University Honors Program

Saint Louis University's Honors Program is designed for intellectually curious students from all majors. The SLU Honors Program encourages learning both in and out of the classroom through experiences such as seminar-style classes, independent studies, internships, research projects and study abroad.

Program Mission and Core Values

The Honors Program at Saint Louis University engages intellectually curious students in a community grounded in the Jesuit values of holistic learning, academic innovation, Ignatian reflection and global citizenship. Through individually tailored curricula, experiential learning opportunities, and developmental guidance and mentorship, the Honors Program prepares students to pursue lives of meaning and purpose and to strengthen communities.

• Holistic Learning: Holistic learning develops and shapes the whole person -- mentally, emotionally, spiritually, academically, personally and professionally -- by recognizing all aspects of human experience as worthy of exploration and growth. It promotes learning across disciplines and values multiple ways of knowing, connecting academic practices with lived experiences.
• Academic Innovation: Driven by curiosity, academic innovation is the pursuit of new and creative approaches to learning, research and discovery. It invites you to take an active role in your education, seek new ways to approach questions and problems, and work collaboratively across disciplines.
• Ignatian Reflection: Rooted in the reflective tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Ignatian reflection is the intentional practice of pausing to examine your experiences -- both inside and outside the classroom -- to notice what stands out, understand why it matters, and thoughtfully discern how it has shaped your growth and informs your path forward.
• Global Citizenship: Global citizenship is the practice of recognizing your role in an interconnected world. It challenges you to develop global awareness, understand how your choices and actions affect others, and engage thoughtfully in local and global communities with a shared sense of responsibility.

Honors Academic Advising

Each honors student at SLU is assigned to the honors academic advisor, who provides specialized secondary advising for students throughout their undergraduate careers. The honors advisor works with primary advisors in all schools and colleges, as well as faculty and staff from specialty programs to support honors students.

The honors advisor helps each student construct a rigorous curriculum plan directed at achieving their academic and career goals. The honors advisor is also available to discuss course selection, undergraduate research and capstone options, post-graduation plans and distinguished scholarship opportunities. Students in the Honors Program will engage with their program requirements each semester through a combination of peer, group and one-on-one advising with the honors advisor.

Curriculum Overview

The Honors Program offers honors courses in several modalities. Honors-only courses are offered by the Honors Program and within departments across the University and are smaller, seminar-style classes exclusive to honors students. Dual-listed courses offer a limited number of seats to honors students in an otherwise non-honors course and enrich the material according to the instructor's learning goals. Honors students may also choose to enrich an upper-level course through an honors contract with their instructor. Some graduate courses can also meet honors requirements. Honors students must complete 21 credit hours of these honors academic coursework opportunities, called the Core and Major Enrichment requirement. Included in the 21 hours are the honors sophomore seminar (taken in the sophomore year), honors senior seminar and an honors capstone project.

Students are additionally required to participate in complementary experiential and developmental learning opportunities, called Contemplation in Action units. Contemplation in Action units build on experiential learning opportunities such as research and internship experiences, study-abroad reflections, the international partnership conversation program, professional development and vocational discernment workshops, wellness seminars and peer-instruction experiences.

First-year honors students also benefit from special programming during their first year at Saint Louis University aimed to orient them to the Honors Program and to frame their future work at the University and in the program. First-year students can also join the Honors Learning Community.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the University Honors Program is determined by a holistic review of prior academic performance, extracurricular involvement, leadership experience and evidence of intellectual curiosity (as evidenced by letters of recommendation and a personal statement). First-time students, current students, transfer students, international students and SLU-Madrid students all have admission pathways.

Eligibility and Deadlines

First-time college students are eligible to apply to the Honors Program with a minimum 3.8 weighted high school GPA. Applicants must compose a personal statement and include letters of recommendation in their application. Applications undergo holistic review, which considers the academic record, resume of leadership and extracurricular engagement, writing, and intellectual curiosity. Applications are submitted through the Billiken Gateway Portal and are due Dec.1 for fall enrollment.

Current students may apply to join the Honors Program in their second year at SLU during the second semester of their first year if they have earned at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA and have sufficient time in their undergraduate academic plan to complete the program. Completed applications are due no later than Feb. 15 for enrollment in the following fall. Applications are submitted via an online form.

Transfer students must have earned at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA at their previous institution(s) and have earned fewer than 45 credits at the time of application. Transfer students may be awarded honors credit (not to exceed 12 units) for previous honors coursework at the discretion of the director of the University Honors Program. Decisions about honors transfer credit will be made at the time of admission. Applications are submitted via the Billiken Gateway Portal and are considered on a rolling basis, but must be complete by Aug. 1 for fall enrollment.

