FAQ for Current Students
No. Participation in the Honors Program colloquia satisfies University Studies requirements that all UK students must meet, thus requiring no additional courses or hours.
Most students find that participation in the Honors Program involves a different sort of learning than that found in many other courses during their first semesters. The amount of work is comparable to that in other 3-credit courses which challenge them to think deeply.
The quality of work expected in an Honors colloquium and the participation of other talented learners enable students to work best and feel intellectually stimulated and fulfilled. Participation in the Honors colloquia enhances their learning experience at UK and contributes to their ability to continue to learn throughout life.
Participation and maintenance of good standing in the Honors Program demonstrates a student's well-roundedness, while completion of the Independent Project shows a student's ability to work independently and show initiative, qualities that distinguish students when reviewed by prospective employers and admissions committees of graduate and professional schools.
No. While we advise students to take the colloquia in sequence in order to gain a chronological sense of ideas and events, to have the background for subsequent colloquia, and to develop the writing and other communication skills needed in all university work, this is not a strict requirement. Students in the smaller tracks should especially stay in communication with the Academic Coordinator to plan for deviations from the standard course sequence.
Many students "step out" of sequence due to co-operative learning experiences, study abroad, internships, or particularly demanding schedules during one or more semesters (certain majors in the College of Engineering, for example, are tightly structured during the second year). Students may resume with whatever colloquium is being taught upon their return. If they do not, they need to satisfy University Studies Program requirements in the manner outlined in the UK Bulletin and must enroll for the appropriate English composition class at once.
Yes. Many USP courses in the disciplinary component, section III, are introductory courses offered at the 100- or 200- level. They may partially or fully replicate coursework already completed in high school. Students may substitute a higher level course in a particular discipline for a lower-division course offered as part of the USP requirements as long as this substitution is approved by the department offering the course.
We find regularly that Honors students are prepared to work at a more advanced level in some courses and so encourage them to explore this option. On the other hand, sometimes courses with the same title as those offered at the high school level make use of specialized resources or develop consideration of a subject at significantly greater depth, which would make them well worth the student's investment of time and energy. The best way to determine whether a course does or does not repeat familiar material is to a) read the course description in the UK Bulletin; b) talk to the department in which the course is taught (frequently they have copies of recent syllabi, which contain significant detail); and c) talk to the professor(s) responsible for the course.
To make the substitution of an upper-division course for a lower-division one in order to meet USP requirements, the student completes a petition explaining the substitution and files it with the department offering the course. That petition is then submitted to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and recorded with the dean of the student's college. In that way, the substitution receives proper weight when the student's transcript is audited prior to certification for graduation.
Since there is no single type of Honors Program student, this question has no single answer. Participation in the Honors Program does not add work to the undergraduate curriculum. Students' "time-to-degree" depends on a host of institutional and individual factors such as degree program requirements, course load each semester, participation in summer school and/or cooperative learning opportunities such as study abroad, and how much AP credit a student brings to UK upon entering.
In addition, many students change their career direction, thus major and often college, during their course of study. They may then need to take additional courses, which may lengthen the time-to-degree.
Based upon recent statistics, it appears that about half of an entering class of Honors Program students graduates in four years, while, for the reasons outlined above, most of the rest of their classmates graduate after 4 1/2, 5, or 5 1/2 years. This reflects the general pattern for students at UK and at other public research institutions; the rate of graduation from UK by Honors Program students is close to 100%.
As a member of the Honors Program, students are expected to maintain good standing (a minimum UK 3.0 gpa and continuous enrollment in colloquia or progress in the Independent Project).
Students must also keep the Honors Program Office informed of your current address and contact information (particularly important at the beginning of each semester and when a student lives off-campus) so that we can continue to get information to them promptly.
We urge our students to get involved in Honors Program activities, to get to know the Program faculty and staff. We recommend that they come by the Honors Program Office to check out information available on opportunities, posted on bulletin boards and through our advising services, and that they read TIDINGS and their electronic mail regularly to stay on top of activities, deadlines, and opportunities.
We also ask students to keep the Academic Advisor and Director apprised of their academic status and other concerns. They should confirm graduation with the Registrar early in the semester in which they expect to graduate.
We ask that all students identify themselves as Honors students wherever and whenever appropriate. We all appreciate recognizing our students in the Kernel and elsewhere and seeing "Political Science and Honors" or "Music and Honors" as part of their identification. This also reminds the larger university community of how we all benefit from its commitment to the Honors Program.
Students are urged to complete the Independent Project before the final semester of their undergraduate career and file a copy of the final product in the Honors Program Office.
