What Does “Honors” Really Mean?

By Rowan P. Marshall

Graduation Photo by Evan Mach on Unsplash

​Whether you are a student currently looking at schools or someone who has already graduated, you have probably come across the term ‘honors’ during your academic career. ​For many people, this term may seem ambiguous and unfamiliar. In high school, honors refers to the different cords worn at graduation or organizations such as National Honor Society. In college, honors has a much broader definition. ​

On the surface, it appears that honors programs are different at every school, which makes defining the term a bit overwhelming. Some schools have major-specific honors programs, while others are interdisciplinary, and other schools do not have separate honors programs at all. In this article, I will be comparing the honors programs at five different schools: Yale, Stanford, University of Tampa, Florida Southern College, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These schools cover a range of sizes, with student bodies between 3,000 and 20,000 undergraduates, and highlight the common themes and differences among honors programs in the U.S. 

Interdisciplinary Honors Programs

Florida Southern College and University of Tampa, two private schools in Florida with about 3,000 and 9,000 undergraduates respectively, both have interdisciplinary honors programs that are treated as separate programs from the majors, minors, and pre-professional programs that are offered. Students are given the opportunity to apply to these programs and take specialized classes, seminars, and attend guest lectures.

Honors students at both of these schools are also expected to complete a culminating thesis or project that is specific to their interests. These projects typically relate to the field that a student is studying and the career they are planning to pursue. For example, a biology major might conduct cell research while a dance major might choreograph and perform an original work.

These honors programs are beneficial to students because they give them the opportunity to create, conduct, and complete an individual and highly specific project. Achieving this signifies important skills such as creativity, independent thinking, and time management. Completing your own project is also a great topic to talk about in an interview because it is personal and unique to you. 

Departmental & Majors Honors

Some colleges and universities do not have separate honors programs, and instead include honors within the majors or departments.

​For example, Yale, an Ivy League school with about 12,000 undergraduates, only has departmental and major-specific honors options. Instead of applying to a separate program, students can be nominated by an honors and academic standing committee based on their work within their major. At Yale, all students are expected to complete a senior project so honors are given out as an academic award in order to recognize students who have exemplary grades within their programs and who have performed well on their senior projects. Receiving honors in this way signifies a special dedication to the area of study that the student is specializing in. 

Yale University (Credit: Sam Wang, CC BY-S.A. 2.0)

Multiple Choice​

Finally, some colleges and universities have a combination of both interdisciplinary and major-specific honors options for their students.

Stanford, a private school with about 7,000 undergraduate students, has multiple types of honors that are available for students. Students can be nominated within their departments for honors distinction or they can declare to be in honors and work on an additional independent project in order to earn it.

​There are also interdisciplinary programs such as Education and Arts that can nominate students in any department for honors recognition within that program. These nominations include certain specific and individual honors requirements that students must complete. Essentially, this option of having both types of honors programs allows for students within interdisciplinary fields or who are completing multiple interdisciplinary majors to be included in honors without restricting their projects. 

Stanford University by Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash

What "Honors" Means for You

Overall, the term ‘honors’ signifies additional academic options for students who go above and beyond in their coursework and involvement. Being in an honors program requires additional work but it also provides students with exclusive options such as guest speakers, study abroad programs, and advanced research alongside faculty. Many honors programs also offer students an opportunity to design and complete an individual project. This equips students with important skills that they might not otherwise have the chance to develop.

Honors can mean a lot of things depending on each school, but it is always a good option for dedicated and ambitious students. 

Rowan P.  Marshall

Rowan P Marshall is currently a student at Florida Southern College studying Marine Biology, Environmental Studies, and Business Administration. She is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and loves to read and write. She is very interested in science communication and conservation and hopes to pursue a career in those areas. She also enjoys drinking tea, swimming, and being outdoors. ​