On this page, you can learn more about the Honors program and Utah State University. Check out USU's YouTube video here!

Why should you give Honors a try?

Honors is the place for you if you:

• like learning;
• enjoy being around students who are as motivated as you are;
• are looking for smaller classes, where your professors will know who you are and care about your success;
• prefer discussion-based courses, which encourage you to participate in the learning process;
• appreciate the additional assistance of peer mentors, older students who've been there and done what you're doing;
• want to be taught by dedicated and talented faculty, specifically chosen to teach Honors courses.

Katherine Shakespeare, London 2005

If this sort of experience sounds intriguing to you,there really is no reason not to give  Honors a try, because your first semester with this select group of students is a trial semester. You'll start off fall semester enrolled in three courses, which we call A Taste of Honors, and use those courses to help decide whether or not Honors is for you. If you decide that Honors isn't your thing, you are under no obligation to continue into your second semester.

If you decide that Honors is a perfect fit for you and choose to continue with Honors, the rewards get even better. As you progress in your degree program, you will have the opportunity to benefit from one-on-one faculty mentorship within your field, designing semester-long projects together with a few of your favorite professors.If you'd like, you can read more about these and other Benefits of Honors.

Being an Honors student has really enriched my college experience. I have made wonderful relationships with the professors with whom I have done contracts, and I am grateful for the Honors office's advice about pursuing my Liberal Arts and Sciences degree. I love being an Honors student and value all the opportunities that I have had!
Mary-Marie Sullivan, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Spring 2007

Feeling a bit hesitant?

Over the years, we've discovered that many students come to college with some misperceptions about what the Honors experience is like.

Myth #1: Honors classes are harder than other university courses.

Honors classes are not harder, but they are different from your other university courses. Because Honors courses are smaller (we cap Honors courses at 45 students, while university studies courses often have 200 or more), you'll be able to participate in classroom discussion, and be more fully engaged in the learning process. In fact, because Honors courses cut down on the busy work, you get to the "meat" of the course more quickly and focus on what really matters.

Honors has provided me a way to truly personalize my education. I am able to focus on my interests in class rather than just my instructor's interests. Because I can get so involved in my education, I learn more in class. I would recommend the Honors Program to any student.
Tasha Falslev, Family, Consumer, and Human Development, Spring 2009

Myth #2: Honors students don't know how to have fun.

It's true that many Honors students are self-proclaimed bookworms, but they certainly aren't boring. Not only does the Honors Program host at least one Honors event per month (be it pizza and games, attending a hockey game, or wandering through a local giant cornmaze), but Honors also offers a hiking "course" each fall. When being advised by someone in the Honors office, you're likely to hear us suggest you take a PE course to give your brain a rest, and several of our Honors students play for USU Athletics teams. Honors also encourages you to study abroad and experience the broader world.

Honors hiking class, Fall 2006.

Myth #3: Doing Honors will require lots of extra courses, and it will take longer to graduate.

In reality, Honors is designed to work with your program of study and help you move efficiently through each stage of your four years at USU. The Honors courses you'll take during your first two years will count toward your USU university studies requirements. Once enrolled in your major courses, you'll follow the plan of study outlined by your department. Instead of registering for Honors courses, you'll earn Departmental Honors credit by doing one-on-one projects with professors in your major.

As you can see, these myths are just that: myths. Once students give Honors a thorough test-drive, they find more and more reasons to stay.

The Honors Program has been a support system since my first day at USU. Through the Honors Program I have been able to interact with many of my professors on a more personal basis, discuss concerns and questions with people who truly care, and enjoy more academic and campus opportunities than the typical college student.
Brianne Bartlett, Elementary Education, Fall 2008

Check out Five Fun Things about Honors

We hope by now that you've started to get a sense for what Honors has to offer high-ability students like yourself. Dynamic, ambitious, and academically-inclined students are the sort that thrive here. (To catch a glimpse of how our Honors students are succeeding, check out the Honors Student Highlights.) Our goal is to foster your individual potential, then help you envision and achieve an excellent education and future.

If Honors sounds like something you'd like to try out, be sure to select one of the following options on the University Enrollment Confirmation Form, or course cluster selection form, which you will access once have been accepted to USU.

• I have an Admission Index of 125 or higher and would like to enroll in HONR 2000.
• I have an Admission Index close to 125 and would like to be considered for the Honors Program.

Or, you may contact our office and we will help you get registered for A Taste of Honors.

Be sure to come see us at SOAR this summer; we'll be easy to find and ready to answer your questions. Also, feel free to contact our office at any time over the coming months. We'll be more than happy to address your concerns and make your transition to USU as smooth as possible.