uw honors program essays

The University Honors Program is composed of Interdisciplinary Honors and Departmental Honors. Completion of both results in a degree with College Honors.

Interdisciplinary Honors features an interdisciplinary general education curriculum with a focus on experiential learning and reflection, and independent study. Departmental Honors invites students to enrich disciplinary thinking within their majors through a culture of creativity, student-centered learning, and rigorous attention to complex challenges. This is often done with guidance from a faculty mentor, and by completing upper-level electives, research, or an extended thesis.

The Honors Program provides a learning community and educational opportunities to accepted students pursuing either or both of these distinctions.

To be considered for admission to the Interdisciplinary Honors Program (IHP), students must apply to the Honors Program when they submit their application for undergraduate admission to the University. Selection is based on a holistic review of the UW application and the additional Honors materials. Students also may seek admission to IHP during spring quarter of their freshman year at the University via the second-year admission process.

Interdisciplinary Honors Requirements

• HONORS 100 (1 credit)
• One Honors-prefix social sciences course (HONORS 23x) (SSc; 5 credits). This requirement cannot be completed by courses with multiple Areas of Inquiry designations.
• One Honors-prefix arts and humanities course (HONORS 21x/HONORS 24x) (A&H; 5 credits). This requirement cannot be completed by courses with multiple Areas of Inquiry designations.
• One Honors-prefix natural sciences course (HONORS 22x) (NSc; 5 credits). This requirement cannot be completed by courses with multiple Areas of Inquiry designations.
• One Honors-prefix interdisciplinary course (HONORS 205, HONORS 345, HONORS 38x, HONORS 391, HONORS 392, HONORS 393, HONORS 394) (5 credits)
• Honors Electives: any five additional 4- or 5- credit courses. May be HONORS-prefix or non-HONORS-prefix courses. (A&H, SSc, NSc)
• HONORS 496 (1 credit)
• Courses applying towards Departmental Honors may not be applied toward completion of the Interdisciplinary Honors requirements
• Students may fulfill no more than 15 credits of Interdisciplinary Honors requirements by completing HONORS 499 (independent study), graduate-level courses, or ad hoc projects in non-HONORS courses, including a non-HONORS study abroad program. These credits may only be applied to the Honors Electives requirement; they may not be applied to the HONORS-prefix social sciences, arts and humanities, natural sciences, or interdisciplinary course requirements
• Interdisciplinary Honors courses overlap with the UW Areas of Inquiry requirements
• Minimum cumulative 3.30 GPA in all courses completed through the UW

Experiential Learning

Interdisciplinary Honors students identify two learning activities that are experiential in nature and extend the educational process beyond the classroom. Activities should be in the areas of leadership, research, service, or international engagement.

Interdisciplinary Honors students practice reflection via an online portfolio, an archive of their academic and experiential work. Students contribute to their portfolios throughout their time at UW and in Honors before polishing and presenting their portfolios in HONORS 496.

Departmental Honors Requirements

Students may apply to Departmental Honors in their major(s) after they have been admitted to the major, typically in their junior year. Each department at UW has a unique set of Departmental Honors requirements (see individual department websites for more information). Interested students should contact the department for their major.

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My UW essays

Here are all the essays I wrote for admission to the University of Washington. The UW application actually did not allow unicode characters like smart quotes and em-dashes, nor did it accept italics, so the essays as displayed here are in their intended form, not as they were submitted. Note that I don’t necessarily agree with all of what’s said below anymore (hence the belief tag).

Thanks to KL for the extensive feedback I received while writing these essays. I also received minor feedback from others.

General admission essays

Personal statement.

Prompt B. Tell us a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

Having lived both in the United States and Japan, I have suffered the common problem of balancing one’s identity: whether to stay essentially in one land and occasionally poke one’s head out to say hello to the other; whether to play the eclectic magician and pull from both roots the cure to the disease of nationalism; whether to proclaim one’s allegiance to humanity and humanity alone, thus avoiding the question altogether. It would be wholly dishonest to say I have dealt with the problem well; but in my personal experience I have seen transformations of my thought, whose culmination isn’t so trite as “I have gained useful experiences from both cultures”!

But allow me to declare that I will approach this topic from the more fragile, Japanese side. My childhood, from years three to ten, was spent in Japan. Strangely, though I lived in Tōkyō—the center of action—my mind recalls almost a pastoral perfection from this period. This does not imply any geographic quality, but rather that life, because of my innocence, seemed detached: the summertime fireworks, with the delicious smoke, were severed from the piling of dark leaves and playing with sticks, and both of these were separate from the long walk along the river with friends, chasing after a milk bottle cap.

Fly forward five years from my last year in Japan, and we are three years behind the present: there is a change; I live in Bothell; the mind is forming an opinion. During a summer visit to Tōkyō, I saw the sultry streets of my old home clearer than in any previous year, with all its ugly connectedness obvious: the odor of cigarettes and urine painted on every surface; people lined up to feed the machines of pleasure with their overtime pay; everyone buying a train ticket to go nowhere and do nothing, only to find a nervous comfort in their own nests again. This impression, almost oddly artistic by now, so thoroughly shattered the idyllic vision of my childhood city that despite the urgings of my family, I did not return to Japan the following year.

Though I would not discover the works of the author Ōe Kenzaburō until much later, I can see now that I was in the process of being uprooted by what Ōe calls the Ambiguous: a dissonance engendered by two contradictory impressions. This particular incarnation of the Ambiguous occupied me for two years, and for these years my only contacts with Japan were conversations with my Japanese mother, and the Japanese school that I attended on Saturdays, which was steadily becoming for me an annoyance. But (if the continued anachronism is to be pardoned) Ōe had spent his life in Japan, so for him the Ambiguous was unavoidable; for me, the situation was quite different: having spent half of my life in the US by this time, I saw myself a refugee, a vehement critic of that derelict nation, who through reason alone had justified the superiority of the country with the global language.

But a slower change came in the autumn of last year: I began to renew my interest in Japan. It is difficult for me to ascertain exactly what caused this change, but two possibilities seem the most likely. First, my increasing frustration with one of my passions, mathematics, convinced me to find an alternative topic of research, so that I could shift back and forth. Second, my interest in literature as an art led me to an obvious starting point: works written in Japanese. But by now the obstacle is obvious: my ability to use the language had thinly escaped destruction. Thus began my intense study of Japan. And here I am, one year later: I am still reading Ōe; I have returned to Japan; I am unsure what the solution is, but endurance—what Ōe calls nintai —is my tentative answer.

Word count: 648/650.

Short Response

Prompt 1. The University of Washington seeks to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. How would you contribute to this community?

The word “contribute” invokes in me a discomfort. On the surface, I see zealous students eager to spread their message, and demanding adults prodding them. And below, there is universal indifference, a kind of despair. But I cannot hold inside of me such ostentatious deceit—at least, not for long. For if I value one thing, it is small honesty.

I like to see myself as a stone, sunk at the bottom of a deep and sedulous river. I am breathless, and yet I ever so slightly hold back the current. This current—call it “intolerance” or “apathy”—swims in each of us, and, if we are unlucky, overtakes us. It cannot but seek the lowest elevation. On this riverbed, I am, by any definition, insignificant: I am just a small salience stuck in the mud. But I shall stand resolutely, open to any lifeless provocation; and given time, some others may join, forming a diminutive dam of detritus. No doubt some will become dislodged, and no doubt of those that are left, each of us is unimportant individually. But there is a chance, perhaps, that a fisherman on the bank will notice the current slowing; if not, all is well: the debris can feel it slowing.

