Expectations

Honors students are expected to maintain high grades and high academic and behavioral standards to remain in The Honors College. The professors, administrators, and staff members in The Honors College are available to help students meet these expectations. Students who are concerned about their academic performance are encouraged to consult with a professor or an administrator about strategies to improve their performance, or with their major advisor or their advisor from the Advisement Services Center.

Similarly, students who are concerned about the influence of personal, social, or family issues on their ability to function successfully as an honors student are encouraged to consult with a professor, administrator, advisor, or therapist at UAlbany. The goal of The Honors College is to have all students who are admitted to The Honors College graduate from The Honors College.

Honors Courses

Students who enter The Honors College as incoming first-year students are expected to take six honors courses during their first two years. Students typically take three honors courses each of their first two years. There are some exceptions, however. For example, students planning to study abroad for a semester during their sophomore year may take four honors courses during their first year and two honors courses during their second year.

Students who enter The Honors College at the end of their first or second semester at UAlbany are expected to take four honors courses during their second year.

Exceptions to these expectations can be made when doing so advances a student's education plan. For example, it is possible for an honors student to take one honors course during his or her third year. Exceptions, however, must be applied for and require a meeting with Professor Haugaard to discuss the need for the exception.

Admission to a Department's or School's Honors Program

During their junior year, all honors students must be admitted to the honors program in their major. Students should consult their major department's website to learn about the requirement for admission to their major's honors program. A list of the requirements for the honors program in all the majors can be found on The Honors College website.

Most majors require a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 to enter their honors program, and some have a higher GPA requirement. Therefore, most honors students will need at least a 3.25 GPA by the end of their sophomore year or by the middle of their junior year to be admitted to the honors program in their major. Students whose GPA is too low to allow them to join their major's honors program will not be able to continue in The Honors College.

Grade Point Requirements for Continuing in The Honors College

During their first semester as freshmen, honors students are expected to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. During all other semesters, honors students are expected to maintain at least a 3.25 GPA.

Students who do not meet the expected GPA will be dropped from The Honors College. Students who have not met the expected GPA and who would like to remain as a student in The Honors College should initiate a meeting with the AVPFHP (currently, Professor Haugaard). Based on this meeting, the AVPFHP can allow a student to remain in The Honors College for one additional semester. Students who are allowed to remain in The Honors College for this additional semester must achieve a 3.25 GPA during this semester or they will be dropped from The Honors College. Students who have not met the expected GPA and who do not initiate a meeting with the AVPFHP by the day before the beginning of classes in the subsequent semester will be dropped from The Honors College and will be dropped from any honors courses for which they had registered.

Extracurricular Activity Requirements for Continuing in Honors Housing

Students in The Honors College should participate actively in the intellectual and social community of The Honors College. During their first and second years at UAlbany, honors students are expected to participate in seven honors activities each semester. These activities are listed on the weekly activity calendar from The Honors College. Students are responsible for signing in at each honors activity.

It is hoped that students will participate actively in honors activities during their third and fourth years, but there are no requirements for doing so.

Students who do not attend the required number of social activities during a semester will not have the privilege of living in honors housing during subsequent years.