From the Coordinator:
"Why take Honors? Isn’t it harder? Or more work? Won’t it wreck my GPA?"
I’ve been asked questions such as these many times by students.
The reality is that the University Honors Program (UHP) at Northeastern Illinois University is based on quality rather than quantity. In other words, the amount of work in the UHP General Education/University Core Curriculum classes is comparable to that in non-Honors courses. The difference is the opportunity to participate with other bright and motivated students in small classes taught by some of the finest professors at Northeastern. Honors courses also provide students with opportunities to discuss and analyze subject matter in much more depth and with much greater individualized attention.
Also, joining the UHP has very practical academic and financial benefits, both while at Northeastern and after graduation. While at Northeastern, UHP students enjoy a number of perks, including:
- Access to UHP-only scholarships
- Priority registration to help you graduate on time
- Personalized advising
- Extended library privileges
- Dedicated Honors librarian
- Honors student lounge
- “Honors Scholar” on your transcript and diploma
Many students, their families, and even the New York Times have realized that it makes both academic and economic sense to participate in Honors. UHP students receive the perks and virtues of private schools without having to pay exorbitant tuition, and at Northeastern you’ll meet and learn to work with students from all walks of life, from over the world. At a time when even Forbes Magazine is advocating that students earn degrees in the liberal arts, participating in the UHP is smart, both academically and financially.
Your completion of a senior project (usually a thesis) tells prospective employers and graduate admissions committees that you have experience taking on complex projects and seeing them through to completion. This can be of immense help when competing for a job or for admission to a graduate program. UHP students have a strong and enviable record of being accepted into some of the best graduate programs in the country.
Ultimately, however, the most important reason to consider the UHP is your own desire to stretch and grow intellectually, imaginatively and personally. We can help you do this in a supportive, yet challenging, academic environment, where you will interact with not only our best faculty, but also peers with whom you share academic abilities and interests.
I hope you consider the UHP! We look forward to hearing from you.
Very best,
Jon Hageman, Ph.D., RPA
Coordinator, University Honors Program
Professor, Department of Anthropology
Access Your Excellence
As a prospective freshman with an ACT score of 25 or above, or as a current Northeastern Illinois University student or a transfer student with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above, you are eligible to apply to participate in the University Honors Program (UHP).
Join
Designed for students in all fields of study at almost every stage of degree progress, the UHP is open to eligible undergraduates who have a minimum of three remaining academic terms before graduating from Northeastern Illinois University. Join us as a freshman, a sophomore, or a junior—as a full-time or part-time student.
This flexibility makes the UHP at Northeastern uniquely accessible, making us an exceptional place for you to discover your strengths and prepare for your future.
Enjoy the Benefits
Priority registration, small classes, access to merit-based scholarships open only to UHP students, personalized academic advising, graduation with Northeastern Latin Honors, and the distinction of “Honors Scholar” on your diploma and transcript—these are the just some of the benefits of the UHP.
Excel
The UHP curriculum will help you build academic community with peers and faculty members, become a skilled researcher in your field, and devise and complete a senior project that will set you apart and prepare you to achieve your professional and academic goals.
Opportunity
Become part of an exceptionally driven and ambitious community of achievers. Among its current students, the UHP counts the President of the Student Government Association, the Northeastern Lincoln Laureate Scholar, three McNair Scholars, twenty Presidential Scholars, three Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship recipients, and multiple Study Abroad alumni and summer research interns. The majority of our current students have earned merit-based tuition scholarships from the UHP and/or their College, and many are recognized with awards from their major department.
Succeed at Northeastern and Beyond
Our students produce outstanding undergraduate research. UHP Scholars have a strong track record of presenting and winning awards at academic conferences across the country. Recent UHP graduates include the recipient of a National Science Foundation Research Scholarship, scholarship winners admitted to Ph.D. programs in Big Data Analytics, English, Epidemiology, Psychology, Social Work, and an interdisciplinary program in History and Anthropology. Our students have also started master's programs in Art Therapy, Behavioral Science, Meteorology, Public Policy, Social Work, and Urban Planning. UHP graduates are routinely accepted to their preferred medical, dental, veterinary, pharmacy and law programs.
Stop by for detailed information on all aspects of the University Honors Program. Our office is located in Room B 141. Or, contact us at honors@neiu.edu or (773) 442-6044.