Can one observe this river in reality? To be sure, the river exists, but its current is more chaotic; it is harder, then, to spot a pronounced thread. But one context in which I daily encounter it is what may be termed “educational desperation”. Being at times slightly better at navigating class material, I am sometimes asked questions. It may be a quick clarification for a passage in a novel, or an explanation of some concept in chemistry, or tips in computing a tricky integral. The current of questions is strong, and although I want to help, I know that answering these questions will have no effect on the current. To fight the current, one must strive for true understanding, not just a number. Curiosity is a requirement.

At times also I read a Japanese book at school. Then, occasionally, someone will ask me questions: “What language is this?” “So are you reading Sartre in Japanese?” “And which way do the words go?” Most of the time, the conversation will end quickly, and the inquirer will leave with nothing more than the added knowledge that some languages are written in different directions. But even this I find superior to helping with schoolwork, for I respond to a specific curiosity. These questions, moreover, can turn into more: it can propel someone into a promising study of Japanese writing or culture; this is the “true way”, in Kafka’s sense.

By being a stubborn stone in the river, that is, by quietly assisting those wanting to discover and understand, I believe I accomplish something important. In this sense, “contribute” becomes genuine, and becomes something I want to do in high school, university, and beyond.

Words: 488/500.

Honors essays

Interdisciplinarity essay.

Honors 1. Why do you want to incorporate our interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum into your undergraduate experience? What contributions will you make to our community?

Bertrand Russell wrote in the prologue to his Autobiography of three passions that guided his life: love, intellectual curiosity, and pity for the suffering. In educating oneself, although all three of these passions are important, one’s focus does become more intellectual. What is essential, then, is to allow oneself the freedom of moving between passions while also focusing on specific goals.

Even within intellectual pursuits there are perceived categorizations that can severely limit self-actualization. One such categorization is between the humanities and the sciences. I have always focused my studies on one or the other: when engrossed in the abstract beauty of set theory, I am less aware of literature; when I am engaged in studying James Joyce’s works, I do less mathematical proofs. A certain shift in focus is healthy, but a total severance is catastrophic, for being too narrow renders the mind provincial.

The other harmful categorization I see is between absorption and creation. Intellectual curiosity can mean seeking useful information; however, research is only half of the experience. It is important also to use one’s creativity, to apply one’s learning to bring about something new. Creativity is not simply completing assigned work: it means reading a mathematical proof and trying to attain a more general result; it means reading Joyce and trying to emulate his interior monologues.

Although creativity need not be public, I believe by projecting my work outward I can most contribute. Authors like Ōe Kenzaburō masterfully quote other writers in their works, spreading important insights. But sharing need not be as elaborate; it can be simple, like the illumination of a line of verse, or an obvious yet ingenious trick in proving a theorem. Learning, I believe, is the constant exchange of useful information: one cannot do it alone, for knowledge must be shared.

“Lost its meaning” essay

Honors 2. Identify a word or phrase in common use that you believe has, “lost its meaning.” Explain what you think accounts for the loss of meaning and what might be done to restore appropriate meaning to the word or phrase you have identified.

No word in the English language has more exponentially deteriorated than the word “math”. The word generates an infinite conflict, for its whole geometry is false, and this can be proven algebraically. There are a few factors, but first we must ask “What do we now mean by ‘math’?” The conventional meaning is easy, for we all do “math”: we sit in a “math” class, listen to the teacher talk, scribble with a pen (hello Vi Hart!), “peruse” the “math” book. Now examine the inverse: who are the “mathematicians”? Do they go around reciting the digits of e or solving for the roots of a cubic function? Certainly not: that would be irrational.

The problem is that most people haven’t a clue what “math” really is. People think “math” is what they learn at school. But what they learn at school is … “computation”, which is what computers do (not humans). Real math isn’t a formula; it is an exploration. It is art in its highest form. Real math requires inquiry: how does a computer handle ones and zeroes? How can one deduce an optimal diet? Why does multiplication work in the first place? And so on: all questions that inspire curiosity.

What is in our power to solve this grave matter? To be perfectly honest, there is only an infinitesimal chance that we can contribute. But here is something that almost surely anyone can do: before spitting out, “I’m doing math” (with contempt), ask: “Am I really exploring ideas I am curious about?” If the answer is “No”, stop! Say “I’m doing some computations”. But most importantly: explore! Find an incongruity; seek, and sedulously pursue it. Don’t give up. Report to a friend your progress, and repeat ad infinitum !

Words: 290/300.

Extracurriculars

I believe these were limited to 100 words each.

Seattle Japanese School and Studying Japanese. I have attended the Seattle Japanese School since fifth grade. I have consistently earned good grades, and have also participated in school-wide events like the annual Sports Festival. However, as the school alone is inadequate for leaning Japanese, I also read Japanese literature to increase my knowledge. Most recently, I have been reading the works of Ōe Kenzaburō. It has been stunning to see that the literary techniques I had learned for English could be replicated in Japanese. As Ōe often writes about post-WWII Japan, I have also been influenced by his thoughts on psychological confinement and humanism.

Independent study of mathematics. Not being satisfied by mathematics at school, I have been dedicating my time to understanding the reasons why various concepts in mathematics work. To understand why addition and multiplication work consistently, I read and did exercises in Terence Tao’s Analysis I ; to see why numbers could be defined as sets, I began reading Bertrand Russell’s philosophy of mathematics and Paul Halmos’s Naive Set Theory ; to understand why material implication is defined the way it is, I spent two years reading blogs, PDFs, and various books on logic. Through this, I have trained my mind to be methodical but also creative.

Aikido. I have been participating in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. My current rank is 5th Kyu. Training with the people in my Aikido class has increased my strength and awareness, and practicing the moves in the art has allowed me to react to the various attacks. Psychologically, it has also alleviated my phobias of eye- and bodily-contact. Furthermore the experience has enriched my life even outside of the class. When walking around at school, for example, or when I am in very crowded places, I have an increased awareness of my movements.

Tutoring (various). I have tutored people on various occasions. Last year in school, I tutored students studying Japanese. It is difficult to say how much impact I had, but I was able to help them complete their homework. This year in school I have been tutoring (in Spanish) students that recently arrived from Mexico. Since my command of Spanish is weak, the experience has been refreshing as I fumble for the desired expressions. Outside of school, I have volunteered for the Study Zone program at my local library. Through this I have helped the community by making homework a little more bearable.

Trail party at the Soaring Eagle Park. On three separate occasions, I helped out within a trail party at the Soaring Eagle Park in Sammamish. The work consisted of various trail- maintenance tasks, such as digging trenches to carry eventual rain off the trail, clearing the foliage of a fallen tree, and replacing mud puddles with fresh soil. Learning about trail-maintenance and connecting with the other people there was enlightening. Moreover the raw physical exhaustion on all three days was intoxicating. Philosophically, knowing that all of my accomplishments would soon be washed clean by the rain was disconcerting but also oddly pleasing.

• A few people I know have similarly posted their college application essays online, including Brian Tomasik .

• Faculty & Staff

The Office of Admissions will be closed Friday, May 31, 2024, for in-person walk-in appointments. However, we will be available by phone and email . Campus tours will operate normally.

Freshman writing section

At the UW, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best, and good essays are often 300-400 words in length.

Please note that the UW essay questions must be answered within our application. For the Common App, that means within our UW questions. We do not consider the Common App essay.

