The Honors in the Liberal Arts track is a great fit for students who enjoy learning about new subjects and wish to fully embrace the benefits of a liberal arts education.
Honors in the Liberal Arts can accompany any L&S major(s), and students do not need to have decided upon a major to apply.
Note: Incoming students are not eligible to pursue Honors in the Major until they are on campus and have selected a major. Incoming transfer students should see our information for continuing and transfer students.
Students pursuing Honors in the Liberal Arts will:
- complete at least 24 Honors credits by graduation (an average of one Honors course per semester over four years)
- explore Honors coursework in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences
- take courses and/or discussion sections dedicated to Honors Program students
- have the opportunity to enrich their learning in courses of interest by completing projects for Honors credit
Courses taken for Honors can count toward general education, L&S breadth, and major requirements. Honors in the Liberal Arts students will also enjoy a host of additional benefits of the Honors Program outlined on our Overview page.
Eligibility to apply
Incoming students to the College of Letters & Science (L&S) are eligible to apply to the Honors Program to pursue Honors in the Liberal Arts. Learn more about your eligibility to submit an Honors in the Liberal Arts application by selecting from the options below:
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I have been admitted to L&S
If you are admitted to L&S as a new undergraduate student for the summer or fall term, you will receive an email invitation with instructions to apply within a few weeks of admission. You can submit your Honors in the Liberal Arts application before receiving the email invitation. If you would like to do so, please follow the instructions in the “Submit your application” section below.
You are encouraged to apply as soon as possible since space in the Program is limited. Please review the timelines later on this page for more information.
I have applied to L&S but have not yet been admitted
If you have applied to L&S and have an active NetID, you can submit your Honors in the Liberal Arts application before receiving an admissions decision from UW. If you would like to do so, please follow the instructions in the “Submit your application” section below.
Please note that your application will not be reviewed until you have been admitted to L&S.
I have not yet applied to L&S
You are not eligible to submit your Honors in the Liberal Arts application until you have applied to L&S and have an active NetID.
I have applied and/or been accepted with a major outside of L&S
Students with a major outside of L&S (including School of Business and College of Engineering majors) are generally not eligible to complete Honors in the Liberal Arts through the L&S. You can find information about Honors in other schools and colleges, if available, at Wisconsin Honors.
Prepare for your application
Prepare for your application
The Honors Program relies on information from a variety of sources to ensure that those accepted into the program can both benefit from and contribute to the Program.
Below, you will find an overview of the questions included in the application. Please note that these are previews of the questions and do not include all required components.
- Select the Honors degree track you are currently interested in.
- Review the majors and certificates (similar to minors) available at UW. List up to four majors that you are most interested in right now. If you are currently interested in any of UW’s undergraduate certificates, you can also list up to two potential certificates with the label “certificate.”
List of majors and certificates in the College of Letters & Science.
List of all undergraduate majors and certificates at UW.
- What do you hope to gain from the L&S Honors Program?
- Explain why you are interested in completing the Honors in the Liberal Arts track.
- Describe how your experiences within the L&S Honors Program will support your growth.
- What do you want to explore academically?
- Think about topics you have not yet been able to explore in an academic setting or classroom. Invent two new courses that you would want to take if they existed.
- How would you contribute to the Honors community?
- Consider your personal, classroom, extracurricular, and/or work experiences. Identify which of the aspect(s) of our Mission Statement you would most immediately impact and provide evidence from your prior experience(s) to support your claim(s).
*Please note that other materials already submitted through the general application process to UW-Madison may also be reviewed. We do not consider high school GPA, transcripts, or any test scores. Please do not send us additional materials or have your high school counselor send additional materials. Such materials will not be reviewed as part of your application for L&S Honors.
Submit your application
The incoming student application for Honors in the Liberal Arts can be found in the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH).
- Log into MyUW and open the WiSH app. If you use a direct link to WiSH, make sure you are logged into WiSH with your NetID.
- Complete the general application, if you have not done so already.
- Search for “Letters & Science Honors Program Honors in the Liberal Arts Application.”
- Save and submit your application before one of the deadlines below.
Application Deadlines
The Honors in the Liberal Arts application for Fall 2024 is now open.
All deadlines are at 11:59 pm, U.S. Central Time. Admission is rolling. As space in the Program is limited, we encourage you to apply by the next available deadline following your admission to UW. All applications received prior to each deadline will be considered together.
Monday, February 19: application decisions sent in mid-March
Sunday, March 10: application decisions sent in mid-April
Sunday, April 21: application decisions sent by May 31 — final deadline for full consideration for Fall 2024
April 22 to May 5: applications reviewed if space is available, with decisions sent mid-June.
Later opportunities to apply
Applying to Honors in the Liberal Arts as an incoming student is not the only way to join the Honors Program — it is just the first opportunity.
If you are interested in Honors in the Liberal Arts but not admitted as an incoming student, plan to meet with an L&S Honors advisor during your first semester and (re)apply through our continuing student application.
Learn more about the Honors Program
Attend an Information Session
Many students and families will elect to visit the university during the spring semester. During your visit, you may participate in a variety of in-person events to learn more about what UW-Madison has to offer you. When planning your trip, please consider attending one of the L&S Honors Program Information Sessions listed below:
Questions?
Many common questions are answered on the following pages:
Honors Overview Admissions FAQ
If you cannot find the answer to your question, Honors staff members are there to support you! You can contact us at honors@honors.ls.wisc.edu.