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Undergraduate Program

Degrees and Programs Offered

• Bachelor of Arts in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts (B.A.)
• Certificate in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts

The faculty of the University of New Mexico Honors College offer a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts. This baccalaureate degree program provides the opportunity for students in the Honors College to develop a broad, interdisciplinary and experiential liberal arts education, similar to that offered by many small liberal arts colleges, but within the context of a flagship research institution. The program provides students with a foundation in social and behavioral studies, physical and natural sciences, humanities, communications, mathematics, and fine arts; and allows students to focus on a specific area of interdisciplinary study.

Students majoring in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts have the opportunity to discover connections among disciplines and analyze and evaluate primary and complex texts across diverse genres and styles and from different historical periods. They perform research and produce original work that integrates ideas and methods from different disciplines and learn to adapt to new environments and developing technologies. Students are expected to have intercultural knowledge and competence and develop personal and social responsibility, including civic knowledge and engagement—local and global. 

Bachelor of Arts in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts

Requirements

Students accepted as majors in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts must maintain a GPA of at least 3.5 and complete:

1.  A minor or second major in a field of study that complements or supports their capstone project;*

2.  18 credit hours in courses numbered 300 and higher containing significant coursework involving skills as defined by Honors College program student learning outcomes: interdisciplinarity, research, community engagement, critical thinking, communication skills, creative thinking;

3.  6 hours in an Honors integrative block or equivalent;

4.  At least 36 credit hours in UHON or HNRS courses, including:

• 3 credit hours at each of the 1000- (or 100-), 2000- (or 200-), 300-, or 400-levels
• 12-18 elective credit hours, at least 12 of which are at the 300-level or higher  
• 6 credit hours may include integrative block if taken as UHON or HNRS;
• 6 credit hours of coursework in one interdisciplinary capstone:
  • Thesis/project: UHON 490 and UHON 491, or
  • Senior Teaching: UHON 492 and UHON 493, or
  • Service Learning: UHON 495 and UHON 496;

5.  At least 120 total credit hours;

6.  At least 12 credit hours of a single non-English language or provide evidence of equivalent proficiency.**

7.  All General Education curriculum requirements, some of which may be completed through UHON courses. Refer to the Undergraduate Program section of this Catalog for information on courses that meet General Education curriculum and U.S. and Global Diversity and Inclusion requirements.

For more information about the major and how to assemble a program of study, visit the Honors College Web site or speak with an advisor in the Honors College.

Notes:
* Separate fields are generally defined as the General Education curriculum areas plus additional colleges or schools at UNM that offer undergraduate coursework.
** Information about language proficiency equivalence can be found through the Foreign Languages and Literatures Department.

Minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts

There are four ways to graduate from the Honors College: the Honors College Certificate; the Minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts; the UNM Honors Scholar Distinction; and the Bachelor of Arts in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts. Each offers different and varied requirements and opportunities. The Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts Minor is awarded to students who wish to broaden their interdisciplinary Honors experience while obtaining a bachelor’s degree in their chosen discipline. Students who complete the Minor will produce work that integrates ideas and methods from different disciplines, and will analyze and evaluate foundational and primary works, gain knowledge of diverse cultures, acquire civic knowledge, and apply ethical reasoning.

Requirements (21 credit hours):

Maintenance of a 3.2 cumulative GPA and the successful completion of 21 credit hours in Honors courses, including:

• 3 credit hours in each of the following:
  • HNRS 1000-level courses
  • HNRS 2000-level courses
  • UHON 300-level courses
  • UHON 400-level courses
• 9 additional credit hours in HNRS or UHON of any level or in approved honors courses in other units.

At least 15 credit hours must be completed in HNRS or UHON courses.  Up to 6 credit hours may come from approved courses offered by other units (if they are not also counting toward other major or minor requirements).

Alternative Entry Path

For students beginning in Honors with significant prior college coursework, it is possible to follow an alternative path to a Minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts.

Significant prior college coursework is defined as: > 30 credits already taken at UNM or another university or college (AP credits for instance do not count towards this total while Dual Enrollment courses do).

Students meeting this criterion can opt to forgo an Honors course at the 1000 or 2000 level and instead complete credit hours from Honors courses at other levels.

Requirements (21 Credit Hours)

Maintenance of a 3.2 cumulative GPA and the successful completion of 21 credit hours in Honors courses, including:

• 3 credit hours in each of the following
  • UHON 300-level courses
  • UHON 400-level courses
• 15 additional credit hours in HNRS or UHON of any level or in approved honors courses in other units. 

At least 15 credit hours must be completed in HNRS or UHON courses.  Up to 6 credit hours may come from approved courses offered by other units if they are not also counting toward other major or minor requirements.