Essay prompt [required]

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

Maximum length : 650 words

Short response [required]

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW.

Maximum length : 300 words

Tip :  Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.

Additional information about yourself or your circumstances [optional]

You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended

Maximum length : 200 words

Format for the essays

• Content is important, but spelling, grammar and punctuation are also considered.
• We recommend composing in advance, then copying and pasting into the application. Double-spacing, italics and other formatting will be lost, but this will not affect the evaluation of your application.
• We’ve observed most students write a polished formal essay, yet submit a more casual short response. Give every part of the writing responses your best effort, presenting yourself in standard, formal English.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread!

Tip :  Write like it matters, not like you’re texting. This is an application for college, not a message to your friend. Get some hints in the video:

All writing in the application, including your essay/personal statement and short responses, must be your own work.  Do not use another writer’s work and do not use artificial intelligence software (ChatGPT, Bard, etc.) to assist or write your statement.

Per Washington state law and University of Washington policy , all admissions staff are mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. Any statements in written materials that give admissions staff reasonable cause to believe abuse or neglect of someone under the age of 18 may have occurred must be reported to Child Protective Services or the police. Learn more about University reporting requirements . 

If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault or other sexual misconduct, RAINN is a national hotline that provides support and referrals. Call 800.656.4673 or visit the website for a chat option. For individuals who have experienced domestic violence or intimate partner violence, the National DV Hotline offers phone, chat, and text options for support.

University of Washington

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University of Washington’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Personal statement essay.

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

Diversity Short Response

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the University of Washington.

Additional Info Short Response

Additional information about yourself or your circumstances You are not required to write anything in this section, but feel free to include additional information if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if: You have experienced personal hardships in obtaining your education Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations Unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended

UW Honors Short Response

We want to understand your desire to learn new things and to push your education outside of the areas of learning that you are most familiar with.

Tell us why this type of learning interests you and which subjects you’re excited to explore in college.

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Home — Application Essay — Liberal Arts Schools — UW Interdisciplinary Honors: My Vision for Studying in Program

UW Interdisciplinary Honors: My Vision for Studying in Program

• University: University of Washington

About this sample

Words: 308 |

Updated: Nov 30, 2023

Words: 308 | Pages: 1 | 2 min read

Whether we like it or not, life is messy, and the world is messy; it doesn’t make sense to assume that the subjects taught in school are abstract and insular concepts, neatly categorized and inevitably isolated from one another by the five-minute passing periods between them. Debate has exposed me to vast fields of academic scholarship that I never imagined to even exist, and I’m glad for it. From Agamben to Zizek and everything in between, I’ve discovered that oftentimes, whether it’s IR theory, scientific publications, critical race theory or gender studies, interdisciplinary connections within UW Interdisciplinary Honors are not just the products of curiosity and exploration but also crucial to the understanding of the academic subject itself.

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Research my debate partner and I have done, for instance, centers on how the portrayal of Chinese women in the media, in film, and in pop culture reflects the history of American engagement with China in terms of patterns of colonialism, immigration, and economic and racial integration and exclusion. A second key component of our research is concerned with how the above ideas frame and implicate American policymaking apparatuses with regards to political engagement in the domestic sphere, and foreign policy on a global stage. To refuse to investigate these connections in any academic area is to miss key parts of the story, and to severely hinder attempts at taking action.

I think that interdisciplinary studies are central to achieving a holistic worldview, and necessarily relevant beyond academia: for what is a scientist without awareness of the societal implications of research; what is an economist without awareness of how history plays a role in gentrification or racial disparities; what is an engineer without awareness of the public policy that frames her projects; and what is an IP lawyer without awareness of the technology she defends? This is why I choose the UW Honors Program.

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How to Write the University of Washington Essays 2020-2021

This post has been updated! Check out the 2021-2022 University of Washington essay guide .

The University of Washington is the state of Washington’s flagship university and its premier public university. U.S. News ranked it as 62nd on the 2020 National Universities List.

UW has a 49% acceptance rate, and of the admitted students, the middle 50% achieved  3.75-3.99 GPAs, 27-33 on the ACT, and 1240-1440 on the SAT. UW is a member of the Coalition for College, so prospective students apply through the Coalition application. 

There are two required essays, one being the first Coalition Application prompt, and the other a standard prompt on diversity and community. There is also an optional space to address any unusual circumstances, as well as two Interdisciplinary Honors Program prompts. For a detailed breakdown of each prompt, read on. Want to know your chances at the University of Washington? Calculate your chances for free right now.

For All Applicants

Required: tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (500 words).

This prompt is the first of the five options on the Coalition Application and is purposefully phrased nebulously to allow for a wide range of responses. You can relay any experience that reflects or shaped who you are. 

To start, examine your many identities, and choose one that you want to highlight. All experiences are valid, whether they are traditional or unconventional. Focus on the things that make you different from others, and reflect on how they shaped you as a person. Remember that this is your main college essay, so be sure to pick an experience that was integral to your growth throughout high school. 

This is a good chance to tell the story behind any major extracurriculars on your activity list. For example, you might write “debate team captain” as an extracurricular, but this essay is where you can recount the grit and dedication it took for you to reach that position, as you once were extremely shy. You can also use this space to explore identities that don’t appear elsewhere on your application, such as your role within your family. For example, you can write about how you tutor your younger brother in math, and how watching his face light up after understanding a new concept sparked your love of teaching. 

A common theme across all college essays is “show, don’t tell.” This phrase is thrown around frequently, but is easier said than done. A few things to keep in mind when showing rather than telling are vividness and authenticity, which can be created by invoking imagery and specific details. For example, rather than saying “I like tennis and the game has always fascinated me,” try conjuring an image in the reader’s mind such as “At the start of my first official match, I gripped my trusted red racquet tightly, swaying ever so slightly from foot to foot in the ‘ready’ stance that I had practiced for years.” While the first response may be true, it is generic and can apply to any tennis aficionado. The latter response better authenticates your experiences than the former, and demonstrates your sincerity to readers. 

Required: Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. (300 words)

This question serves two purposes: it gives UW an opportunity to learn more about how you developed your values, and it allows them to consider how you might interact with others on campus. It is easy to get mired in focusing on describing your community, but remember, UW wants to learn about you through seeing how your community impacted you. Use a description of your community to frame your essay, but always remind yourself to connect the story back to how it changed you. Once you have framed the essay with a description of who you have become as a result of your community’s impact, be sure to extend this thread to your potential future influence on UW.

There are several ways to interpret community. You could interpret it in the literal sense by explaining how your hometown and family have guided your ambitions. For example, maybe growing up on your family’s farm inspired your appreciation for agriculture and working with your hands. You hope to share this appreciation with other students by working on the UW farm and organizing workshops where students can learn how to plant their own flowers or herbs.

Or, perhaps the community you want to highlight is less conventional, such as the coffeeshop you work at. You could discuss how your coworkers are from all walks of life, and how you’ve befriended a retired older couple that picks up weekend shifts. They offer you advice based on their many life experiences, showing you the importance of having an older mentor. This makes you want to join the Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter at UW.

Regardless of what your community is, be sure to highlight how you’ll contribute to UW’s diversity, whether that’s through your perspective, actions, ideas, cultural traditions, etc.

Optional: You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if:

You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education, your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations, you have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended. (200 words).

