Program Requirements

Requirements for students admitted directly from high school

10 Honors Classes by time of Temple graduation 
Must include ENG 0902, IH 0951, IH 0952 if needed
Must include 4 Upper-Level (numbered 2900 or higher) Honors Courses
3.25 cumulative GPA at the time of graduation

Requirements for students admitted after matriculation at any college/university

For current Temple students and those transferring to Temple, program requirements are based on credits accrued at the time of admission. See list below:

 0 - 29 credits – 10 Honors Classes
30 - 59 credits – 8 Honors Classes
60+ credits – 6 Honors Classes
Must include ENG 0902, IH 0951, IH0952 if needed
Must include 4 Upper-Level (numbered 2900 or higher) Honors Courses
3.25 cumulative GPA at the time of graduation

Suggested Academic Progress:

To complete Honors courses in a timely manner, the following academic progress is suggested:
- Minimum of 3 total Honors courses completed by the end of your First year.
- Minimum of 6 total Honors courses completed by the end of your Second year or 30 earned Temple credits.
- Minimum of 8 total Honors courses completed by the end of your Third year or 60 earned Temple credits.
- Minimum of 10 total Honors courses completed by the time of graduation.

Undergraduate Bulletin

Click here to view the Honors requirements on the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Course Requirements

Definition of an Honors Course

Any three-credit designated Honors course will automatically satisfy an Honors course requirement. All Honors courses can be identified by the following course numbering system:

0900 - 0999 General Education Honors Courses: Courses numbered 0900-0999 are appropriate for any undergraduate General Education Honors course requirements.
x9xx Honors Courses: Undergraduate Honors courses will be identified by a 9 as the second digit of the course number and will have "Honors" as the first word of the title. The 9 in the second position will not be used by any non-Honors undergraduate course. General Education Honors courses are designated 09xx.
Lower-level courses (including General Education courses) are numbered 0900-1999. Upper-level courses are numbered 2900-4999.

One-credit Honors Labs do not count toward Honors course totals. (e.g. Chem 1953)

Other courses that will satisfy Honors course requirements:

HNRS 1901: Honors First-Year Seminar - Honors REACT (as of Fall 2021) will satisfy 1 lower-level Honors course requirement. Any HNRS 1901 taken prior to Fall 2021 will not count.
HNRS 3902: Honors Peer Mentor Development (as of Spring 2023) will satisfy 1 upper-level Honors course requirement.
Completion of Honors Thesis Course Sequence (HNRS 4901: Creating Knowledge: Honors Thesis Project Design & HNRS 4982: Honors Thesis) will satisfy 1 upper-level Honors course requirement.

English 0902

If an Honors student is required to take ENG 0802 it MUST be taken in Honors (ENG 0902)

If a student is waived from the ENG 0902 requirement, it will not populate in their DARS under the Honors section (this does not mean that requirement is not fulfilled). In this case, the student is required to replace ENG 0902 with an additional Honors class at any level so that the total number of required Honors courses is met.

Intellectual Heritage

Honors students are REQUIRED to take Intellectual Heritage I and II in Honors (IH0951 and IH0952).

Exceptions:

If a student has already completed IH I or II, they do not need to be retaken in Honors. However, these requirements must be filled by Honors courses at any level to achieve 10 Honors courses by graduation.
If a student has a 45+ Gen Ed Waiver, they will only take one Honors IH if the IH requirement is still unfulfilled at the time of Honors Program matriculation.

Course Philosophy

Most Honors courses are designed to be taken outside of a student's major, field, or college. As a center for interdisciplinary learning, it is imperative that Honors students receive a well-rounded education in and out of their chosen domain. Honors students are encouraged to take as many Honors courses as possible.

Honors has a set of standards that articulates the philosophy and goals of an Honors course. Read more about the Honors Course Philosophy here.

Contracts & Petitions

For students with limited flexibility in their course sequence, Honors Contracts are an option. By using a Contract, a non-Honors course can count as an upper-level Honors course. This can only be used for upper-level (2000 or higher) courses. Every student has the option to complete two Honors contracts, but this option should only be used if necessary. For more information and requirements, please see here.

Honors Program Handbooks

For more information, please refer to the Honors Program handbook. The Honors Program Handbook associated with the year you were admitted to the Honors Program stipulates the rules and policies applicable to your continued standing in the Honors Program. 

Honors Handbook 2024-2025 (PDF)

Please see the appropriate archived handbook for the year you were admitted to the Honors Program: 

Honors Program