LAH Programs

Overview

Liberal Arts Honors is home to a variety of Honors programs for Liberal Arts students at all stages of their college careers. We provide opportunities for broader, deeper, and more complex learning experiences in an intimate community of students with shared interests and goals. In Liberal Arts Honors courses, students practice the skills of critical thinking, analysis, and writing, in preparation for an honors thesis, post-graduate work, or their future careers.

Our programs include Liberal Arts Honors Scholars, College Honors, the Humanities Honors major, the Junior Fellows research program, and the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Program.

Liberal Arts Honors Scholars Program

Students apply to be Liberal Arts Honors Scholars when applying to UT as first-year students. In addition to taking honors coursework focused on writing, research, and civic engagement, Liberal Arts Honors Scholars participate in a range of academic enrichment experiences that can include study abroad, research, internships, leadership, and community service.

College of Liberal Arts Honors (College Honors)

Any student pursing a major in the College of Liberal Arts, with the exception of Plan II majors, may qualify for graduation with Honors in the College of Liberal Arts by taking three upper division LAH courses. These are small seminars that allow students to work closely with distinguised faculty members and to explore topics from a variety of disciplines from across the liberal arts. No application is required, but enrollment in these courses is limited to students who have earned a cumulative UT GPA of 3.5 and who have completed of 60 credit hours. Students who meet these criteria will earn graduation regalia and the notation of College Honors on their official UT transcript. 

Humanities Honors Program

The Humanities Honors major is an individualized, interdisciplinary course of study that cannot be adequately pursued by a single departmental major, double major, or dual degree. Applicants who have earned a 3.5 GPA in at least 30 (but not more than 90) credit hours at UT Austin may prepare a contract proposal in collaboration with the Humanities Honors Program advisor.

Departmental Honors

Each department in the College of Liberal Arts has an honors program for exceptionally accomplished upper-division students. A departmental honors student earns Special Honors by completing advanced undergraduate work and the preparation of an honors thesis in the senior year. Apply to the honors advisor in the major department.

Junior Fellows

Junior Fellows is a society of juniors and seniors from across the University who are engaged in independent research projects under the direction of members of the faculty.

Dedman Distinguished Scholars Program

Established in 1989, the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Program is committed to recruiting and educating the top Liberal Arts students in the country. Through a close -knit community of students and faculty, unique research and service projects, and other academic enrichment opportunities, Dedman Scholars build the experiences and skills that allow them to successfully compete with the best students in the world.

Please note: The Plan II Honors Program is not administered by Liberal Arts Honors.