This portion of the application is optional, and while we recommend that you fill out most “optional” essays, this space is truly optional. If you don’t have any unusual circumstances, you can leave it blank without penalty. If feel that the parameters apply to you, you should fill this section out. This is your chance to explain anything that hasn’t been addressed in other parts of your application. Since the maximum is 200 words and the prompt is straightforward, you can (and should) also be totally straightforward in your response, rather than painting a picture with vivid imagery. 

For the first prompt, an example of a response could be:

“In the sophomore year of high school, my dad was diagnosed with cancer, and it profoundly affected multiple areas of my life, including my academic performance. For that reason, there is a significant dip in my grades in the spring semester of that year.”

For the second:

“Because my parents own a small restaurant, it is often my responsibility to watch my younger siblings while they are working, and even help out by doing the dishes or bussing tables in my free time. For that reason, I was unable to join as many extracurriculars as my after school time went towards helping ensure the family restaurant was running smoothly.” 

For the last prompt, you can briefly state school-related limitations or opportunities, like if your school did not have an AP or IB program, or if it did have a special internship program that you participated in. Keep in mind that some universities designate admissions officers to research your region and know what programs your school has or doesn’t have – this might be something you want to look into before filling out this section. However, you might want to fill out this section if the school you’re applying to does not have regional admissions officers.

If there is a specific school program or opportunity that you wish to mention, we recommend doing so via your activity list or one of your essays, rather than in this short, 200-word window. If you find that you don’t have space in the rest of your application, then this section is fine.

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UW Interdisciplinary Honors Program

Required: what is your understanding of the uw interdisciplinary honors program and why do you want to be a part of it (300 words).

This prompt is specific to those applying to the honors program, and as such, it should contain a level of interest one notch above a typical admissions essay. Prospective students should research the honors program online to discover its different offerings. Take some time to reflect on which aspects of the honors program appeal the most to you, and how you would realistically take advantage of those opportunities. 

The more specific you are, the better. If there is a certain conference you want to participate in, or class you want to take, mention it! Getting granular demonstrates the research you have done and underscores your interest in both the university and the honors program. Just one caveat: you can mention specific professors, but only do so if you’re truly familiar with their research; otherwise, it will seem like disingenuous name-dropping.

Here’s an example of something to avoid:

Bad: I want to learn more about the way conservation-related engineering affects disadvantaged communities, and the Interdisciplinary Honors Program’s rigorous classes will help me do that. 

Here’s a good example:

Good: I look forward to crafting experiential learning activities via the Interdisciplinary Honors Program. I plan to conduct a community service project centered through an interdisciplinary course such as Science and Engineering for Social Justice. I want to design an architectural structure, such as a public water fountain that filters carcinogens, or a smart streetlight initiative that improves quality of life without negatively disrupting existing community dynamics. Through the Interdisciplinary Honors program, I can combine my different passions by engaging in community projects such as these. 

The bad example mentions “rigorous classes,” which are available at almost every university. The good one lays out the student’s goals and cites resources specific to UW that would allow her to achieve those goals: the interdisciplinary course on Science and Engineering for Social Justice, as well as the community service initiative.

Required: Consider at least two very different subjects you’ve studied in school; tell us how and why you imagine bringing those subjects together in your first year at UW to engage with a pressing global concern. (300 words)

This prompt is incredibly multifaceted. You’ll first want to brainstorm two or more contrasting subjects you’ve studied that:

1. Share more about your background/interests

2. Can be applied to a pressing global issue that you’re passionate about 

For example, maybe you love English and Environmental Science, and you’re concerned about climate change. You could bring these two subjects together to share the stories of the communities impacted by climate change, on a blog or in a print publication. Or, maybe you’re interested in Sociology, Political Science, and Computer Science, and you want to address the concern of automation replacing jobs by engaging in policy around Artificial Intelligence.

Once you have some ideas, you should think of how and why you’ll bring these different subjects together in your first year at UW. Tell us the story of what draws you to your subjects of choice, and your global issue. Research specific Honors Program resources and broader UW resources that will help you synthesize the subjects and engage with the global concern. 

For the first example of the student interested in English and Environmental Science, maybe their town’s water supply was polluted by the textile industry, which is why they want to fight climate change. They could take the honors course Storytelling in the Sciences, which would teach them how to share scientific knowledge in an accessible way. This would help them share the stories of those impacted by climate change more effectively, and equip them with the skills to educate others through writing. They might also want to join the Environmental Law Society to gain experience with the legal side of protecting the environment. 

Regardless of what your story, subjects, and plan are, be sure to share more of who you are and what matters to you, and tie them into specific resources within the UW Interdisciplinary Honors Program.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Honors Program in Political Science

On this page:

Political Science Honors Program

• Honors Program Requirements

Honors Program Eligibility Requirements

Honors program application information, lev award for best honors thesis.

The Honors Program is a program of advanced study in political science for undergraduates who wish to pursue a challenging course of study in their junior and senior year. Students get the opportunity to design and conduct their own research project under the supervision of a faculty adviser. Students gain in-depth knowledge and an understanding of key theoretical and empirical debates in the field of political science. Students acquire research design skills and the ability to work independently on a major research project. The honors thesis program also gives students the opportunity to work closely with faculty, similar to a graduate school experience.

Students completing this program will earn 'Honors in Political Science' at graduation. Students who are in the University Honors Program as well as in the Political Science Honors Program will earn 'College Honors in Political Science' at graduation.

Honors Program Requirements

• Pol S 487 , Political Science Honors Seminar (5 credits), spring quarter, minimum grade of 3.3.
• Pol S 488 , Honors Thesis Design Seminar (5 credits), autumn quarter, minimum grade of 3.3.
• Pol S 489 , Honors Thesis Writing (5 credits), winter quarter, minimum grade of 3.3.

Honors Seminars

The Honors program starts in spring quarter and ends the following winter quarter. Students accepted into the program take Pol S 487 in spring then Pol S 488 in autumn. Students earn 5 credits for each seminar (a total of 10 credits) and must earn a minimum grade of 3.3 in each course. Both seminars will count toward major requirements as a field or an elective course.  

Honors Thesis  

Students write an honors thesis in winter quarter (Pol S 489) under the supervision of a faculty member in Political Science or an approved faculty member from another program. Students must earn a minimum grade of 3.3 in the course in order to graduate with honors. While this course does not count toward the political science major, it will count as writing credit.  

To be considered for admission to the Political Science Honors Program, students must meet the following requirements:

• major in Political Science
• five courses in political science (may have four courses completed with the fifth in progress when applying to the program)
• minimum 3.5 GPA in the Political Science major
• minimum 3.3 overall GPA
• completion of 90 credits minimum (i.e. junior standing) by the start of the program in Spring Quarter (sophomores may apply for their junior year)

Supporting Materials The application includes supporting materials you can upload to the online form. The supporting materials are listed below for your reference.

1) Essay Your essay should be double spaced and no more than two pages. Explain why you are applying to the Political Science Honors Program and what you hope to achieve by pursuing honors. Include the areas of research that interest you and how your past courses have contributed to those interests along with your preparedness to do independent research. If you have ideas for your thesis, you may include that information as well. At this point, you do not need to have a prepared thesis topic.

2) Resume Attach your resume and include at least two and up to three instructors and/or TAs who can provide the selection committee with information about your coursework and contributions to class. This is a list of references only. They do not need to write letters of recommendation.

