The CALS Honors program is part of the combined University Honors College. Honors students are admitted into the joint program and do honors work with students from all departments on campus in their first two years. In their junior and senior years students will do honors work in CALS as part of the CALS Honors program.

Established in 2001, the Honors program brings together a small group of students from throughout CALS who seek additional academic challenges and opportunities to think critically across traditional academic boundaries. The centerpiece of the program is the senior honors thesis, a substantial, original, independent, scholarly work which is completed under the direction of an advisor within the student's major.

Each year, a select group of approximately 15 first-year students are invited to participate in the Honors College program. Other students who amass an outstanding first-year academic record at UVM are welcome to apply for admission to the Honors College Program as sophomores. Normally, an approximately equal number of students are admitted to the Honors College program in their first and second years.

Honors students also receive several other benefits, including the use of a special honors lounge (for study or for simply relaxing and socializing), in-class priority registraiton, opportunity to live in the Honors College housing at University Heights (with students from honors programs throughout the university), field trips and other events.

  • Graduation Requirements

    In addition to the regular requirements for your major and for the CALS core competencies, Honors course requirements and standards include:

First year of study

  • 6 credits: Honors College electives HCOL 1000 and HCOL 1500.
  • 1 credit: first year CALS colloquium.

Second year of study

  • 6 credits: Honors College elective HCOL 2000 (fall and spring).

Third year of study

Fourth year of study

Additional requirements

  • Complete a department approved senior thesis project under the direction of a faculty advisor within your major.
    • Departmental approval of senior thesis.
    • CALS juniors and seniors in the Honors College program will engage in an independent research project exemplary of significant scholarly activity in their area of study. This activity will be documented in the form of their senior thesis to be approved by the faculty of their home unit.
    • PDF icon Senior Thesis Approval Process (PDF)
  • Maintain at least a 3.2 grade point average.