Aim Higher. Go Further.
The University of Tampa’s comprehensive Honors Program motivates the most gifted students to aspire to excellence, providing them with the rigorous and supportive academic environment needed to become leaders in their profession or in the community.
- Research and Conferences
- Travel with Honors
- Admission and Curriculum
- Honors Housing
Research and Conferences
Research opportunities set Honors students apart from their peers, opening doors to the best graduate schools and helping launch rewarding careers. Student-faculty teams regularly present their research at academic conferences and publish their findings. Honors faculty guide students through each step of the research process, from writing abstracts to networking at conferences. Honors travel awards support conference travel and undergraduate research.
Funding
Funding is available by application for students for undergraduate research or to attend a conference, either with Honors, with a professor or on their own.
Presenting
Honors students can apply to present their research at two Honors conferences each year: NCHC (National Collegiate Honors Conference) and FCHC (Florida Collegiate Honors Conference) whose locations change every year. For successful applicants, conference registration fees, travel, lodging and food are covered by the Honors program.
Oxford Study Aborad Program
UT Honors sends three students per semester to study at Oxford in England. While there, students take advantage of the unique one-on-one tutorial system, working closely with their professors on courses they help design. To learn more, visit the Oxford Study Abroad (OSAP) or click the application button below.
Deadlines: Applications for attending Oxford during the Spring Term are due no later than Oct. 14 of the previous year. Applications for attending Oxford during the fall term are due no later than the Friday before spring break of the spring term proceeding the fall term. Applications are due at 5 p.m.
Partners in the Parks
Partners in the Parks (PITP) is an outdoor experiential learning program coordinated by the National College Honors Council. PITP projects at national parks across the country offer unique opportunities for collegiate honors students and faculty to visit areas of the American landscape noted for their beauty, significance and lasting value.
Study Abroad Scholarships
Students can receive funding to take any study abroad course – not just those offered by the Honors program. Students can also receive credit for up to two Honors courses (Idea Labs or Dialectics) by studying abroad.
The Honors curriculum is uniquely designed to develop advanced critical thinking and communication skills. Students in UT’s Honors Program have a distinct general education rooted in interdisciplinary thinking, original research and inquiry. Smaller classes and engaged pedagogy provide students with a challenging exploration of the natural and social sciences and the humanities.
The Honors Program at UT is a test optional university. We do not require test scores for admission to the University. While a student may send test scores if they desire, such scores are not necessary during the application and admissions process at UT. *Admissions office invites students to the Honors Program.
First Time in College (Freshman) Admissions
- Incoming freshmen are automatically considered for the Honors Program when they are accepted for admissions to the University of Tampa.
- Eligibility for the program
- 3.5 GPA (unweighted)
- Acceptance into the Honors Program by Admissions results in students being designated as ”Honors Eligible.
Transfer Student Admissions
- Transfer students should have a 3.5 GPA and/or very strong recommendations.
- The Honors program cannot admit transfer students that have accrued 60 credit hours or more.
Continuing UT Student Admissions
- A continuing University of Tampa student may be considered for Honors Program admissions if:
- They have cumulative UT GPA of 3.5
- Have not completed more than 60 credit hours.
- Must formally apply to the program.
- Must be recommended by a UT faculty member.
Full Enrollment as an Honors Student
- There is a required application for full enrollment as an Honors Student for all admitted Honors Eligible students. Students will complete this application in October of their first year while enrolled in HON 100.
- Application for full enrollment as an Honors Student for continuing students is highly competitive. Students must formally apply to the program by Oct. 15 of their first semester at UT.
- Students may re-apply to the Honors Program after one semester if their application is denied.
- To be eligible to make application for full enrollment as an Honors Student:
- A first-year, non-transfer student (regardless of credit hours) must have successfully completed HON 100 with a grade of B or better and must include a recommendation from at least one UT professor.
- Approval of the application, in all instances, is up to the discretion of the Honors Program Director and Associate Director.
