The curriculum requirements that apply to a student depend on when the student began in the Honors College.
Students who begin in the Honors College in Fall 2026 or later must complete the Fall 2026 Honors Curriculum, consisting of 24 credit hours, a culminating project or thesis, and four approved co-curricular experiences.
Students who began in the Honors College before Fall 2026 remain under the previous Honors Curriculum, consisting of 18 credit hours and the submission of an Honors thesis.
Select the appropriate curriculum below:
Students who begin in the Honors College in Fall 2026 or later must complete:
With careful planning, many Honors courses can also fulfill General Education, major, minor, or certificate requirements. Students therefore may be able to complete the Honors curriculum without adding credit hours to their degree program.
Students must complete one of the following:
HON 1513 fulfills the General Education first-year experience requirement. The course introduces students to the creation of knowledge in the academy and to the benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary study.
HON 1613 examines the production of academic knowledge from a social science perspective and fulfills a General Education social science requirement. It is intended primarily for students whose academic college requires its own first-year experience course, including students in the Gallogly College of Engineering and Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, as well as students who join the Honors College after their first year at OU.
Students should complete HON 1513 or HON 1613 during their first year in the Honors College.
Students must complete one of the following lower-division Honors seminars:
Honors Perspectives is an interdisciplinary seminar that examines a broad subject from multiple perspectives. The course is writing intensive and requires at least 15 pages of writing. Each student also works with an Honors College writing assistant.
Course topics vary according to the professor’s area of study. Perspectives courses are designed primarily for first-year students and sophomores.
Students must complete:
Honors Colloquium is an advanced, interdisciplinary, discussion-based seminar focused on a specialized topic. The course is writing and research intensive and generally requires approximately 30 pages of writing.
Course topics vary according to the professor’s area of study. Colloquia are designed primarily for juniors and seniors.
Students must complete 3 credit hours of:
Students complete three sequential, one-credit-hour HON 3980 courses as they plan their Honors pathway, develop and complete their culminating project, and prepare an Honors reflection essay to accompany the project.
Each one-credit course includes:
All three HON 3980 courses are graded on a pass-fail basis.
Students must complete at least 12 credit hours of approved Honors electives. These credits may be earned through several options.
Honors-specific sections of courses are offered by departments throughout the university. These courses may also fulfill requirements for a student’s major, minor, certificate, or General Education curriculum.
Honors Reading is an independent-study course that may be completed in nearly any subject area for Honors credit. Additional information is available through the Honors College forms page.
Many regularly offered OU courses may be contracted for Honors credit when the student makes an advance arrangement with the instructor to complete additional Honors-level work.
Students may use no more than three contracted courses toward their Honors requirements. Additional information is available through the Honors College forms page.
Students who participate in an OU-sponsored study abroad program receive 3 credit hours of Honors elective credit.
Approved service-learning courses may count toward the Honors elective requirement.
Approved courses may include seminars offered through programs such as:
Other Honors-recognized opportunities may include the Integrated Business Core practicum and American School Design Build. Students should consult an Honors academic advisor to determine whether a particular course or program qualifies.
Students may take additional courses offered within the Honors College to satisfy the elective requirement.
The Honors College supports student development both inside and outside the classroom. In addition to completing 24 credit hours of Honors coursework, students must complete at least four approved co-curricular experiences.
An activity may count toward the 24-credit-hour curriculum and one co-curricular category. A single activity may not be used to satisfy more than one co-curricular category.
Approved co-curricular experiences include, but are not limited to:
Participation in an approved study abroad program.
Completion of a structured, faculty-supervised research experience beyond the credit associated with the student’s culminating project.
Completion of either:
Examples include Medical Humanities; Sustainable Energy Systems; and AI, Ethics, and Society.
Completion of a substantial service commitment, such as:
Completion of an approved leadership course or program, such as:
Completion of an Honors course beyond the 24 credit hours required for the Honors curriculum.
Completion of a formal, structured internship experience.
Students may petition to have another exceptional experience approved. The experience must connect with or expand upon the student’s coursework and require the sustained application of knowledge gained in the classroom to a project or commitment outside a course.
Students should consult an Honors academic advisor for information about documenting and receiving approval for co-curricular experiences.
Students must complete and submit a culminating project or thesis to the Honors College before graduation.
The culminating project will ordinarily result from the student’s HON 3980 research sequence or from other substantial thesis-type work completed within the student’s academic program.
Students must follow the Honors College’s submission procedures and file the completed project with the Honors College office at least one month prior to graduation.
To remain in good standing and graduate as an Honors Scholar, students must:
Students who successfully complete all Honors curriculum requirements graduate with the Honors Scholar distinction.
The Honors Scholar distinction is recorded on both the student’s official transcript and diploma.
Students who began in the Honors College before Fall 2026 must complete 18 credit hours of Honors coursework, submit an Honors thesis, and meet the Honors College GPA requirement.
Complete one of the following courses:
Complete:
Complete at least 9 credit hours of approved Honors electives. Options may include:
Students should consult an Honors academic advisor to confirm that a course will count toward the Honors elective requirement.
Complete 3 credit hours of:
Additional Honors Research credit hours cannot be applied toward the Honors elective requirement.
Students must submit their Honors thesis to the Honors College before graduation. The thesis is typically the final result of the student’s Honors Research project.
Students should follow the instructions provided on the Honors Thesis Submission Form, available on the Honors College website under:
Academics → Current Students → Forms
At the time of graduation, Honors College students must have both:
Students who complete these curriculum, thesis, and GPA requirements will graduate with the Honors Scholar distinction, which is noted on both the student’s transcript and diploma.
For questions about Honors curriculum requirements or which curriculum applies to you, please contact a member of the Honors Advising Team:
Jeff Cooper, Senior Advisor
jdcooper@ou.edu
Romelia Graefrath
rgraefrath@ou.edu
Tyler George
tyler.george@ou.edu
