Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog | 2022-2023 
    
Undergraduate Catalog | 2022-2023 Previous Edition

Honors College


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The Honors College offers academically motivated, high-potential learners from all communities access to opportunities for intellectual breadth, undergraduate research, service learning, and a community feeling within the context of a large public research university.  Comprised of several distinct honors programs, each with its own admission and graduation requirements, the Honors College is a campus hub for undergraduate honors courses, enrichment opportunities, merit scholars programs, honors scholarships, study abroad, community service, faculty lectures, and University-wide advising for pre-health professions and competitive national awards like the Rhodes, Truman, and Goldwater.  An honors residence option in Levine Hall is also available for all students in the Honors College.

University Honors Program

Honors Programs in Academic Departments and Colleges

Many academic departments and colleges have honors programs enabling students to graduate with honors distinction in their academic discipline or college.  This recognition will appear on students’ official academic transcripts.

Honors programs in colleges include:

Honors programs in academic departments and interdisciplinary programs include:

Information on how to apply and graduate with honors from a college or a specific academic discipline can be found in this Catalog under each academic discipline with an honors program.

Preparation for Professional Schools

Pre-Health Professions and Pre-Medical School Advising

UNC Charlotte offers pre-professional preparation for undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students interested in pursuing a career in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, optometry, physician assistant, physical therapy, podiatry, and related healthcare careers.  Opportunities and services available to students include:

  • Strong academic preparation in the required prerequisite core of science and math courses
  • Broad selection of recommended non-science courses
  • Pre-Health Professions Advising for academic and nonacademic requirements for professional school admission
  • Assistance with the application process, including essay preparation and interviews
  • Pre-Professional Faculty Evaluation Committee that prepares composite recommendation letters on the student’s behalf
  • Opportunities to participate in research
  • Student clubs that offer guest speakers, community service, and peer support

Like most universities, UNC Charlotte does not offer a formal pre-health major, minor, or program.  Students must select a major and are responsible for completing the prerequisites for their chosen professional school in addition to courses for their major.  There is no requirement to major in science, but strong preparation in science and math must be demonstrated, regardless of the major.  A Pre-Health Advisor will assist the student with identifying the appropriate pre-professional courses and formulating a timeline for their completion.

All pre-health students are encouraged to consult with a Pre-Health Advisor to plan and review their course of study and other requirements necessary for admission into professional schools.  Additional information may be found on the Honors College website at honorscollege.charlotte.edu, including prerequisite course lists for various professions.

For health-related student organizations, visit studentorgs.charlotte.edu

Prerequisite Core Courses

The basic minimum requirements for entrance to most health professions schools are as follows:

Subjects Credit Hours
Biology (with labs) 8
General Chemistry (with labs) 8
Organic Chemistry (with labs) 8
Physics (with labs) 8
English 6

Note: These are the common minimum requirements; additional courses may be required at the discretion of the professional school.  Most students will need additional coursework and healthcare-related extracurricular activities to be competitive for admission.  Community service is also highly desirable.

Faculty Evaluation Committee for Pre-Health Professions

The UNC Charlotte Pre-Health Professions Faculty Evaluation Committee consists of faculty members from the University and serves as the main recommending body for UNC Charlotte students seeking entrance to medical, dental, veterinary, and optometry schools.  Students must have competitive credentials to qualify for a committee letter.  In order to obtain a recommendation from the committee, the student must schedule an appointment with the Pre-Health Professions Advising Office during the year in which applications are being submitted. 

Pre-Law Advising

Admission to law school is determined mainly by undergraduate grade point average and the score on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).  Applicants must also submit letters of recommendation and a recitation of extracurricular activities, and personal statement, but those items are secondary to the GPA and LSAT.  There is no defined program of pre-law courses, and law schools do not favor or require a specific major.   Law schools look for students who have taken courses that are academically rigorous, including writing intensive and research oriented courses.  

To learn more about law school, please visit the UNC Charlotte Pre-Law Society website at unccprelaw.com or contact the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology.  For law-related student organizations, please visit the Student Organizations website at studentorgs.charlotte.edu

Scholarships for Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate Study

The Honors College, working with the University Endorsement Committee, supports applications and nominations for many national and international scholarships for advanced undergraduate and graduate study.  These scholarships, from a number of foundations and national organizations including Rhodes, Marshall, James Madison, Barry M. Goldwater, Jack Kent Cooke, Phi Kappa Phi, and National Science Foundation, require extensive application procedures and are awarded only to the most outstanding applicants.  Students with exemplary academic records-combined with service and leadership-may be nominated for these highly selective graduate and, in some cases, advanced undergraduate awards.  Most require an on-campus review and institutional endorsement of completed applications.

The Honors College also coordinates UNC Charlotte Alumni Association Scholarships, which preference students in honors programs, as well as scholarships for honors students:  the Delbridge E. Narron Scholarship and Travel Award, and the Al Maisto Honors College Scholarship.

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