Current UC Students

Are you a UC undergraduate student motivated to excel both in and out of the classroom? Are you looking to use your gifts and talents to explore your passions and make a difference on campus, in your local communities, or around the world? Do you want to be part of a community of driven student leaders with unique access to inspiring faculty and staff? 

If you've answered yes to any of those questions, then the University Honors Program is the place for you! We offer a number of unique benefits and exclusive opportunities to enable students to maximize the potential of their undergraduate experiences. By graduation, we help students become global citizen scholars who lead innovative efforts to solving the world's complex problems.   

All students will be expected to complete all UHP requirements, which include five experiences by graduation. While some opportunities in college prior to acceptance may count retroactively toward those five required experiences, at least one experience must be completed after conclusion of the Gateway to University Honors course. As a result, most successful candidates will apply during their first or second year.

• Current UC undergraduate, baccalaureate student 
• Overall UC GPA of 3.2 after Fall 2026
• Graduating Spring 2028 or later

The transition application process is for current UC undergraduate students. Students who are transferring to UC from another university and are interested in applying to the UHP should apply through the transfer process.  

Currently, the University Honors Program is unable to admit to UC Online students. UC Online programs are completely online programs. If you are unsure if you qualify, please reach out to us before completing the application.

The Fall 2026 application will open October 12. Review our resources and start preparing to submit your application this fall.

Before you apply, we highly suggest attending an information session to learn more about the program and application. The information sessions are listed in the Fall 2026 Application Timeline below. Please RSVP so we know you are interested! 

Fill out the outreach form below to receive additional information about the 2026-27 application cycle. We'll send updates, reminders, and insights from current students throughout the application cycle. 

The two most crucial parts of your application are an updated resume and your responses to five essay questions. For your resume, wait and make sure all your fall semester involvement is included. We also provide the essay questions in advance. We don't start reading and evaluation applications until December, so submitting your applications early does not provide you an advantage. 

While a strong GPA is part of what makes a student eligible to apply, academic credentials alone isn't what makes an application competitive. GPA is primarily a threshold used to determine eligibility; from there, we're looking for students who demonstrate genuine fit with the program and excitement for the opportunities it offers. As an honors program that prioritizes experiential learning, we look for a history of engagement and depth of personal reflection, evidence of self-motivation toward lifelong learning, and a drive to make a positive impact in one's field or community. In short, we're looking for students who connect with our vision statement: developing global citizen scholars who lead innovative efforts toward solving the world's complex problems.

By completing the application, you are authorize UHP staff to review your UC academic record. This review will be to confirm that you are an undergraduate, baccalaureate-seeking UC student who meets the 3.2 GPA requirement by the end of fall semester . First-year students are eligible to apply as final decisions won't be made until the conclusion of fall semester when grades are finalized. 

All newly-admitted students are required to enroll in and complete Gateway to University Honors course during the semester they are admitted. This course is a sprint version of the course and will conclude after the first 7 weeks of the semester. Registration will only be available to students once decisions are announced in December.

Gateway to University Honors (HNRS1010) does NOT carry a fee.  If the student is taking the maximum number of credit hours (18) as a full-time student, they can still enroll in the class without being charged additional tuition fees.  However, students must receive authorization from their college academic advisor to register for the 19th credit hour. If you are applying and intend to be at 19 credit-hours in the spring, please communicate this to your college advisor in advance. 

The following sections will be available:

• Monday 2:30-4:20pm
• Tuesday 3:30-5:20pm
• Wednesday 3:35-5:25pm
• Thursday 2:00-3:50pm

Applicants are expected to manage their schedule to accommodate one of the sections. Alternatives will be offered only to students with unavoidable academic conflicts such as co-op and study abroad. There are not enough alternatives for students who seek exceptions for the following: student organizations, research, volunteering, campus leadership, and employment. These are not considered unavoidable academic conflicts. Please plan accordingly.