The Honors College

701 West Grace Street
Box 843010
Richmond Virginia 23284-3010
(804) 828-1803
honors.vcu.edu

Scott Breuninger, Ph.D.
Dean

The Honors College offers highly motivated and high-achieving undergraduates a liberal arts college experience within the context of a large, urban, public research university. The Honors College is appealing to students from all majors who want to transcend disciplinary boundaries, be innovative and address big questions through classroom and, especially, experiential learning. With that in mind, the Honors College prepares students to be skilled communicators, critical thinkers and problem solvers. Further, students have opportunities to develop their understanding of language and culture locally and internationally, while also gaining a sense of social responsibility and a broad understanding of diversity and inclusion in the 21st century.

The center of activities for The Honors College is located at 701 W. Grace St., a living/learning, residential honors community. In this facility, students have meeting rooms, quiet study rooms, computers and recreational areas. This facility is open to honors students day and night for study.

Graduation with University Honors

The Honors College at VCU cultivates broad-minded thinkers, while creating an innovative, real-world approach to experiential learning.

Honors core 

The honors curriculum runs concurrently with a student’s program of study or degree requirements. Dedicated honors advisers assist students in selecting courses that will fulfill graduation requirements and match students’ interests, while also providing guidance regarding experiences outside the classroom that will enhance their time at VCU.

The foundation of the Honors College curriculum is a series of courses that introduce students to the greater Richmond community, deepen our students’ ability to conduct research and creative scholarship, communicate their findings and empower students to nurture their own well-being. The Honors College sparks students’ critical thinking and curiosity through individualized exploration and creative expression.

Students can complete the first-year writing program in one of two ways (based upon their prior preparation).  All entering honors students must take HONR 240; those students who did NOT enter VCU with credit for UNIV 111 must also complete HONR 230.

College is a time for growth and exploration, but it can also be a time of intense pressure and stress. Therefore, HONR 150 is a required first-year course, designed to teach students skills such as mindfulness practices that will help students flourish throughout college and beyond.   

The Honors College fosters a sense of community in which all people are valued. HONR 170 provides students with an opportunity to become engaged in the broader Richmond community and understand the various ways that VCU interacts with it.

Inquiry and analysis

After the first year, honors students will deepen their understanding of their academic studies by completing six credits of the inquiry and analysis requirement. In order to fulfill this requirement, students can take an interdisciplinary seminar or module (HONR 398 and HONR 399), enroll in an honors section or variant of a discipline-specific course, complete a graduate-level course or develop a course contract for honors credit.

Experiential learning

Honors students are also engaged with the world around us and the honors curriculum provides them with an opportunity to participate in experiential learning (three credits). Students can fulfill this requirement by taking HONR 460, a course that draws upon an approach known as Reacting to the Past, to immerse students in specific moments and ideas of lasting importance to explore pivotal issues through dynamic roleplaying. Students can also serve as a preceptor for an honors class (HONR 480), take advantage of study abroad opportunities (HONR 421), or complete an external internship (HONR 493).  Additionally, students who undertake individualized research or creative projects working closely with faculty may receive honors credit for these experiences (HONR 492) or may begin working on an honors thesis by taking HONR 498. 

Culminating experience

During their final year, honors students also must complete a culminating honors experience. This requirement can be met by participating in the honors capstone class (HONR 494) or by completing select departmental capstone projects with the approval of the Honors College. If a student would like to build upon their research or creative experiences, they can also fulfill this requirement by completing an honors thesis (HONR 499).  

The application process

Incoming first-year students with a combined minimum SAT score of 1330 (mathematics and critical reading) or a minimum ACT composite score of 29 and a minimum 3.5 unweighted high school GPA (4.0 scale) are eligible to apply. In addition to the VCU Common Application, prospective students must submit an Honors College application.

Current VCU students who have achieved a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA in 12 to 53 semester hours of college credit are eligible to apply. Students with more than 53 credits may still apply, but they will need to provide a written explanation about how they plan to complete the curriculum. Transfer students who have earned 12 or more credits and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 are also eligible to apply. 

Points of entry for honors

Students may enter the Honors College through three different points. The majority of students enter as first-year students and are required to complete 20 approved credits to graduate with University Honors. Students who are already enrolled at VCU and wish to join the Honors College after their first semester as continuing students, or students transferring to VCU from other universities, need to complete 16 approved credits to graduate with University Honors. Transfer students who have already completed an associate’s degree or earned at least 54 credits, need to complete 13 approved credits to graduate with University Honors.

Graduation requirements: incoming first-year students

Incoming first-year students seeking to graduate with the distinction of University Honors must successfully complete 20 approved honors credits, including the honors core (five to eight credits), the inquiry and analysis requirement (six credits), the experiential learning requirement (three credits), a culminating experience (zero to three credits) and any additional approved credits needed to reach 20 total honors credits.

Graduation requirements: continuing and transfer students

Continuing and transfer students seeking to graduate with the distinction of University Honors must successfully complete 16 approved honors credits, including HONR 150 or HONR 170 (one credit), HONR 240 or HONR 340 (three credits), the inquiry and analysis requirement (three credits), the experiential learning requirement (three credits), a culminating experience (zero to three credits) and any additional approved credits needed to reach 16 total honors credits.

Graduation requirements: transfer students with associate degrees or with 54 or more earned credits

Transfer students with an associate degree or more than 54 earned credits seeking to graduate with the distinction of University Honors must successfully complete 13 honors credits, including HONR 150 or HONR 170 (one credit), HONR 240 or HONR 340 (three credits), the inquiry and analysis requirement (three credits), the experiential learning requirement (three credits), a culminating experience (zero to three credits) and any additional approved credits needed to reach 13 total honors credits.

Academic policies and requirements

• Students in the Honors College must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.

• Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.2 in all honors course work.

• All honors courses must be completed on the grading system listed in the VCU Bulletin.

• Honors students cannot contract a pass/fail class or a lab.

• Honors students may take a maximum of six credits of course contracts.

• Continuing/transfer students must complete the honors core within a year of admission to the honors program.

Special opportunities

The Honors College offers a number of opportunities to its student members. Among these are:

The Honors College Student Executive Board – an organization of Honors College students who help determine the course of the Honors College, as well as host social, service and leadership activities for Honors College students

Honors College internships and independent studies – honors-specific educational programs, often taught in conjunction with academic departments that introduce honors students to opportunities in their fields of interest and within the Richmond community

The Berglund Seminar Series – weekly discussions on topics pertinent to the wide-ranging interests of honors students. Discussions are led by outstanding guest speakers from the university faculty and administration, and a variety of community leaders.

The Honors College is committed to enriching the students’ academic and personal endeavors. Additional resources and opportunities include:

• A well-being program
• Honors scholarships
• Special library privileges
• First-year honors housing 
• Leadership opportunities
• Global learning experiences
• Undergraduate research opportunities
• Honors advising and priority registration
• Access to the National Scholarship Office
• First-year and alumni mentorship opportunities
• Preferred applicant track into select VCU professional and graduate programs