The L&S Honors Program is home to students from a variety of experiences and backgrounds. While many enter the Honors Program as incoming freshmen, there are a variety of possible paths to an Honors degree. We welcome continuing and transfer students who are active learners, wish to develop closer relationships with faculty, and hope to expand their leadership and service capacities beyond the classroom.
Honors at the university level is not about “being” an Honors student or enhancing your resume. Rather, Honors is about going beyond what a “typical” student does by challenging yourself to obtain the best possible education you can during your undergraduate career — one centered on the goals of a liberal arts education.
Join us if you:
- Love learning and are eager to make the most of your academic experience at UW
- Are willing to go beyond minimum requirements and confront new challenges
- Like the idea of studying in small, friendly settings with some of the best students and teachers at the UW
- Are eager to get involved in original research at the cutting edge of knowledge
- Believe in sharing your talents and working to benefit others
- Might want to continue your education at competitive graduate or professional schools
- Are eager for the skills, experiences, and friendships that will launch you on a lifelong quest for knowledge and personal growth
Continuing and Transfer Students may submit applications to the L&S Honors Program at any time. We review applications on a rolling basis, and you can expect to hear about admission within about two weeks.
Continuing students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and students transferring to Madison from another institution will be considered for admission to the Honors in the Liberal Arts (HLA) degree track based on their cumulative GPA (generally a 3.3 minimum) and their submission of:
You can print the Continuing and Transfer Student Application to complete, then upload and email it to honors@honors.ls.wisc.edu. Alternatively, you can complete the application digitally, then save the form by selecting the print icon and changing the “printer destination” to “Save as PDF.” You can then email the completed application, along with your personal essay responses, as attachments to honors@honors.ls.wisc.edu.
There are three Honors degree tracks in L&S Honors:
If you have 60 or more credits already, you can still apply to the Honors Program but may find it challenging to prioritize and complete HLA requirements. We also encourage you to consider pursuing Honors in the Major (HM).
All Honors students must maintain at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA at UW-Madison to remain in good standing in the L&S Honors Program. A minimum 3.3 cumulative GPA is required for graduation with an Honors degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Continuing and Transfer Student Voices
Megan Binkley
Transfer Student
Benjamin Sevart
Cross-College Transfer Student
Clarence Harley
Continuing Student
Questions?
We are happy to answer your questions. Please email us at honors@honors.ls.wisc.edu.