Honors Program Benefits

Academic Benefits

One of the most popular benefits of being in the Honors Program is priority class registration. Our students are able to register with the seniors every semester, which means that the probability of getting your ideal class schedule is well over 90%!

Honors students take advantage of opportunities around San Antonio area and beyond for academic enrichment in all forms. They attend lectures at various universities and professional organizations as well as on the UIW campus, go to various cultural institutions where the Honors Program subsidizes the admission fees.

Honors students are among the first, if not the first, to learn about scholarship and internship opportunities, and have racked up an impressive list of such awards among themselves. The program also helps pay students' way to workshops and conferences as appropriate. Students have presented their research at conferences in Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, California and more.

All students acquire mentors by the end of the sophomore year to prepare them for the honors senior project, an opportunity to explore a chosen topic in depth within their major. The final result of these projects can serve as a calling card when graduating students are applying to graduate schools and job opportunities. The work represented in these projects demonstrate the student's research skills, ability to work independently and personal standard of quality: all important attributes to potential grad schools and employers.

Mentors are key to helping each student to obtain relevant experience to prepare them to do their best work on the senior project. That includes exposure to current work in the field, assistance with placement in appropriate internships, and guidance on study abroad programs to enhance their studies. Mentors will also locate the best places for students to present their project findings; many professional and research organizations solicit student presentations and provide excellent networking opportunities for future work and study.

More Benefits for Honors Students

Honors students receive other privileges on campus. These include designated freshman honors housing in prime real estate among the residence halls. Each department has dedicated academic advisors to the Honors Program who can assist our students to achieve their goals while meeting honors requirements and expectations.. Honors students also have the same enhanced library privileges as graduate students and access to research funds when they get ready to begin their senior projects. We also host luncheons offering face-to-face time for scholars with successful professionals in a variety of fields. Careers a la Carte allows a small group of students to share a delicious catered meal with professionals in a designated field which changes every month.

The fall of 2011 brings a leadership development program in which students participate in faculty-led discussions on current topics in business and politics. Students look at real-time leadership issues with local business leaders in the context of their companies and nonprofit agencies. The result is a mutual learning experience where students and executives benefit from the perspective and ideas of the other.

Honors students also enjoy the fact that they are very often the first ones considered for public speaking opportunities and job openings. Honors students have represented the university at on- and off-campus events such as the NCAA Women's Final Four, UIW Board of Trustees meetings, academic panel discussions, and Admissions events.