Prospective Students
Preparing Future Leaders
The Honors Program at UMKC combines the curricular, cultural, and research opportunities of a large, urban, research university in a major metropolitan area with the personalized advising, close-knit community, and small classes of a liberal arts college. These experiences along with a specially designed curriculum help to prepare our best students to become the future leaders of Kansas City, the nation, and ultimately the world.
The Honors Program seeks exceptionally motivated and academically talented undergraduates from all of UMKC’s Colleges and Schools to study in an environment that challenges students to realize their greatest potential. Applications for fall semester are accepted during the previous spring semester and are due by March 15. Late applications will be given consideration by the review committee. Applications for the spring semester are due by October 31.
The Honors Program offers students the following:
- Top professors, many of whom are nationally, even internationally known, teach small, honors-only seminars in their fields.
- Students enroll in a weekly interdisciplinary colloquium, intended to create a shared intellectual community amongst the students and introduce them to a wide variety of thinkers from UMKC and the region in general.
- Honors students receive priority class enrollment every semester.
- Advanced honors students are encouraged to design and lead their own discussion/study sections.
- Leadership is addressed through special institutes and unique courses, wherein students study, theorize, and reflect on the nature of community and community leadership.
- All honors students will have the opportunity to participate in an innovative Honors-Kauffman School partnership, working within their disciplines and interests with students at an inner-city charter school.
- Honors students have access to academic scholarships and a summer study abroad program after their first year.
- Honors students receive a Culture Pass that provides them with free admission to all UMKC Theatre productions.
In addition, the program offers a supportive atmosphere to encourage integrative thinking through an exciting Living/Learning Community and specialized advising with Honors Faculty Fellows.
With an eye towards giving students a leg up on their graduate school and career goals, honors students are strongly encouraged to work with a UMKC professor to conduct innovative individual and collaborative research or artistic activity in the form of the Senior Honors Thesis.
Students in the program also benefit from personalized guidance when applying for national scholarship competitions (Rhodes, Fulbright, Goldwater, Truman, Soros, Udall, etc.).
"Why Should I Join the Honors Program?"
A Message from Dr. Gayle Levy, Honors Program Director