University Honors Program

Program Requirements

Honors in General Education

To graduate with Honors in General Education, students achieve a minimum 3.0 GPA in General Education courses and complete the following GE Areas with Honors (HNRS) courses. Honors Program students in their first year should plan ahead and avoid taking non-HNRS courses in the following GE Areas, unless the courses are required for the major.

  • A1 Oral Communication (HNRS 100)
  • B1 Physical Sciences (HNRS 103)
  • C1 Arts (HNRS 101, GC)
  • C2 Humanities (HNRS 102W)
  • F Ethnic Studies (HNRS 300)
  • Upper-Division B Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (HNRS 350)
  • Upper-Division C Arts and Humanities (HNRS 391W or HNRS 392)
  • Upper-Division D Social Sciences (HNRS 390 or HNRS 393, USD)

Completing Additional Graduation Requirements

Students who complete all required courses can also fulfill the university’s diversity requirements (USD and GC), and at least one writing (W) course. In the final year, students complete a two-course capstone that provides an opportunity to complete General Education requirements through immersion in either leadership for social change or research and creativity.

Substitutions

In some cases, students are unable to complete all course requirements. In these cases, students may request the following substitutions from the Honors Advisor or Honors Director.

  • A maximum of two Honors lower-division GE Areas (A1, B1, C1, C2, or F) may be substituted with required GE course(s) for the major or with courses completed prior to admission to Honors.
  • A maximum of one Honors upper-division GE Area (B, C, or D) may be substituted with a required GE course or substitution for their major.
  • Honors GE Area(s) may be substituted by a successful AP, IB, or CLEP test score.
  • Honors GE Area(s) may be substituted by study abroad courses.
  • Honors GE Area(s) may be substituted by GE Area(s) completed by an Adelante student prior to admission to the Adelante Program.

For students who Joined before Fall 22

Any HNRS courses taken before Fall 22 will count towards graduating with Honors in General Education. Basically, unless the Honors Director or Honors Advisor has approved a substitution, students who joined Chico State before Fall 22 should complete 21 units of HNRS courses (12 lower division, 9 upper division). Additional information for students and advisors regarding GE Areas of courses taken before Fall 22. 

Ethnic Studies in Honors

Please avoid completing your Area F Ethnic Studies requirement in your first two years at Chico State. Instead, please plan on taking MCGS/HNRS 300 Ethnic Studies Methodologies in your third year.