What is the University Honors Program?
The University Honors Program is a community of students and faculty members who are intellectually engaged with one another, inspired by academic challenge, hard questions, and the desire to make a difference in the world. Available to students in every undergraduate school of the University, the Honors Program offers talented students a challenging, wide-ranging curriculum that addresses a wide array of traditions of thought, art, and culture and important multi-dimensional issues such as global climate change. 

The Honors Program curriculum centers primarily on the first two years of students’ enrollment, enabling them to engage fully with their major field of study and their other interests. Honors students continue to participate actively in the program through formal coursework and broader involvement in the Honors community throughout all four years of their undergraduate experience.
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“The Honors Program made my experience here at GW.  Providing me with an academic and social network that not only prepared me for life after graduation, but also ensured that I enjoyed life while still a student here.”

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General Characteristics of the Program

  • Approximately 400 students (roughly 4% of GW’s undergraduate student body) are members of the Honors Program, drawn from all schools of the university.
  • Honors courses are writing-intensive and discussion-driven, with enrollment limited to 15-20 students.
  • Many Honors courses feature an inquiry-based or case study approach. In these classes, Honors students play an extremely active role. By working collaboratively in groups, Honors students tackle challenging, open-ended questions with faculty members serving as facilitators rather than lecturers.
  • The Honors curriculum complements the student’s overall undergraduate experience. Even during their first two years at GW, Honors students take half of their courses outside of the program. The entire Honors program comprises approximately one-quarter of a student’s undergraduate curriculum and fulfills many of the student’s general education requirements.
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students

“After completing my first year at GW, I am sure I chose the correct college. My freshman experience in the University Honors Program was precisely the challenging seminar-style education I had envisioned. The intimate classroom setting facilitated enlightened and inspiring discussion, which I had deemed a central ingredient in higher education during my search for a college/university.”
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Benefits of the Program

  • Honors courses are worth four credit hours and address topics not generally found elsewhere within the university, while fulfilling requirements across all schools.
  • Honors faculty are dedicated to teaching Honors undergraduates, to developing mentoring relationships with their students, and to working independently with students on research projects.
  • The small, discussion-driven format of Honors courses creates a collaborative environment and strengthens relationships between students and faculty.
  • Designated Honors academic advisors personally assist students with academic, career, and personal planning.
  • Honors residential communities are available for freshmen and sophomores.
  • Honors Program members receive privileged registration during their second, third, and fourth semesters at GW, enabling them to register before all other GW students.
  • Membership in the Honors Program is indicated a student’s transcript.
  • The Honors Program offers numerous special academic activities, such as special lectures and discussions with visiting scholars and faculty-led excursions to various intellectual and cultural sites. Honors events include student-faculty dinners at local restaurants, an annual hike through the Appalachian Trail, visits to local museums, day trips throughout the region, theater performances, film screenings, guest speakers and debates, career information sessions, and even summer study abroad trips to China. These events enable Honors students to interact with one another, faculty, and staff outside of the classroom setting.
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See the Curriculum

Learn about Admission

 
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