For assistance with writing or feedback about your resume, refer to the following resources:

The Career & Internship Center's   webpage on resumes

Pol S/JSIS/LSJ Writing Center , for feedback from a Writing Center tutor

3) Paper written for a class Attach a copy of a paper that you wrote for a class (may include instructor comments and your grade, but this is not required). A paper written for a Political Science course is preferred but not required. Submit one paper only. Choose the paper that best demonstrates your research and writing skills. Do not submit answers to essay questions from an exam.

4) Unofficial UW Transcript Access your unofficial transcript in your MyUW account and attach it as a pdf document in the email.

Some applicants may be contacted to schedule an interview with the Honors Committee. All applicants will be notified by email regarding their acceptance into the program by the end of winter quarter.

If you have any questions about the application, please contact the Pol S Advising Office at  [email protected] . 

Students participating in the honors program are eligible to compete for the Lev Award, which recognizes the best honors thesis written each year. It is named after Daniel Lev, a longtime political science professor at UW and founder of the department’s honors program. 

Submission deadline: Honors students wanting to compete for it must submit an electronic copy of their thesis to the honors program advisor no later than 4:00pm sharp on the first Friday of May. Late submissions will not be considered .

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UW Seattle Interdisciplinary Honors pros & cons?

My son is trying to understand the UW interdisciplinary honors curriculum, and whether it makes sense to write the essays and apply. It would be great to hear from anyone with personal experience with this program.

UW guidance on the web site states, “Generally, students entering the University with less than 45 (AP credits) will still choose to participate in the Interdisciplinary Honors or College Honors tracks. However, if a student has completed the majority of their general education requirements (45-90 credits) Departmental Honors may be the best option for them.”

Is this because of the requirement to take Honors Core courses?

My son plans to apply to engineering. (His first choice major would be ISE, but he is open to most engineering majors, just not interested in CS.) We estimate that he will be eligible for 60+ units from AP credits. In general, he is attracted by “interdisciplinary” programs in which he would study topics outside engineering. However, he would also like to study a language that he wasn’t able to study in HS, which will take up a chunk of his schedule.

He looked at the Honors courses and although they look interesting, it seems the course selection is somewhat limited, with only a few options in each category per quarter.

While I have not attended the UW Honors program, I did write the essays and was accepted. My major was Computer Science.

You are correct on their reasoning for advising against participating in Interdisciplinary Honors for students with a lot of credit coming in: you must take 4 core honors courses, which will help fill Gen Eds, along with several other honors “electives” (which can be honors courses in other departments, for example, the honors physics 14x series). By completing the honors curriculum, a student will usually have finished most of their Gen Eds.

This suggestion is, however, merely a suggestion, and should be treated as such. When I applied to UW last year, I had approx. 105 credits coming in. Many of these were Running Start credits that applied to my major. I found that the honors courses at UW would still be very helpful in fulfilling my Gen Eds, and that they were more interesting than comparable non-honors courses due to the interdisciplinary nature of the honors program. I think your son in engineering will love the honors program if the course topics excite him: not only is it a prestigious program, but the courses are much smaller than comparable Gen Ed-fulfilling courses, allowing more contact with professors.

With regards to your son’s interest in a new language – these courses will most likely not fulfill honors program requirements, but then again they won’t fill Gen Eds for engineering either. He may consider a minor if he is interested.

Finally, Interdisciplinary Honors opens a student up to receiving a host of merit-based scholarships that students ordinarily are not considered for, especially for in-state students.

Hope you find this helpful. Feel free to PM me with any more questions you may have!

Thanks! That’s very helpful. I do think the smaller courses would be a plus and the course topics sound interesting.

We are OOS (CA), so most of the merit based scholarships won’t apply. I don’t know if Honors admission is more difficult from OOS.

(We’ve been asked by a few people why he’s interested in UW when we have strong options here in the UC system, but the only UC that offers the IE major is UCB, and he also likes the way the UW engineering program is structured, as he would like to explore major options in his first year. Plus, he prefers Seattle weather…)

Very interesting - our son is also applying to UW Seattle (astronomy major) from OOS and was also trying to figure out whether to apply to the honors program. I figure may as well apply.

Actually, most merit scholarships are for OOS! Look at the Purple & Gold Scholarships. Honors scholarships are also available OOS.

Honors admissions is pretty much a wildcard – they look very heavily at your essays for both in-state and OOS. Make sure your son’s essays talk about tying together various different disciplines he’s interested in and unifying it under one theme!

I am currently a freshman in the UW Interdisciplinary Honors Program. I would say that the advice relating to credits primarily applies to students seeking to graduate early, as the Interdisciplinary Honors program is structured so that students take an Honors course once a quarter, every quarter, for four years. If your son is planning to graduate early, the course load for the Interdisciplinary Honors Program may not be too much.

Many prospective in-state Honors students have completed Running Start in High School, which usually allows them to graduate HS with an Associate’s Degree (~90 credits).

Departmental Honors programs tend to be a way lower course load, usually having the same amount of required courses as a regular minor.

My recommendation would be to go ahead and apply! The Interdisciplinary Honors program here provides a great sense of community and offers a lot of academic support to students.

There doesn’t seem to be a separate application for the purple and gold scholarship - but it also doesn’t seem to say you will be automatically considered or if you need to fill in the financial aid forms to be considered!

Purple and gold is not part of the honors program. All out-of-state students are considered for it automatically.

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Honors in History

The application for Honors in History Spring 2024-Winter 2025 is now open. You will need a UW NetID to access the form via Google Suite . Applications require an unofficial transcript, writing sample, statement of purpose, and one letter of recommendation from a faculty member. The deadline to apply for the 2024-2025 Honors in History program will be January 24, 2024. 

Successful applicants to the History Honors program enjoy a unique opportunity to craft their thesis project from the ground up. Spending two quarters engaged in primary-source research under the guidance of a faculty member specializing in their subject area, students will produce a piece of work similar in structure and analysis to the articles professional historians submit for publication.

Success in history Honors is not predetermined by G.P.A. A student who is considering applying to the program should think deeply about the descriptions below and decide whether or not they want to engage in such intense independent research. Students considering honors may have a project outline or several in mind at the time of their application. These topics should be shared as part of their application. The "With Honors in History" on an honors student's diploma is not an end in itself, but rather marks the rigorous process by which a student becomes better prepared for post-graduate work, or employment which requires such a skill set.

Declaring Honors in the History Major

Admission to the History Honors Program is by application only. See above for latest news about application open dates.

In order to apply to the History Honors Program students must meet these prerequisites before winter quarter of their junior year:

• A minimum cumulative GPA or 3.3
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 in history
• At least 10 credits of upper division history coursework (300-400 level) completed in residence at the University of Washington

Honors Major Requirements

Students who declared the History major prior to Autumn 2002 have a different set of requirements. Contact History Undergraduate Advising with questions.

To earn a History major and graduate "With Honors in History" you will need a cumulative UW GPA of 3.3, as well as 70 credits of history with a cumulative history GPA of 3.5 and a 2.0 in each history course, broken down as follows:

30 credits of upper division history coursework (300-400 level) completed in residence at the University of Washington. Transfer and AP credit, correspondence courses, and foreign study courses are not classified as "in residence."

5 credits each in four of the following six areas of study:

• Asian History (all HSTAS courses)
• European History (all HSTAM and HSTEU courses)
• Latin American & Caribbean History (all HSTLAC courses)
• Middle Eastern & African History (all HSTAFM courses)
• United States &Canadian History (all HSTAA courses)
• Comparative and Transregional Global History (all HSTCMP courses)

10 credits of approved courses in the Pre-Modern period.