Congratulations — you're ready to begin the final leg of your Honors coursework. All Honors students must complete 15 credit hours in the Honors Program to stay active in the program and to graduate with the Honors designation. You have a variety of options for fulfilling your final credits; students in ALL tracks may choose from any combination of the following options to complete their total hours in Honors: HON 205 (the fourth semester in the Western Cultural Heritage track called "The Contemporary World," which is open to students from all tracks), the World Food Issues or Nanotechnology summer travel courses, an Independent Project, or an Honors Proseminar (HON 301). If you intend to wait more than a semester after completion of the final course in your track to pursue one of these options, please keep the Honors Program office informed of your intentions so that we don't inactivate your Honors status.
Ask around! Ask your major advisors and friends, be wary of organizations that ask for a significant amount of money in exchange for membership, and check out the organizations on this list. If it's a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, it's the real deal.
FAQ for Students Applying
Class Size and Instruction
Honors colloquia are limited to a maximum of 17-20 students in order to allow for full participation by all. Each class is taught by a University faculty teacher-scholar who is dedicated to the values and vision of the Honors Program. Most Honors faculty also teach in other departments at UK.
Credit for USP and Departmental Requirements
All students who complete two colloquia satisfy the USP first-year writing requirement. Students who leave the Honors Program before completing two colloquia must satisfy the USP writing requirement by other means. Students who complete a third colloquium satisfy the graduation writing requirement. You may carry out the Independent Project requirement in your major, accruing credit toward satisfaction of major requirements and any applicable departmental honors, or across disciplines via HON 395.
Advising and Priority for Registration
As an Honors student, you have access to academic and career advising in the Honors Program, in addition to that in your major department and/or college. As a member of the Honors Program, you’ll be able to register early in the course selection process, giving you the greatest range of choice in classes, teachers, and times.
Special Communication and Information
The Honors Program works hard to keep you apprised of opportunities to enhance, extend, and enrich your undergraduate experience. We send information via the HP listserv and via our monthly print newsletter, Tidings. We also maintain a website that serves as a repository of ideas and information, as well as links to other sites, to assist you as a student.
Graduation with Honors in Honors
When you have completed 15 credit hours in Honors through the track-specific colloquia and the Independent Project or Proseminar, you will graduate "with Honors in Honors," noted both on diploma and official transcript, as well as with a special sash as part of graduation attire.
Yes! The UK Admissions office and their procedures are separate from the Honors Program. You need not be admitted to UK before submitting your Honors Program application.
Yes, we need copies of transcripts and test scores but they do not have to be official—photocopies are fine.
We recommend it. While Singletary Scholars are automatically admitted to the Honors Program, the number of Singletary Scholarships given compared to the number of students who are "Singletary eligible" is so small that students should not count on this award as a means of admission to our program.
Yes. You are more than your numbers in our program and the best way for us to get a sense of you as a complete applicant is to consider everything from your GPA to your thoughts on encountering new beliefs.
General FAQ Questions
Check the UK Bulletin (catalogue). You should have your own copy from the year you first enrolled at UK. If you don't, contact the Registrar. For general advising, all UK students can consult the advisors at Central Advising Services and Transfer Center.
Check by using the myUK Student Portal.
Check the schedule of classes in your myUK Portal.
Access your student records at myUK.
Go to Exchange's main page, and follow the instructions to request an account. Ask the Help Desk to solve e-mail and other computing problems.
Get a Student Web Server (SWEB) account.
You can make photocopies for $.10 per copy at most machines on the UK campus. Most machines permit copying of unusual sizes (such as legal size), reduction or enlargment and two-page-up (open book) copying.
Most machines take coins or your PLUS card; a few still take dollar bills as well. Most students will have a PLUS card/account, but if you do not (faculty, staff, non-UK students), for $1.00 you may purchase a DART card at machines at W.T.Young Library. You can then add whole-dollar amounts which are then debited for copies as you use them. The DART card has the advantage of being an account that you may close (and transfer the balance to a new card) if your card should be lost or stolen.
Check out the Financial Aid Office or Temporary Employment Opportunities.
Independent Study Programs at UK.
Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
Career Advising at the Career Center and Assessment Options at Counseling and Testing.
Office of International Affairs.
Student Government, Residential Life, and many other student organizations.
- UK News
- The Kentucky Kernel
- Lexington Herald-Leader
- Louisville Courier-Journal
- New York Times
- Wall Street Journal
- USA Today
- and other links to current news on-line, print, and audio/video
Check out the events sponsored by the Student Activities Board (SAB) at the Student Center.
Exercise Options at UK.
Bike Regulations.
Opportunities include:
- Office of International Affairs opportunities
- UK Hospital: 323-5796 (must participate in orientation activities during first week of the semester)
- UK Volunteer Center (Service Learning): 257-8785
- Office of Admissions: 257-2000
- Lexington Teen Center (Bluegrass-Aspendale): contact Richard Franklin: 288-2346
- UK Tutoring Information: 257-8673
- Minority Students: 323-6347
- Athletes: 257-2897