Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions from prospective students:

Q: Is Honors College course work is more difficult?
A: Honors College course work is not greater in amount or accelerated, but it is different. Our instructors do not lecture; instead they create an interactive, discussion-based classroom environment. In Honors College seminars, you can expect less listening and more participating, less memorization and more thinking, less busy work and test taking and more writing, discussing, problem solving, and collaborating.

Q: How are Honors courses integrated into the rest of my curriculum?
A: Participation in the Honors College is encouraged by all colleges and departments on campus so, though there are a few required Honors seminars, there are other non-seminar/independent opportunities that vary from major to major.  Additionally, almost all Honors seminars can be used to meet the mandatory General Education Requirements (GERs) of all UWM students.

Q: Will my schedule be filled with Honors courses?
A: Students typically take one Honors seminar per semester. These courses usually meet twice a week for an hour and fifteen minutes making them easily compatible with the rest of your classes.

Q: Are Honors courses more expensive?
A: Good news! UWM does not charge any additional fees for Honors seminars; you pay the same amount of tuition as you do for any other classes.

Q: If I sign up for the Honors College, do I have to stay in the program?
A: In short, no, but you will want to! Understandably, you may be worried about making this commitment so early in your college career, but we highly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity; we think you will find that worry was unnecessary. However, if you find that the Honors College is not a good fit you can change your mind, so we encourage you to give it a try.

Q: Is being in a small seminar truly an academic advantage?
A:  Yes! Honors College seminars are limited to 15 students and taught by some of the distinguished professors at UWM. The small class sizes allow our students to make connections with their fellow Honors classmates and also creates close connections with the professors who come to know their students well; this is particularly useful to students who need letters of recommendation for scholarships, jobs, or graduate school applications.

Q: Are there additional benefits to being in the Honors College?
A: In addition to our outstanding seminars and instructors, we also offer scholarships, priority registration for classes, personalized advising and writing assistance.  Moreover, the Honors College Degree is the highest undergraduate degree you can attain at UWM–a real mark of distinction!