International students with an outstanding academic record in a rigorous high school curriculum are encouraged to apply. An equivalent grade point average of at least 3.8 on a 4.0 scale and a minimum English proficiency score of 90 on the TOEFL (IBT) or 7.0 on the IELTS is required, in addition to a personal statement and letters of recommendation. International students may submit a standardized test score (ACT or SAT) in lieu of the TOEFL or IELTS exam along with their application.

Saint Louis University-Madrid students may apply as first-time or current students via the Billiken Gateway Portal. The eligibility requirements are the same as for first-time and current St. Louis campus students. Applications for SLU-Madrid students are considered on a rolling basis, but must be complete by Aug. 1 for first-time students intended to enroll in the fall. 

Academic Policies

Priority Registration

All active honors students receive priority registration and will register early according to their completed credit hours. 

Withdrawing from an Honors Course

Students are expected to complete all attempted honors credit options. Withdrawing from an honors course may adversely affect the student’s standing in the University Honors Program.

Petition for Course Extension

Students may submit a petition for course extension in an honors course with permission from the course instructor. The student must complete the coursework within one year, or the grade for the course becomes an F (in accordance with the University policy for incomplete grades).

Taking Honors Courses Abroad

Students studying abroad may take honors courses that will count towards the 21 required honors credits with Honors Program approval. Additional opportunities exist at Saint Louis University-Madrid. Inquire with the Honors Program for more details.

Honors Program Good Standing and Continuation

Students must remain in good standing with the Honors Program by:

1. Maintaining at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA
2. Demonstrating honors engagement every semester (some exceptions apply)
3. Earning a B or better in any honors-designated courses (including courses with the HR subject code, dual-listed courses and honors contracts). Honors courses for which the student earns less than a B will not count toward honors requirements.

The University Honors Program reviews each student’s progress in all three of these areas at the end of each semester. Students are encouraged to enroll in at least one honors course or experience each semester to stay on track with the completion of program requirements. Students who have a cumulative GPA below 3.5, and/or who have not consistently earned honors credit, and/or who earn a B- or below in an honors-designated course may be offered probationary status or may be removed from the program. All students at risk of removal are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Students notified of removal are given the opportunity to appeal the decision. Students who are removed from the program are not permitted to re-enroll.

Graduation Requirements

Students who successfully complete all requirements and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 will graduate with the University Honors Program distinction, which will be listed on their official transcript. Latin honors (e.g., cum laude) are awarded on the basis of grade point average and are not associated with the Honors Program.

1. Graduates will be able to communicate thoughtfully and effectively in multiple disciplines and contexts.
2. Graduates will be able to apply knowledge to social, cultural and professional contexts.
3. Graduates will be able to identify and apply multiple methods of inquiry to address complex questions.
4. Graduates will be able to conduct extensive, quality research or scholarship in a chosen academic field.
5. Graduates will be able to describe the evolution of their quest for personal and professional purpose, as it is situated in social, cultural and historical contexts.
6. Graduates will be able to demonstrate awareness of the complex identities of themselves and others.
7. Graduates will be able to discern how their engagement with diverse communities and cultures affects themselves and others.

Honors-Only Courses

The University Honors Program partners with other academic departments and programs to offer courses with enrollment limited to honors students. These courses are taught by some of Saint Louis University's most distinguished faculty, and the class size is typically limited to 20 students. In many cases, honors-only courses satisfy the requirements for the University Undergraduate Core.

Dual-Listed Courses

The majority of honors courses are dual-listed courses, which means that both honors students and non-honors students can enroll. Dual-listed courses involve supplemental or enriched assignments for students to earn honors credit. To earn honors credit, students must register specifically for the honors section of the course (designated by an H in the section number) and must complete the supplemental or enriched honors work. Students may not opt out of the honors section or the honors work after the University add/drop deadline, except with instructor approval. Many dual-listed courses fulfill requirements for students' majors, minors or the University Undergraduate Core.

Course Contracts

Students may elect to earn honors credit through a non-honors course by contracting the class with the instructor. The course must be at the 3000 or 4000 level and may fall within the student's major, minor, University Undergraduate Core or related area of interest. Students must propose an honors course contract with the instructor's support that describes supplemental or enriched assignments the student will complete for honors credit. For the course to count towards the student’s honors requirements, the student must satisfactorily complete the honors work and earn a B or better in the course.

Students are encouraged to contract at least one upper-level course in their major and may petition to complete more than two based on degree requirements and goals.

Graduate Courses

Students may earn credit toward completion of the University Honors Program requirements by taking graduate-level coursework. These courses must be elective and not already required for a program of study (e.g., students enrolled in direct-entry graduate programs like physical therapy may not use graduate courses in their professional years to count automatically towards Honors Program requirements). Graduate courses will count toward the 25 required honors credits, up to a maximum of six credits.