The College of Engineering participates in the University of Arkansas Honors Program, which challenges superior students with a more in-depth academic program and research experience. The Honors program provides a structure for working more closely with faculty members and other students in a team environment. Participation in the Engineering Honors Program is highly recommended for individuals planning academic or research-related careers that require considerable critical and original independent thinking, but it is also quite useful for students wishing to explore career potential in a number of areas.

Why Honors? Entry Requirements Current Honors Students

Departmental Requirements

Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Biological and Agricultural Engineering offers an Honors Program for students affiliated with the Honors College. Graduation with Honors requires successful completion of the departmental Honors Program, which consists of:

  1. Completion of BENG 451VH, Honors Thesis of at least 3 semester credit hours. This course offers the student an opportunity to engage in high-level undergraduate research/design under the direction of a BENG faculty advisor or an Adjunct BENG faculty advisor. A written thesis is required, and a defense of this thesis will be made to a faculty committee who will determine its acceptability. BENG 451H will qualify as a BENG engineering/technical elective.
  2. Completion of BENG 3113H and BENG 3113LH, Measurement and Control for Biological Systems. This 3 credit hours course offers the student an opportunity to engage in high-level practice of applying biological engineering instrumentation to complex, real-world problems through an honors project that is an additional requirement to the standard version of the course. Honors students will be required to apply the knowledge gained from this course to an open-ended project. This additional requirement will add social, political, safety, economic and communication factors to the design.
  3. Fulfillment of other Honors graduation requirements as established by the College of Engineering and the Honors College.

The following Biological Engineering courses are offered for honors credit:

  • BENG 3113H – Honors Measurement and Control for Biological Systems
  • BENG 451VH – Honors Thesis

Requirements to Graduate with Honors

Students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance in baccalaureate degree programs will be recognized at graduation by the honors designation of cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude. To earn this distinction, the student must meet the following criteria:

  1. Must have at least a 3.50 GPA on University of Arkansas coursework, computed at graduation
  2. Must successfully complete the Engineering Honors Program, which includes a minimum of 12 hours of Honors courses (at least 6 of these hours in engineering), an undergraduate research/design experience and thesis, and any additional departmental requirements
  3. Research and thesis material shall be evaluated by each department
  4. For the student to earn the designation cum laude, the student must achieve a GPA of 3.50 or higher
  5. For the student to earn the designation magna cum laude, the student must achieve a GPA of 3.75 or higher
  6. For the student to earn the designation summa cum laude, the student must achieve a GPA of 3.90 or higher.

The criteria may be evaluated and changed periodically by the College of Engineering.

Requirements to Graduate with Distinction

Students who have not completed the Engineering Honors Program but have demonstrated excellent academic performance in baccalaureate degree programs will be recognized at graduation by the designation of “with distinction,” “with high distinction,” or “with highest distinction.” To earn these designations, the student must meet the following criteria on his or her University of Arkansas course work

  1. For the student to earn the designation “with distinction,” the student must achieve a GPA of 3.60 or higher
  2. For the student to earn the designation “with high distinction,” the student must achieve a GPA of 3.75 or higher
  3. For the student to earn the designation “with highest distinction,” the student must achieve a GPA of 3.90 or higher.

The criteria may be evaluated and changed periodically by the College of Engineering.

Honors Advisors

Honors Advisors
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