The University of Michigan-Flint Honors Program is an interdisciplinary, inclusive community of ambitious scholars who are intellectually curious and passionate about their fields of study. Honors Program students participate in a robust curriculum and an array of co-curricular experiences including research, community service, professional development, and leadership opportunities. These experiences prepare students to be agents of change in their communities and to competitively enter the workforce and graduate school.
The program is offered in three formats, a four-year University Honors Scholar Program, a four-year University Honors Associate Program, and a two-year Junior/Senior University Honors Scholar Program.
Students completing one of the University Honors Scholar programs are named University Honors Program Scholars and have such recorded on their transcripts and diplomas along with departmental and/or school honors. Students completing the University Honors Associate Program are named University Honors Program Associates and have such recorded on their transcripts and diplomas along with departmental and/or school honors.
Program Features
Special features of the program include:
- Core Courses
A core curriculum of honors courses encourages students to look beyond the confines of their own disciplines to develop a more complex, multi-disciplinary perspective.
- Off-Campus Project
Students in the Four-Year Honors Scholar Program and students in the Junior/Senior Honors Scholar Program complete an off-campus project in their field. The off-campus project can be in Flint or anywhere in the world. Students work one-on-one with a faculty advisor to find a project relevant to their future career goals. The off-campus project is funded by a scholarship of up to $3,000.
- Thesis
Students in the Four-Year Honors Scholar Program and students in the Junior/Senior Honors Scholar Program complete an honors thesis. The honors thesis can be a student-led research project, a faculty-led and student-supported research project, or another creative work relevant to the student’s field. Students work one-on-one with a faculty advisor to complete the thesis project.
- Co-Curricular Experiences
Students in the University Honors programs are required to complete approximately 10 hours of co-curricular experiences per semester. These co-curricular experiences include activities such as community service, leadership experience, research, innovation work, advocacy work, professional development, and/or wellness.
- Honors Contract/Affiliate Courses
Students take two Honors Contract or Honors Affiliate courses within their disciplines to fulfill both disciplinary and Honors Program requirements. An Honors Contract course is a course within a student’s major program requirements which the student identifies as an opportunity for extended learning; at the beginning of the semester the student and instructor determine the form in which this expanded learning beyond typical course standards will take place. An Honors Affiliate course is a course designated by faculty as an honors course within a department. The Honors Program Manager will advise students on whether they should complete Honors Contract or Honors Affiliate courses.
Admission Requirements
Entering freshmen who have been accepted into the University of Michigan-Flint may submit a separate application for the Honors Program, available online at www.umflint.edu/honors.
Sophomore students at the University of Michigan-Flint and students with sophomore standing who transfer into the University of Michigan-Flint may apply for the junior/senior level of the program online at www.umflint.edu/honors.
Selection is based on a variety of factors including strength and diversity of curriculum, extracurricular activities, a writing sample, grade point average, and class rank.
A GPA of at least 3.5 is recommended; submission of SAT/ACT scores is not required.
