Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The Honors College at UMass Lowell (UML) is focused on eight core requirements geared toward high-achieving undergraduate students of all majors. The Honors College is designed to offer an enriching experience that focuses on honing a student’s research, presentation skills, critical thinking, analysis, and critical writing skills and encouraging excellence through their student years and into their future.

• Smaller class sizes in dedicated honors courses
• The opportunity to live in dedicated honors housing (The Honors House at University Suites)
• Preferential class registration for current students (Please note this only applies to regular courses. Priority registration does not apply to clinical courses in the School of Nursing)
• $1,500 Honors College Fellowship opportunities
• Honors Study Abroad opportunities
• Working one-on-one with faculty members on independent research
• Dedicated study space in the Honors Suite – Allen House on South Campus and Falmouth Hall 202B on North Campus
• Unique courses only available to honors students, called Honors Seminars: including Designing Your Life, 12 Ways to Slay a Vampire, Art & the Nazis, and many more!

• “I learned how to keep a really creative and open mind about what to do and who to do it with – a lot of that results from interdisciplinary learning.”
• “It was a way for me to prove to myself that I’m capable of taking on different things and succeeding.”
• “Honors built up my confidence. It also helped me recognize what path I should go down.”

Yes, there is a $200 fee per semester for Honors College students. These funds are used to offset the cost of the extensive opportunities that the Honors College provides.

Yes, there is optional honors housing for honors students. The Commonwealth Honors Living Learning Community (LLC) at University Suites, the UML Honors House is located at University Suites. Please note, however, that honors housing is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Please also be aware that the pricing for University Suites is different from traditional residence hall prices due to the nature of it being a suite-style Residence Hall.

Yes. Currently, the Honors College hosts dedicated honors study abroad opportunities during spring break, during winter break, and during the summer. Some examples of opportunities include San Sebastian, Spain, London, and Havana, Cuba. Honors students get first priority for these opportunities.

• “I would trade anything to go back to Spain. I became my best self on this trip, and I recommend anyone who is thinking about going on the study abroad trip to San Sebastian that they do it.”
• “As cliché as it sounds, the time in Cuba changed me. It changed my perspective on not only the country but how I view our world and the people living in it.”

Incoming first-year students must have graduated high school with a 3.75 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA).

Incoming transfer students must have earned at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA from their previous college or university to join Honors.

Current UML students wishing to apply must have a 3.25 cumulative GPA.

Yes! We have honors specialists who are here to help you plan your honors pathway and answer any questions you may have.

Depending on how many transfer credits a student has, such as AP, IB or credit from another institution, these may be used to satisfy some of your Honors requirements. If a student transfers in with at least 30 credits, we will waive the H1 requirement. If a student transfers in with at least 60 credits or an associate degree, we will waive the H1 and H2 requirements. Please reach out to your honors specialist for more information.

If you took honors courses at your previous college, then those courses may very well transfer into the H1-H8! You can check with honors transfer specialist Kyrie Kowalik (email: kyrie_kowalik@uml.edu).

If a student has credit for College Writing II by the time they join Honors, they will not be required to take it again at the honors level. Instead, the H2 requirement can be replaced by an honors-level Arts and Humanities or Social Science core curriculum course.

Suitable is the app that houses our Honors By Design Program (HBD). The program displays events taking place on campus for students to engage within the community. E1 activities as well as other on and off campus events are posted here.

You can download the Suitable app from any app store or visit Suitable's website. Once you have the app installed, log in using your UMass Lowell credentials.

Students are encouraged to participate in as many events as they can in the HBD program but are not required to attend more than the minimum E1 event per semester.

After you attend the event, you will complete the activity form under the milestones section of suitable. After the form is submitted a member of the honors team will review the submission and approve or send you feedback for why it was not approved.

Each event earns you points in the honors by design challenge and towards different milestone badges. Once you complete a badge you can add it to your LinkedIn page.

E1s are required events, while points are optional ways to get more involved within the honors community.

Your level does not mean you can attend certain events, all students can attend any level events.

Any event with the E1 tag can count towards your E1 requirement for the semester.

Please reach out to your honors specialist or email: honors@uml.edu.