Quick facts about the Principia Program in the UVM Honors College

• The Principia Program is open to PLHC sophomores and juniors, but in the UVM context, it makes by far the most sense for PLHC sophomores in their spring semester of sophomore year to participate in the program because HCOL 2000 is satisfied by The Scottish Enlightenment course taken by all students in the program.
• Students need to be in good standing in the PLHC to apply.
• There is no quota on the number of students we can send to Glasgow, but acceptance is not automatic. We will base our own decisions about who to send on the quality of the application. Students that the Patrick Leahy Honors College recommends for the program will typically be accepted into the University of Glasgow on our recommendation (provided the student has submitted to Glasgow a complete application).
• The Principia Program operates as a separate study abroad program, not as an exchange. This means that students will be on a study leave from UVM during the semester they are in Glasgow, and they will pay their fees directly to the University of Glasgow. This also means that any UVM-specific financial aid (including merit aid) will not go with the student to Glasgow. Federal financial aid, however, will go with the student.
• All students from UVM participating in the Principia Program are considered international students while in the program.
• Students are guaranteed housing in one of the University of Glasgow residence halls. All the rooms are suite-style accommodations with cooking facilities.
• The Principia Program in Glasgow has an extremely helpful staff; students are very well taken care of, and answers to all questions are a quickly-answered email or a phone call away.
• Principia is organized such that students on a science track can get their requirements done—particularly in Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Anatomy—in Glasgow. But the Principia program is not just for students in science disciplines. Hundreds of courses are available for the Principia students to take at the University of Glasgow, allowing the program to accommodate most other majors (with the exception of engineering, nursing, and probably education majors).

Additional information to help you decide if the Principia Program is right for you:

• Principia
• University of Glasgow information for international students
• GoAbroad

Application

There is a two-step process in order to apply to the Principia program:

1. Honors College internal application – DUE 11:59 PM on June 15, 2026
   
   On the day of the deadline, all students seeking a PLHC nomination must have 1) completed OIE's Getting Started requirements, 2) completed UVM’s Go Abroad pre-decision phase and 3) submitted a complete application, consisting of a short essay explaining why you want to study abroad at the University of Glasgow and a copy of your transcript.  
    
2. Complete the related parts of the GoAbroad process by August 10th, 2026. This is UVM's deadline for all students planning to study abroad on an external program in Spring 2027. After you complete this portion OIE will direct you to complete the application directly to the University of Glasgow. The application consists of the same materials used for the internal application as well as an additional letter of recommendation you will need to request.Apply for Glasgow Honors Abroad