10 credits of approved courses in the Modern period.

5 credits of HSTRY 395: Historical Methods

Instead of HSTRY 388 and HSTRY 494/498, honors students complete a three-quarter sequence: HSTRY 395, Modern Historical Writing, is taken Spring of the student's junior year. This course serves as a rigorous introduction to historiography, "the study of the study of history." HSTRY 395 acquaints students with the numerous ways historians have defined their craft, provides insight on factors which influence historians' perceptions of the past, and introduces students to a broad range of approaches to historical analysis. In HSTRY 395 students learn the skills necessary for HSTRY 491/492: Honors Historical Methods. Students must earn a 3.5 or better in HSTRY 395 in order to continue on to HSTRY 491.

10 credits of HSTRY 491/492: Honors Historical Methods

HSTRY 491 and 492 are taken the Fall and Winter quarters, respectively, of the honors student's senior year. HSTRY 491 and 492 are combined into a working seminar in which students produce a senior thesis to serve as their seminal work. Each student is paired with a faculty member who specializes in her or his particular area of interest. Participants in the seminar act as colleagues, reviewing and critiquing each other's work. Time spent in class generally decreases throughout the course of the sequence, as students become more immersed in their research and consultations with their faculty advisor.

The choice of remaining elective History coursework (to reach a total of 70 credits) is entirely at the student's discretion.

The faculty have determined which of our courses fulfill the above requirements. See the Approved Course list.

Applying to Graduate

Students must complete a Graduation Application no later than the third Friday of the quarter in which they wish to graduate. Failure to adhere to these deadlines will delay your graduation. Graduation applications may be completed up to two quarters in advance; doing so guarantees Graduating Senior Priority (G.S.P.) status for the remaining two quarters.

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Incoming L&S Student Admissions

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:

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

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

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.

Honors Overview

• 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.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 incoming students for the Fall 2024 term is open . Applications received between May 5 and June 2 will be reviewed if space in the Program is available and students should not expect admission decisions until mid- to late-June. 

Interested students not gaining admission as incoming students are encouraged to explore admission as continuing students during the Fall 2024 term.

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:

• Friday, February 9, 2024, 3:15-4:00 PM Union South
• Friday, February 16, 2024, 3:15-4:00 PM Union South
• Friday, March 1, 2024, 3:15-4:00 PM Union South
• Friday, April 5, 2024, 3:15-4:00 PM Union South

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 [email protected] .

Honors in the Liberal Arts Student Perspectives

Anusha Naik

Credentials: B.S. with Honors in the Liberal Arts | Majors: Anthropology, Molecular Biology | Certificate: African Studies

The L&S Honors program pushed me to appreciate breadth in my education. As a member of this program, I took courses on obscure topics and gained unique perspectives on the world surrounding me.

Prachi Raina

Credentials: B.S. with Honors in the Liberal Arts | Major: Economics | Certificate: Business

I actually met my college best friend through the Honors Program! She and I were sitting at SOAR together trying to figure out classes for freshman year and I remember we were so nervous and excited about what was to come. Little did I know she would be my best friend all through college! The Honors Program brought me people that are willing to go the extra mile with me while having a blast along the way 🙂 Thanks L&S Honors for all the advising, ice cream socials, and friends!!

Christopher Murphy

Credentials: B.S. with Honors in the Liberal Arts | Majors: Biochemistry, History

My Honors experience has offered me a deeper and more comprehensive education and experience. It has not only allowed me to research topics that I would not have otherwise been able to study and to better get to know professors but also introduce me to other driven undergraduates. The Honors College, in total, has provided me richer and more intimate experience at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

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Wen Eckelberg selected as scholar for China’s Yenching Academy

Wen Eckelberg, who majors in American Ethnic Studies and English Creative Writing with honors distinctions in both disciplines, and is earning a minor in Diversity, will join current UW Yenching Scholars in the fully-funded interdisciplinary master's program. Wen will be a part of the 2024 cohort, joining 107 scholars hailing from 38 countries.

Eckelberg is looking forward to her time at Yenching to further explore literature as a lens to view history, culture and philosophy, while also improving her Chinese language literacy. She plans to examine literature written by both the Chinese in America and those still in China to paint a more complete picture of the Chinese American experience.

“I’m excited about my time at The Yenching Academy and the program’s commitment to understanding China’s multifaceted global role,” Eckelberg said.

Read the full article on UW's Undergraduate Academic Affairs .

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Current Courses

Course for spring 2024.

Except where noted * , current Interdisciplinary Honors students may self-register using the SLN/ MyPlan . If you have any questions regarding what category a course will fulfill, please check your degree audit on MyPlan and/or contact us here .

Spring Quarter Honors courses that meet the UW English Composition requirement are: ENGL 182 G, ENGL 282 B, HONORS 345 A. Course descriptions can be found below.

* Add codes are placed on all courses one week after the first day of the quarter. If you need an add code, please email the course instructor for permission, and once approved, forward the confirmation from your instructor to uwhonors@uw.edu . We will be in touch with registration details as soon as possible.

Honors Arts & Humanities (4)

Honors science (4), honors social sciences (3), honors interdisciplinary (3), honors 100/496 (2), honors electives (9), special topics (1), honors-prefix courses, honors 212 a: self-defense and (auto)biography (a&h, div, w).

SLN 15267 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 5 Limit: 22 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

2010-14 Core : H-Arts & Humanities -->

This course offers the chance to learn about histories and stories of unarmed self-defense while learning martial arts. In this course, we will engage texts and documentaries that detail the lives of activists and marginalized folks that became students of the martial arts or spontaneously defended themselves in unsafe situations or environments hostile to their identities. In order to understand how gender, race, and safety have impacted people’s lives across time, we will study works from the 1970s (Angela Davis: Autobiography, 1974) to the present (Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir, 2016). Each work will push students to critically think about concepts such as violence, discrimination, healing, and survival using theories from critical ethnic studies, gender studies, and trans studies. Through group discussion, students will be able to understand how marginalized activists and writers incorporated self-defense into their lives spiritually, mentally, and physically. In and outside class, students will begin their own accessible, safe martial arts journeys by practicing basic moves from Goju Karate. By the end of the course, students will be able to answer for themselves: Does defending oneself increase your safety? Does everyone have equal access to the right to practice self-defense legally or socially? What do people who are disproportionately affected by violence get out of daily self-defense and martial ats practice? What can you get out of a daily martial arts practice? And how can you use it to practice political and social solidarity with others?

HONORS 212 B: Okinawa in the Japanese Literary Imagination (A&H, DIV, W)

SLN 15268 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 5 Limit: 35 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

This course introduces students to modern prose fiction, poetry, drama, and film that depict Okinawa, Japan’s tropical playground on one hand, and its military colony on the other. While the focus of the class will be on representations of Okinawa in literature and the occasional film we will also pay close attention to the socio-historical context of the works in order to more fully understand them. In addition to introducing students to the variety of literature and film from and about Okinawa, the course will train students to read carefully and critically; to develop the ability to construct sound readings of literary works, and to argue these readings persuasively in English. All course material will be considered historically as well as analytically. No knowledge of Japanese is required; all works are in English translation and films are subtitled.

HONORS 212 C: Post-Soviet Literary and Cultural Scene (A&H, W)

SLN 15269 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 5 Limit: 10 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

Covers Russian literature of the post-Soviet period. In English.

HONORS 242 A: Russian Crime Fiction (A&H, W)

SLN 15277 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 5 Limit: 15 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

Honors students required to complete a longer mid-term, and either a longer final exam or a 10-12 page paper.

