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 Why be a Member of the University at Albany Honors College Community?
An Enriched Academic Experience
The Honors College combines the best of a
small-college, liberal-arts experience with features
that can only be found at a major research
university.
Each semester, The Honors College offers a wide
array of challenging courses. These courses
introduce students to a range of concepts and
perspectives from many disciplines. Honors courses
are designed to develop strong critical-thinking,
research, and writing skills through active-learning
approaches such as in-depth discussions, field
experiences, debates, simulations, and small-group
projects.
Honors courses are small, with 25 or fewer students
in each course. Consequently, students receive
extensive and personal attention from professors.
Only honors students can enroll in honors courses,
which makes for an exciting, stimulating environment
in each course.
Check out descriptions of current and past honors
courses.
Beginning as early as their first year, honors
students are encouraged to participate in research
with a professor, postdoctoral fellow, or advanced
graduate student. During their senior year, all
students in The Honors College complete a scholarly
thesis consisting of original research or creative
work. Honors students may present their research at
conferences or have it published in academic
journals, making them more attractive applicants to
highly competitive graduate schools, professional
schools, and jobs.
The Honors Community
An environment of engagement, learning, and
discovery extends beyond the classroom in the honors
community. The students, faculty, and staff of The
Honors College are part of a small and dynamic
community that is intellectual, ambitious, and
involved.
The Honors College staff coordinates frequent social
and cultural events. In the past, these events have
included dessert receptions, performing-arts events,
movie nights, coffeehouse nights, and tours of the
University Museum. The Honors College staff also
offers workshops and seminars to support honors
students' intellectual and professional growth. Some
past sessions have focused on nationally competitive
scholarships and preparing for writing an honors
thesis.
Professors in The Honors College are selected from
departments and schools across UAlbany. All have
demonstrated a commitment to undergraduate teaching
and are actively involved with undergraduates.
Receptions, roundtable discussions, lectures, and
informal lunches and dinners give students,
professors, and staff members in The Honors College
opportunities to connect academically and socially.
Honors Housing
Students in The Honors College can choose to live in
honors housing, and about 90% of freshmen and
sophomores in The Honors College live in honors
housing. Living together facilitates honors
students' ability to study together, attend the
social and educational events that The Honors
College sponsors, and form friendships with other
honors students. Professors give lectures in the
honors residence halls, have meals with students,
and attend social and educational events with
students.
Research Opportunities
Research is an important part of the experience of
each developing scholar in The Honors College.
Participating in research enhances each student's
chance for being admitted to a graduate or
professional school or being offered a job of his or
her choice.
Students in The Honors College are sought out as
research assistants, and special opportunities are
offered to honors students to engage in research
with professors in their fields of interest. In
addition, students in The Honors College can conduct
their own research under the guidance of a faculty
mentor, as part of their senior honors thesis.
Honors students are given ample opportunities to
share their research at local, regional, and
national conferences.
Scholarship Opportunities
Professors and staff members in The Honors College
work with honors students to strengthen their
profiles as candidates for some of the nation's most
prestigious awards, including the Rhodes, Marshall,
and Truman scholarships. The Honors College provides
experiences that increase a student's chances of
receiving these scholarships. Honors College staff
members consult with students to determine which
scholarships fit their career goals, activities, and
academic interests best, help students identify
faculty mentors, and refine drafts of their
application materials.
Honors Recognition
Honors students are recognized for their
accomplishments with an honors diploma. A special
designation on their transcript notifies potential
employers and graduate schools that they have
completed a rigorous and demanding undergraduate
program.
The Capital Region
Living and learning in the capital of New York gives
students many opportunities to serve as interns in
government, law, health, finance, education,
human-service, business, and many other fields.
Students conducting research at the University at
Albany also enjoy easy access to the New York State
Library, containing over three million items, and to
the New York State Archives, containing more than
twenty-five thousand cubic feet of records. In
addition, honors students have access to the
collections in many other museums, libraries,
historical societies, nonprofit organizations, and
businesses. The richness and diversity in the
Capital Region also offers many opportunities for
service learning, volunteering, and participating in
cultural and social activities.
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