Certificate in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts

There are four ways to graduate from the Honors College: the Certificate in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts; the Minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts; the UNM Honors Scholar Distinction; and the Bachelor of Arts in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts. Each offers different and varied requirements and opportunities. The Certificate in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts is awarded to Honors College students who gain substantive Honors experience by completing the following program of Honors course work.

 Requirements (15 Credit Hours):

• Maintenance of a 3.2 cumulative GPA
• The successful completion of 15 credit hours in Honors courses, including:
  • 3 credit hours in HNRS 1000-level  
  • 3 credit hours in HNRS 2000-level
  • 3 credit hours in UHON 300- or 400-level.
  • 6 additional credit hours in HNRS or UHON of any level or in approved honors courses in other units.

At least 9 credit hours must be completed in HNRS or UHON courses. Up to 6 credit hours in approved courses offered by other units may be used to satisfy Certificate requirements.

Alternative Entry Path

For students beginning in Honors with significant prior college coursework, it is possible to follow an alternative path to a Certificate in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts. Significant prior college coursework is defined as 30 credits or more already taken at UNM or another university or college. AP credits for instance do not count towards this total while Dual Enrollment courses do. Students meeting this criterion can opt to forgo an Honors course at the 1000 or 2000 level and instead complete their credit hours from Honors courses at other levels.

Requirements (15 Credit Hours):

• Maintenance of a 3.2 cumulative GPA
• The successful completion of 15 credit hours in Honors courses, including:
  • 3 credit hours in UHON 300- or 400-level.
  • 12 additional credit hours in HNRS or UHON of any level or in approved honors courses in other units.

At least 9 credit hours must be completed in HNRS or UHON courses. Up to 6 credit hours in approved courses offered by other units may be used to satisfy Certificate requirements.

UNM Honors Scholar Distinction (27 Credit Hours)

There are four ways to graduate from the Honors College: the Honors College Certificate; the Minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts; the UNM Honors Scholar Distinction; and the Bachelor of Arts in Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts. Each offers different and varied requirements and opportunities. The UNM Honors Scholar Distinction is intended to provide students with a flexible, high-level Honors experience, utilizing courses taught at the Honors College (HNRS, UHON) as well as approved Honors courses taught throughout UNM.

 Requirements (27 Credit Hours):

• Maintenance of a 3.2 cumulative GPA
• The successful completion of 27 credit hours in Honors courses, including:
  • 3 credit hours in each of the following levels
    • HNRS 1000-level
    • HNRS 2000-level
    • UHON 300-level
    • UHON 400-level
  • 6 credit hours in approved thesis/capstone sequence, either UHON or offered by other units.
  • 9 additional credit hours in HNRS or UHON of any level or in approved honors courses in other units.

At least 15 credit hours must be completed in HNRS or UHON courses.  Up to 12 credit hours may come from approved courses offered by other units, including thesis and other approved capstone courses. 

Alternative Entry Path

For students beginning in Honors with significant prior college coursework, it is possible to follow an alternative path to an Honors Scholar Distinction.

Significant prior college coursework is defined as: > 30 credits already taken at UNM or another university or college (AP credits for instance do not count towards this total while Dual Enrollment courses do).

Students meeting this criterion can opt to forgo an HNRS course at the 1000 or 2000 level and instead complete their credit hours from Honors courses at other levels.

Requirements (27 Credit Hours):

• Maintenance of a 3.2 cumulative GPA
• The successful completion of 27 credit hours in Honors courses, including:
  • 3 credit hours in each of the following
    • UHON 300-level courses
    • UHON 400-level courses
  • 6 credit hours in approved thesis/capstone sequence, either UHON or offered by other units.
  • 15 additional credit hours in HNRS or UHON of any level or in approved honors courses in other units.

At least 15 credit hours must be completed in HNRS or UHON courses.  Up to 12 credit hours may come from approved courses offered by other units, including thesis and other approved capstone courses. 

Honors College Grading System

Courses offered in the Honors College under the UHON subject code use a unique grading system. Students receive grades of A, CR, NC, and I. This grading system is designed to encourage students to broaden their general education by challenging themselves and taking courses outside their areas of specialty. Under this system, students may be rewarded for superior performance (A) but not penalized for ordinary, satisfactory performance (CR) or for failure to complete the seminar or do poorly (NC). The program is designed to offer intellectual challenge, and students are expected to achieve at their highest levels; at the same time, competition for high grades is minimized. Taking Honors seminars under this grading system does not cancel the right of students to elect other University of New Mexico courses on a Credit/No Credit "CR/NC" basis up to a maximum of 24 credit hours. In addition, Honors faculty provide individual written evaluations of each student in their seminars. These evaluations are kept in the student’s confidential, personal file. Students are encouraged to review their evaluations and write a response to an evaluation if they disagree.