- A continuing UT student who wishes to enroll in Honors who was not admitted as a freshman or transfer student must have a cumulative UT GPA of 3.5, cannot have more than 60 credit hours, and must formally apply to the program and be recommended by a UT faculty member.
The Honors Curriculum is unique and designed to encourage interdisciplinary and divergent thinking. The program provides an enhanced learning environment for exceptional University of Tampa students. Led by a distinguished faculty, students are challenged to aim higher and go further in their lives, communities and careers. Students are required to maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA to remain in good standing. Students will complete the Fundamentum, Dialectic, Idea Labs and Honors Thesis requirements.
Honors Thesis Requirement
All Honors students complete a thesis, guided by a UT faculty member. The thesis offers students a unique opportunity to pursue their passions and engage in experiential learning. Topics are as diverse as the members of the Honors community: In the sciences, students have traveled to the east coast of Florida to study sea turtle breeding, while in the arts, students have produced autobiographies. Whatever their chosen projects, students benefit from the support of Honors faculty who understand how to successfully publish original research.
An Honors thesis is an original research project appropriate to the student’s field of study. Theses can be traditional research papers, plays, poems, books, business proposals, experiments or anything a student wants to explore.
The Honors thesis is a culminating project for Honors program students. Honors theses are discipline-specific. The Honors thesis independent study can be conducted under the guidance of any full-time faculty member at UT. Subject matter for the course will be determined through student-faculty consultation. The course may be taken multiple times for up to a total of 10 credit hours. Ideally, students should be prepared to enroll in thesis work beginning the spring semester of their junior year.
- Prerequisite: Students must be in good standing with Honors Program, complete all honors curriculum, and 60 credit hours of coursework.
Students who complete two semesters of foreign language study at UTampa and a study abroad experience will be awarded a Global Scholar badge at the Honors graduation. Students who pursue this program are eligible for a study abroad scholarship.
Residential Housing
The University offers Living-Learning Communities (LLC), which are designated residential environments intentionally focused on fostering student learning and a stronger connection with the campus community.
Created for students enrolled in the Honors Program, the Honors LLC community is designed to provide an academically stimulating and enriching environment. Students on these floors have access to exclusive events and special programs that enhance academics, build community and promote engagement. Past events have included coffee conversations with famous authors, book talks with award-winning scientists, beginning and end-of-year socials, trivia nights, sand volleyball games and much more.
Sample Honors Courses
What You Might Study
Experiential Idea Lab
Coming to America: The Immigrant Experience in History, Fiction and Film
In the Idea Labs, students tackle society’s problems through experiential research projects in their fields of interest.
Experiential Idea Lab
Life Extension Technology and the Future of Humanity
In the Idea Labs, students tackle society’s problems through experiential research projects in their fields of interest.
Team Taught Interdisciplinary Dialectic
Where have we been?
Controversies in Human Development
Team Taught Interdisciplinary Dialectic
Where are we going?
Florida's Future: Climate Change at Home
Driven by Excellence
History and Mission
Program
Founded in 1982, The University of Tampa’s Honors program exists to enhance the education of high-achieving students. The Honors program has a distinctive, Honors-only curriculum, numerous opportunities that are exclusively for Honors students and provides a close-knit community of like-minded students.
The interdisciplinary Honors program is led by Faculty Fellows who challenge students to aim higher and go farther in their lives, communities and careers. Honors faculty include Fulbright scholars; nationally recognized scientists, artists and authors; teaching award recipients; and business and community leaders. Honors students benefit from personalized attention and close work with these distinguished researchers. As mentors and scholars, they can connect students with professional contacts, help them prepare for admission interviews, review application essays, provide letters of recommendation and more.
Mission
The Honors Program of The University of Tampa aims to
- Attract excellent students to the University.
- Enhance student’s achievement by creating an intellectually stimulating environment.
- Foster student’s critical thinking skills.
- Increase student’s capacities as global citizens.
- Help students become scholars and intellectuals.
