Graduation Requirements

All Urban Honors students must complete the Honors College curriculum and a senior thesis supervised by and presented in front of a faculty committee. Graduating from Honors requires a cumulative PSU GPA of 3.25 or higher. Students are welcome to transfer into the Urban Honors College from outside institutions or from within PSU at any point in their academic studies. (See below for placement guidelines.)

Honors students must meet the undergraduate degree requirements set by the University, including those governing total credits earned, upper division credits, the writing requirement, residence credit, and degree (BA/BS) requirements. Urban Honors students are exempt from all University Studies (UNST) requirements.

Honors courses satisfy many BA/BS requirements and the writing requirement, as detailed below. In addition, Honors students may count courses, including Departmental Honors seminars, “H” courses, internships, and Honors contracts, toward both Honors and major requirements simultaneously.

First Year: The Global City (15 credits)

• Hon 101, Hon 102, Hon 103
• The sequence fulfills 8 credits of Arts and Letters, 4 credits in Social Science, and the University’s lower-division writing requirement.

Second Year: Urban Discourses (12 credits)

• Hon 201, Hon 202, Hon 203
• These three courses fulfill 4 credits in Arts and Letters, 4 credits in Social Science, and 4 credits in sciences respectively. The sequence completes the lower-division writing requirement.
• Students entering Honors with 31-89 college credits should begin with the second year curriculum; all three courses are required.

Junior Year: Theory & Practice (12 credits)

• Students are required to take at least one 4-credit Honors Junior Seminar: Hon 407
• The additional 8 credits of Junior requirements may be fulfilled through any combination of Honors seminars (Hon 407), internships (Hon 404), research (Hon 401), departmental honors seminars, approved study abroad courses, or Honors contracts (maximum 4 credits).
• Students entering Honors with 90+ credits should begin with junior coursework; 12 credits are required.

Senior Year: Honors Thesis (minimum 6 credits)

• Hon 403: Thesis seminar (4 credits); Hon 403: Research and writing (minimum 2 credits); public presentation and defense
• Students wishing to transfer into Honors as seniors should contact Honors College faculty to discuss their research experience and plans.