Overview
What is the UMKC Honors Program?
The UMKC Honors Program combines the curricular, cultural, and research opportunities of a large, urban, research university with the personalized advising, close-knit community, and small classes of a liberal arts college. The Honors Program seeks exceptionally motivated and academically talented undergraduates from all of UMKC's Colleges and Schools to participate in an environment that challenges students to realize their greatest potential.
The program offers students a variety of academic and social opportunities, including a weekly one-hour colloquium offered every semester with guest lecturers. The class is organized around a theme, chosen by the Honors students, and cast in the broadest possible sense. The theme for fall 2011 was "Travel and World Culture." Speakers included Dr. Linna Place, Director, International Academic Programs; Dr. Jenny Huberman, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology; and Dr. Robert Riggs, instructor of physics. The theme for Spring 2012 was "Inspired and Inspiring: Showcasing Our UMKC Professors." Guest speakers were professors from a variety of UMKC departments and schools. The theme for Fall 2012 is politics!
Students are required to enroll in the colloquium at least 3/4 of the time they are in the Honors Program.
Admission Requirements
First-year Students:
First-year students should have an ACT composite score of 28 or higher although highly motivated students with lower test scores are encouraged to apply. First-year students should also rank in the top 10th percentile of their high school class. In certain cases, students who do not meet these criteria may nonetheless be admitted to the Honors Program.
Transfer Students: Transfer students must meet at least one of the following:
1) Meet the above criteria
2) GPA of 3.7 or above
3) Participation in an honors program
4) Superlative recommendations
Students transferring from
another honors program (at an institution from which they did not
receive a diploma), may
transfer up to 9 units of honors credit.
Students already enrolled at UMKC: UMKC students must meet the following:
1) UMKC GPA of 3.5 or above
2) Two letters of recommendation from UMKC professors
Applications for the fall semester are accepted during the previous spring semester and are due by March 15. The review committee will consider late applications on a case-by-case basis. Applications for the spring semester are due by October 31.
*If you do not fall under these guidelines and would still like to apply for the undergraduate Honors Program, please contact
Dr. Gayle Levy,
Honors Program Director.
Benefits
- Early registration before other students on campus.
- Honors-only housing in the Oak Street Residence Hall (the Honors Living/Learning Community).
- UMKC faculty who will individually guide you in your honors work.
- Community Service programs designed specifically for honors students (Honors-Kauffman School Partnership).
- Special courses for honors students.
- Individual advising for national scholarships (i.e., Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, Udall)
- Honors-only study abroad program to Uppsala, Sweden.
- The Honors House: a quiet place to study and the location of some honors discussion groups.
- Free tickets to UMKC Theatre Department productions.
- Graduate-level check-out privileges at Miller Nichols Library.
Graduating with Honors or as an Honors Scholar
- Graduate with general honors
- If you enter the Honors Program with less than 25 university credits, you need 28 hours of honors credit;
- with more than 25 university credits, you need 25 hours of honors credit;
- with more than 50 hours, you need 21 hours of honors credit.
- A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.2 is required.
- Getting honors credit
- Graduate as an Honors Scholar by completing a six-hour Senior Honors Thesis your senior year. The six-hour sequence will be included in the total number of credits students need to complete the Honors Program.
- All students graduating with honors or as Honors Scholars must enroll in the Honors Colloquium (one unit; every fall and spring semester; Wed. 3-3:50 pm) 3/4th of the time they are in the Honors Program. For students who are in the Honors Program for 4 years, this means 6 semesters. For students who enter the program in their junior year, this means 3 semesters.