About

Admission to the University Honors Program is more than just a reward for working hard in high school.

To graduate from NC State University with University Honors Program recognition means that a student demonstrated excellence from the start of their undergraduate tenure to the finish. That they voluntarily took on the added challenge of not simply graduating with an academic degree in hand, but a multitude of vetted intellectual and professionally developmental experiences under their belt.

To graduate with University Honors Program recognition means that an exceptional student has elevated an already exceptional education by taking advantage of as much of what NC State has to offer as possible: academically, personally, and professionally. Not only can this student demonstrate the completion of these accomplishments, but they can articulate the value and impact that each success has had on them, how it has changed them, and how it has made them more competitive and ready to take on the outside world.

The UHP at NC State provides a breadth and depth of unique educational experiences that engage academically-motivated students in transformative experiential learning throughout their college careers. Our students excel in areas of leadership, research, service, and global engagement. You will find them presenting their cutting-edge work at national research conferences, exploring the arts as actors and stagehands in University Theatre performances, giving their time to great causes like the Feed the Pack Pantry, and exploring the world around them through our Cultural, Outdoor, and Career Explorations trips.

Needless to say, University Honors Program students Think and Do both in and out of the classroom.

The curricular core of the UHP are the HON seminars: small, graduate-style classes designed to expose students to how multiple disciplines approach and try to solve real-world problems. The co-curricular dimension of the UHP is Honors Forum, which includes a guest lecture series, arts and cultural events, and field trips to sites of historic and cultural significance around the Triangle. In addition, students must complete three high-impact experiences that illustrate they are putting knowledge into action by achieving their personal and professional goals. Finally, students create a digital multimedia portfolio in which they capture artifacts from their undergraduate career and synthesize them into a meaningful learning narrative, exercising critical self-reflection at a time when they need it most – as they go on to apply and interview for graduate school or their first professional job.