Introduces important trends and movements in Russian literary and cultural history.

HONORS 222 A: Evolution and Human Behavior (NSc, W)

SLN 15270 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 5 Limit: 25 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

2010-14 Core : H-Natural Science -->

The theory of evolution by natural selection is the underlying theme that unites all fields of biology. In this course we will cover the basic principles of evolution, explore ways in which evolutionary theory can be applied to human biology and behavior, and consider how evolutionary thinking might guide the development of social policy. We will consider questions such as these: Why are women and men different? Which is more egalitarian: monogamy or polygamy? Why do step-parents and step-children often have more conflicted relationships than biological parents and biological children? When do people cooperate, when are they selfish, and why? What can we do to reduce the rate of spousal abuse and homicide?

HONORS 222 B: Evolution and Human Behavior (NSc, W)

SLN 15271 ( View UW registration info » )

HONORS 222 C: Pain (NSc, W)

SLN 15272 ( View UW registration info » )

This seminar course will utilize a flipped classroom model to investigate all aspects of pain; from the anatomy and physiology and psychology that create this common complaint, to the sociology, history, ethics, legal and medical issues that are associated with pain. This course does not presuppose any educational background and is open to students in any major.

HONORS 222 D: Polar Places and Spaces: Exploring the Greenland Ice Sheet (NSc, W)

SLN 15273 ( View UW registration info » )

Learn about climate and ice-sheet change by traveling to the margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet. We will investigate a glacier basin and distinct glacial landforms at the margin of the ice sheet that are shaped by to ice sheet advances and retreats over time. We will explore these places using a recently developed set of virtual reality environments, as well as explore real-world data in a Geographical Information System (GIS) developed for Greenland. Through numerous hands-on activities students will gain geospatial skills and build connections to polar places and spaces. Introductory material will cover basics of climate science, basics of continent-scale dynamics of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and how the Greenland Ice Sheet has changed over time; lectures would build from ‘climate literacy’ and ‘polar literacy’ principles.

HONORS 232 A: The Record of Us All (SSc, DIV, W)

SLN 15274 ( View UW registration info » )

2010-14 Core : H-Social Science -->

Every day – for that matter, potentially for every minute or second of every day – we interact with a widening variety of information objects, from the trivial to the profound. All of those form part of the human record, the record of who we are as individuals and who we are as a society. That record goes back thousands of years and is our only way of knowing, understanding and remembering days and people gone by, and in turn is the only way we and our world will be known and remembered. This course will explore that record in its various forms, how it got that way, what makes it work, what is and might be happening to it, and what that might mean going forward.

HONORS 232 B: Race and Medicine in U.S. History (SSc, DIV, W)

SLN 15275 ( View UW registration info » )

Communities of color have long argued that there are inequities built into the American health care system. The data support this claim. In 2021, racism continues to be the number one driver of health inequities in the United States. This class grapples with the relationship between racism, health, and medicine. Our examination of the course topic is rooted in three fundamental questions: 1) What are the origins of how health and illness are defined today? 2) What various forms of power influence the unequal distribution of disease and unequal access to health care? 3) What role do social movements play in transforming health systems that support or generate health inequities? Our readings and audio and visual materials reach broadly across disciplines and elevate the voices and experiences of scholars and communities most impacted by health inequities. Live dialogues with community-based organizations at the frontlines of health equity research, practice, and organizing will enhance students learning.

HONORS 232 D: International Human Rights (SSc, DIV, W)

SLN 15276 ( View UW registration info » )

This interdisciplinary course is a survey of current and historical international human rights. The course will cover a range of human rights topics from freedom of the press, religion, labor, gender and LGBTI rights. Drawing on knowledge from sociology, political science, and anthropology, the class will study different interpretations of rights through diverse cultures and religions. Students will gain an understanding of how the concept of ‘rights’ changes over time, in both progressive and regressive ways. For example, freedom of expression was first legislated in Sweden in 1766, and yet remains contested today, as seen in Russia’s 2022 proposed law for a 15-year prison sentence for journalists who criticize the state. Students will examine how issues such as LGBTI may improve in some regions of the world, such as Taiwan and Brazil, while at the same time digress in other parts of the globe such as Poland and Ghana. Through this class, students will gain an understanding of how human rights are created, accepted, or rejected by the international community. Participants will study both failed and successful human rights campaigns. Students will learn pragmatic skills of human rights advocacy and how to influence policy reform, with a goal to give students both knowledge and agency for human rights change.

HONORS 345 A: Interdisciplinary Writing Seminar (C)

SLN 15278 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 5 Limit: 23 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

2010-14 Core : H-Interdisciplinary -->

This workshop-based course will walk students from all disciplines through the methods and processes of interdisciplinary research writing and publication. To simulate a scholarly environment, students will work in small groups organized around subject specializations within the broader field of Popular Culture Studies. Students will collaborate to research these areas and support each other as they write scholarly journal articles.

HONORS 393 A: Music, Birdsong, and the Limits of the Human (A&H / NSc, W)

SLN 15279 ( View UW registration info » )

Humans make music. The music we make assumes many forms, but species-wide we share certain basic musical capacities and these, in turn, are part of what make us human. Seen in evolutionary perspective, we also share some of these capacities with other species, including now-extinct hominids and scores of living mammals. But among the examples of musicality in the animal kingdom, none has occupied so potent a place in human imaginations as birdsong. Drawing together scholarly writings in musicology, ethnomusicology, anthropology, ornithology, and evolutionary studies, this course will explore some of the ways birdsong has served as the animal foil for human-making: as an object of aesthetic interest and academic study, as a source of metaphors for conceptualizing the world around us, and as a matrix for defining human and species-level differences. Assignments will include four written responses throughout the quarter, as well as midterm and final projects that may take a variety of forms, including papers, podcasts, documentary films, or creative work, depending on their interests and expertise. Students will also practice documenting their sonic environments by keeping regular “field notes” about their experiences of birdsong throughout the course.

HONORS 394 B: Ways of Meaning (A&H / SSc, DIV, W)

SLN 15280 ( View UW registration info » )

The key questions this course addresses are How do people talk to each other in different languages? Does the language we speak determine who we are? What is the relationship between language and thought, culture, national identity? We consider crosslinguistic differences and similarities with respect to conceptualizations of Moral Concepts, Friendship and Love, Freedom, Homeland, Politeness and Rudeness and Gender. Students are required to write 2 commentaries and a final term paper. Honors students are expected to write a longer, more in-depth final paper and do one additional commentary in which they reflect on universal vs. culture-specific aspects of language and how their understanding has changed during the course.

HONORS 496 A: Integration of the Honors Curriculum

SLN 15283 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 1 Limit: 40 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

2010-14 Core : HONORS 100/496 -->

In this capstone course, a portfolio studio, students will complete the Interdisciplinary or College Honors Program by creating educational narratives within vibrant, creative, online portfolios. Each student will reflect upon the intersection of formal coursework and experiential learning by exploring, collaborating, articulating, testing out, refining, and showcasing the Honors portfolio to a community of peers and mentors. Using portfolio platforms introduced in Honors 100, students will be asked to creatively reflect on the connections between and across their UW courses and disciplines, as well as to consider in-classroom knowledge and its interface with academia and experiences outside of the classroom.

