Prospective Students

Interested in University Honors?

Are you a current high school student considering the University of Cincinnati and want to know more about the University Honors Program? Are you a current student who is interested in joining the program? Or are you transfering from another university? Select from the options below to find out how you can join our fantastic community.

High School Students Current UC Students Transfer Students

Why Honors?

Forget honors being about AP classes and solely about academic rigor. The University Honors Program continues to innovate the next generation of honors education. We offer an individualized program that asks students to explore, define, and reflect on their own interests and passions. Through experiential learning, our students consider how they can start to contribute toward solving any of the world's complex problems that matter most to them.

Honors Experiences

Honors experiences are the core to the University Honors Program. Each student is required to complete five honors experiences by graduation with an expectation to complete at least one per year. Honors experiences can be any combination of three different types of experiences: honors seminars, pre-approved, and self-designed experiences. Every honors experience has to meet the following criteria:

experiential learning is at the core of the experience
consist of at leat 75 hours of total time commitment
reflection is present and supported by major milestones of the experience
an instructor, advisor, mentor or other expert is an available resource

Honors Seminars Pre-Approved Experiences Self-Designed Experiences

Learn More...

Why do students enjoy University Honors? UHP students enjoy a wide variety of benefits and positive outcomes as a result of their commitment to the program. You can also learn more specifically how we're innovating what it means to be 'honors.' We've also outlined your first-year time commitments as well as your graduation requirements, so you can see how UHP works for all types of busy schedules. Don't take our word for it though. We're highlighting students who all engage in a wide variety of opportunities and experiences. Find students with similar goals and interests to get started thinking of the possibilities.

Benefits and Outcomes Innovating Honors First-Year in UHP and Requirements

Student Spotlights

Josie Hughes

A&S- 2024 graduate
Political Science

"UHP is not a judgemental or 'elite' space as I feel many honors programs seem to be. It is a supportive community of faculty and peers all rooting for mutual success."

More Student Spotlights

Questions?

If you are a current high school student interested in learning more about UC or schedule a visit, please contact the Office of Admissions at 513-556-1100 or at admissions@uc.edu.

Contact your Admissions Representative

If you are a current UC student or a student transferring to UC, contact us at 513-556-6254 or honors@uc.edu.

Stay Connected

Thank you for your interest in the University Honors Program. We are always recruiting our next cohort of global citizen scholars who seek to take the next steps toward solving the world's complex problems. Each fall, we encourage current UC students who meet eligibility to apply for spring admission. Applications for Spring 2026 admission will open September 2025.

If you don't want to miss updates or remember to look next fall, join our outreach list! We'll send you information about the next process once we're ready to announce.