Students in the Honors Program must complete Annual Requirements for continued participation in the program and the Requirements for Completion of the Honors Program. Students seeking the Academic Engagement Award have additional requirements outlined below. As student needs and program goals continue to evolve, requirements for joining, remaining in, and completing the program may change over time. Please refer to this page for all program requirement updates.
Honors Program Annual Requirements
Each summer, advisors will review student records and contact any students who did not meet the annual requirements listed below. Please meet with an Honors Academic Advisor if you think you might not meet one of the requirements.
Complete an average of two Honors Experiences per year.
To meet the six Honors Experiences required for completion of the Honors Program, students must complete a minimum number of experiences each year.
Students (including transfers) who complete at least one Experience in their first year in Honors will be able to remain in the Program but will be expected to complete at least 3 Experiences during their second year. Note that transfer student still need to complete 6 total honors experiences.
Transfer Students: It is highly recommended that transfer students complete at least two, ideally three, Experiences during their first year to complete the six Honors Experiences required for completion of the Honors Program.
Maintain a minimum GPA.
Students joining Honors beginning in Fall 2021 or later must have a 3.2 GPA after Spring quarter, prior to the annual review of records conducted in the summer.
Students joining Honors during the 2020-2021 academic year or earlier must have a 3.5 GPA after Spring quarter, prior to the annual review of records conducted in the summer.
Completion of Honors Program Requirements
To receive Completion of the Honors Program recognition on your UCSB transcript, students must satisfy the following criteria. Submit the 'Intent to Complete the Honors Program' form by the end of the second week of the quarter the student has declared degree candidacy for. Honors staff will review completion forms after the submission deadline and email students their status within 2-3 weeks. To be approved, students must maintain continued eligibility for the Honors Program during their time at UCSB, and must complete the Program/Award requirements by the time their degree is finalized. NOTE: Students participating in Commencement before the quarter they complete their degree requirements, should refer to the FAQs section below about the form submission deadline.
Specific requirements may apply to the year you joined the program. For unique cases not addressed in the criteria below, contact Honors Advisors at honorsmail@ltsc.ucsb.edu.
Complete six Honors Experiences.
Honors students are required to complete a minimum of 6 Honors Experiences during their time at UCSB even if they plan to graduate early. Go to the Honors Experience page to explore options.
Do 40 hours of Community Service.
Complete community service reflective of Honors values of repairing, sustaining, or improving the fabric of the university or larger community. See the Community Service page for more details and to submit your hours online.
Maintain a 3.2 cumulative UC GPA.
Honors Program students must have at least a 3.2 cumulative UC GPA at the time of graduation.
Complete the Intent to Complete the Honors Program form.
During the first two weeks of your final quarter, complete the Intent to Complete the Honors Program form using the link above.
Academic Engagement Award Requirements
The Academic Engagement Award is given to Honors students who go above and beyond the Honors Program's standard requirements listed above. Honors students seeking the Academic Engagement Award must complete the criteria for Completion of the Honors Program and the following requirements.
Maintain a 3.5 cumulative UC GPA.
Note that the 3.5 UC GPA for the Academic Engagement Award is higher than the 3.2 UC GPA requirement for general Honors.
Complete a Capstone Experience.
Students must complete additional work with a "Capstone Experience". See the Capstone Experience section below for more information.
Submit the Intent to Complete the Honors Program form.
During the first two weeks of your final quarter, complete the Intent to Complete the Honors Program form.
Submit the Academic Engagement Award form.
Graduating seniors must submit the Academic Engagement Award form detailing their Capstone experience within the first two weeks of their final quarter.
Capstone Experience Guidelines & Information
Students in the Honors Program can engage in a transformative capstone academic experience.
- Complete Departmental Honors (also known as Distinction in the Major)
- Participate in the URCA Colloquium
- Complete at least one full term (not summer only) in UCEAP, UC DC, or UC Sacramento
- Design an Interdisciplinary Studies or Individual Major (requires a formal proposal)
- Design and implement a community service project (connected to coursework or research) approved by the Dean of the College of Letters and Science (requires a formal proposal)
- Propose and complete an alternative capstone approved by the Dean of the College of Letters and Science
A formal proposal is required for students completing the following options (4-6 from above):
- Design an Interdisciplinary Studies or Individual Major (requires a formal proposal)
- Design and implement a community service project (connected to coursework or research) approved by the Dean of the College of Letters and Science (requires a formal proposal)
- Propose and complete an alternative capstone approved by the Dean of the College of Letters and Science
For example, if a student were to design and implement a community service project (connected to coursework or research), they should write a formal proposal and include the following information:
- Why is the community service is important? Provide background information.
- What gap is being addressed that existing service projects/organizations do not already address?
- Who is the project’s target audience?
- Which organizations (if any) will you be partnering with and who will be your supervisor?
- What courses have you taken and what theories/authors are you utilizing to inform the project design and implementation?
- How will the project be executed?
- How will the project’s impact to the community be evaluated?
It is highly recommended that students speak with an Honors Advisor about their idea before submitting the proposal via email to: honorsmail@ltsc.ucsb.edu
Upon completion of the capstone project, students will submit a 500-800 word statement placing the capstone in the context of their overall UCSB experience. This written statement should be included on the Academic Engagement Award form, which should be completed within the first two weeks of the student's final quarter.
Academic Engagement Award form
Honors Program Requirement FAQs
Yes, every summer we review students’ progress in the Honors Program to ensure that they are demonstrating strong engagement and completing the Program's requirements.
Sometimes. Please contact an L&S Honors Program advisor via email or visit the designated Honors drop-in hours.
Please submit the Intent to Complete the Honors Program form in the first two weeks of the quarter in which you are declaring candidacy.
Please submit the Intent to Complete the Honors Program form at the start of the Spring quarter in order to be included in Honors-related Commencement lists.
Check your email for a copy of your responses to the Google form; a copy of the form is sent automatically to the email address entered. If you still aren’t sure, please email, honorsmail@ltsc.ucsb.edu, or join Honors drop-in hours.