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Division of Academic and Student Affairs 
University Honors Program

Fast Facts

Mission

The University Honors Program enriches the educational experience of a diverse community of academically motivated, intellectually curious, and high-potential students from all communities, providing them a platform for achieving their unique potential.

History

The University Scholars Program was developed to provide an enriched academic and residential experience.  It began in the 1970s through a partnership between the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Division of Student Affairs.  The partnership expanded to serve students in all of NC State’s colleges.  The University Honors Program was founded in 2000 at the direction of Provost Kermit Hall.  The program stressed academic excellence through honors coursework and undergraduate research.  Conversations about aligning the programs accelerated following the creation of the Division of Academic and Students Affairs. Conversations about aligning the programs accelerated following the creation of the Division of Academic and Students Affairs and an alignment was introduced in 2018. 

In 2020, the UHSP staff engaged in a series of conversations to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the current programs and to consider possible changes to them. As a result of these conversations, we developed and plan to launch a newly unified University Honors Program model for first-year students entering in the Fall of 2022. These changes form a holistic honors experience that eliminates confusion between the two programs, creates a curricular and co-curricular experience that compares favorably to our peers, and empowers students to shape their undergraduate experience. We are excited to share the next exciting chapter of our program with you. 

People

  • 1 Director
  • 1 Associate Director 
  • 4 Assistant Directors
  • 1 Program Coordinator
  • 1 University Program Associate
Our team

Activities

  • Approximately 50 interdisciplinary HON seminars. These three-credit classes are restricted to 20 students and focus on developing critical and creative thinking skills.
  • 10-12 one or two-credit courses and a series of workshops designed to encourage students to consider contemporary issues, enduring ideas, and undergraduate research.
  • The Honors Forum is a zero-credit course that offers enrichment opportunities to 1400 students during the academic year. 
  • Summer study abroad programs in Florence, Italy, and Oxford, England.
  • Cultural, Outdoor, and Career Explorations programs are designed to allow students to explore local, national, and international locations.
  • A residential village delivered through a partnership with University Housing.

Participation

We welcome a class of approximately 500 first-year students each August.  An additional 100 first-year students join the programs after their first semester at NC State.  We typically have roughly 2000 active students on campus each semester.

Facilities

Our offices, library, and conference room are located on the 2nd floor of Clark Hall

Director or Department Head

Sean Cassidy, Director of the University Honors Program

919-513-3984

smcassid@ncsu.edu