Eligibility and Admission

There is no formal application process for participating in the Honors Program. Students in all schools and colleges at the University of Colorado at Boulder are eligible. If you maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or more you may register for one honors course each semester and pursue graduating with honors by writing an honors thesis during your senior year.

Incoming Freshmen
The top 10 percent of the incoming freshman class in the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Architecture and Planning, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the College of Music are invited to participate in the Honors Program. The calculation of the top 10 percent is based on high school GPA, and SAT or ACT scores on a flexible scale. Students who do not receive a regular invitation from Honors in this process may request a special review. Students who are admitted into the the College of Engineering and Applied Science or the Leeds School of Business who wish to participate in the Honors Program should contact the Honors Program office. Your record will be reviewed using the same criteria used for students in the other schools and colleges. The Director of the Honors Program will personally review all requests.

Letters of invitation into the Honors Program are mailed to admitted students starting in October. This happens within one month of the offer of admission to CU. If you do not hear from the Honors Program during that period, feel free to contact the Honors Program for a personal review.

Continuing Students
Continuing students do not need to be invited as freshmen to be involved in the Honors Program. Any student in any school or college with a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or greater is welcome to register for one honors course each semester. An invitation as a freshman is not a guarantee of eligibility after the first year. You must maintain a 3.30 GPA to continue taking honors courses.

Transfer Students
As a transfer student, your eligibility for your first semester at CU-Boulder is based on a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 from the school you last attended. Transfer students are not automatically sent invitations so be sure to contact the Honors Program during orientation to enroll in a course. Once your are a continuing student you must maintain a 3.30 GPA.