45 earned credit hours are eligible to apply. Transfer students can transfer up to 12 honors credits earned at another institution at the discretion of the University Honors Program director.  

Honors students are required to complete honors coursework as part of the core curriculum and in their major field of study. These experiences are often marked by small courses, discussion-based experiences and an interdisciplinary approach to learning. The Honors Program also features various outside-of-class Contemplation in Action experiences, which require students to reflect on lived experiences in the context of their personal and vocational development at SLU. Students round out their experience with a culminating scholarly or creative project, which can be completed in conjunction with a senior paper or project required by your major. More information about the curriculum can be found here.

Honors students at SLU are expected to complete a minimum of 18 credit hours of Honors coursework and complete a Senior Honors Capstone. This translates roughly to one honors course per semester, although you can take more than one honors course in a semester or skip semesters if your schedule requires it. Honors students must also complete 4 Contemplation in Action requirements.  Most students plan on earning one Contemplation in Action credit each year. 

Honors students can choose to live in the Honors Learning Community. Student accepted into this program live with other honors students in Spring Hall, take common courses together and participate in additional events designed exclusively for the Honors Learning Community.

No. There are no fees associated with joining or remaining in the program.

The Honors Program also supports the Honors Student Association and the Path Mentors Program, both of which offer exceptional leadership opportunities for students. Honors students are also eligible to apply for Investigative Learning Experience (ILEX) Grants, which support original research, community and creative projects. All students at the university can also work with our Office of Competitive Scholarships and Fellowships, which supports all SLU students applying for national opportunities like Fulbright, Truman and Goldwater.