Students must request an add code via this link:  https://forms.gle/fahxhGcTR6r7P4my9

HONORS 496 B: Integration of the Honors Curriculum

SLN 15284 ( View UW registration info » )

Other Honors courses (without HONORS-prefix)

Chem 165: honors general chemistry (nsc).

SLN 12043 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 5 Limit: 72 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

2010-14 Core : (No translation found) -->

Introduction to systematic inorganic chemistry: representative elements, metals, and nonmetals. Includes coordination complexes, geochemistry, and metallurgy. Additional material on environmental applications of basic chemistry presented. Includes laboratory. No more than the number of credits indicated can be counted toward graduation from the following course groups: CHEM 162, CHEM 165 (5 credits); CHEM 165, CHEM 312 (5 credits).

CHEM 337: Honors Organic Chemistry (NSc)

SLN 12153 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 4 Limit: 50 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

Chemistry majors and other students planning three or more quarters of organic chemistry. Structure, nomenclature, reactions, and synthesis of organic compounds. Theory and mechanism of organic reactions. Biomolecules. Introduction to membranes, enzyme mechanisms, prosthetic groups, macromolecular conformations, and supramolecular architecture. No more than 4 credits can be counted toward graduation from the following courses: CHEM 239, CHEM 337.

CSE 122 / CSE 390 HA: Introduction to Computer Programming II (NSc)

SLN 12867 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 4+1 Limit: 25 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

To earn Honors credit, students must register for: 1. CSE 122 lecture A or B 2. corresponding CSE 122 section 3. CSE 390 H AND 4. the corresponding CSE 390 HA section

NOTE: CSE 390 MUST be taken concurrently with CSE 122 to have it count toward an Honors core requirement. You cannot take the two courses in separate quarters.

Computer programming for students with some previous programming experience. Emphasizes program design, style, and decomposition. Uses data structures (e.g., lists, dictionaries, sets) to solve computational problems motivated by modern societal and scientific needs. Introduces data abstraction and interface versus implementation. Recommended: CSE 121 or completion of Paul G. Allen School’s Guided Self-Placement.

CSE 123 / CSE 390 HB: Introduction to Computer Programming III (NSc)

SLN 12868 ( View UW registration info » )

Computer programming for students with significant previous programming experience. Emphasizes implementation and run-time analysis of data structures and algorithms using techniques including linked references, recursion, and object-oriented inheritance to solve computational problems motivated by modern societal and scientific needs. Recommended: CSE 122 or completion of Paul G. Allen School’s Guided Self-Placement.

ENGL 182 G: Composition: Multimodal (C)

SLN 14063 ( View UW registration info » )

Cannot be taken if student has already received a grade of 2.0 or higher in ENGL 109/110, 111, 121, 131, or 182

Priority I Registration for Freshmen and Sophomores only.

English 182 focuses on teaching strategies and skills for effective writing and argument that are required of traditional academic genres, such as the research essay, while also expanding the skills for composing in multimodal genres that our increasingly digital and media saturated world demands.

Section G is an Honors discussion driven class with minimal lecturing and grounded in a disability studies analytic.  Students will reflect on their own growth as scholars and their learning process as an evolving product. Honors students will write longer reflective papers with emphasis on metacognitive critical takeaways.

ENGL 282 B: Intermediate Multimodal Composition (C)

SLN 14106 ( View UW registration info » )

Strategies for composing effective multimodal texts for print, digital physical delivery, with focus on affordances of various modes–words, images, sound, design, and gesture–and genres to address specific rhetorical situations both within and beyond the academy. Although the course has no prerequisites, instructors assume knowledge of academic writing.

MATH 136 A: Accelerated Honors Calculus (NSc)

SLN 16871 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 5 Limit: 40 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

Students must have completed Honors MATH 135.

Sequence covers the material of 124, 125, 126; 307, 308, 318. Third quarter of the first year of a two-year accelerated sequence. May not receive credit for both 126 and 136. For students with above average preparation, interest, and ability in mathematics.

MATH 336: Honors Accelerated Advanced Calculus (NSc)

SLN 16953 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 5 Limit: 45 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

Prereq: Minimum grade of 2.0 in MATH 335

Introduction to proofs and rigor; uniform convergence, Fourier series and partial differential equations, vector calculus, complex variables. Students who complete this sequence are not required to take 309, 324, 326, 327, 328, and 427. Third quarter of the second year of an accelerated two-year sequence; prepares students for senior-level mathematics courses.

PHYS 143: Honors Waves, Light and Heat (NSc)

SLN 19003 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 5 Limit: 44 students Honors Credit Type what’s this?

HONORS STUDENTS MUST REGISTER FOR THE HONORS SECTION AND ASSOCIATED QUIZ SECTION TO RECEIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY HONORS CREDIT FOR THIS COURSE

Addresses same material as PHYS 123 in more depth and with additional topics such as current research and cross-disciplinary applications. For students with strong calculus preparation. Maximum 5 credits allowed for any combination of PHYS 116, PHYS 119, PHYS 123, and PHYS 143. 

HONORS 397 B: The Power of the States: The People and Practices Behind the Programs and Policies that Impact People's Lives (SSc)

SLN 15282 ( View UW registration info » )

Credits: 2 Limit: 25 students Credit Type what’s this?

2010-14 Core : UW General Elective -->

Connect with UW Honors:

Mary Gates Hall 211, Box 352800 Seattle, WA 98195-2800 Contact Us Office Hours: Mon-Thur, 10am-4pm, Friday by Online Appointment Only. For details click here .

© 2024 University of Washington | Seattle, WA

Undergraduate Honors Program

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• > honors-program

Under the direction of faculty director Dr. Cheryl Kaiser, the Psychology Honors program offers a challenging educational experience with the opportunity for significant research and independent study. It requires a two year commitment and students join the honors program autumn quarter of their junior year. The emphasis of the program is intensive, sustained library and laboratory research supervised by a faculty advisor and culminating in a senior thesis. Students who participate in the Psychology honors program graduate with a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in Psychology.

What does the program involve?

During the autumn quarter of the first year, students will be registered for PSYCH 350, taught by Dr. Kaiser. At the end of that first quarter, if students have matched with a research lab/faculty advisor and wish to continue in the program they will be registered for PSYCH 450 once during the first year and once again during the second year. The first year culminates with students writing a research proposal for independent work that will be carried out under the direction of their faculty advisor during the second year of the program.

During the second year of the program, students work on their independent research projects under the direction of their faculty advisor. They collect data, analyze the results, and write an APA style paper reporting their results (Senior Honors Paper). During spring quarter, graduating seniors present their research to faculty and fellow students by participating in the Psychology Honors Poster Session, usually held in late May.

Students must maintain a 3.50 GPA and complete at least ten credits of Psychology 498 and/or 499 which are taken in conjunction with their independent research over the course of their time in the program.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the honors program a student must meet three criteria: 1) they must have an overall UW grade point average of 3.50 or higher at the end of fall quarter during which they are enrolled in PSYCH 350; 2) they must be a current UW-Seattle psychology major prior to registering for PSYCH 350 (some exceptions may be made for new transfer students who enrolled in PSYCH 350 during their first quarter); and, 3) they must have successfully matched with a faculty mentor by the end of that first quarter. 

Admissions Procedure

Students who are interested in the honors program and wish to submit an application should contact Carrie Perrin in the Psychology Advising Office, at [email protected] . Carrie will send applications to interested students during spring quarters. 

Application Deadline

The expected deadline to submit a completed Honors Program application to be considered for the autumn 2024 incoming cohort is June 6, 2024 .

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