UConn Business Honors Program
Join a network of scholars as you pursue excellence and develop leadership skills within your professional field and community.
UConn Honors is a leading collegiate destination for high-achieving students from Connecticut and beyond.
The Honors Program represents UConn’s commitment to educating highly motivated and creative leaders and thinkers. We offer the personal attention and community of a liberal arts college while also providing students with the research, cultural, and athletic opportunities of a major research university.
The University of Connecticut Honors Program has a long history that began over fifty years ago, and has grown into a vibrant community of over 2,000 students spanning all of UConn’s undergraduate schools and colleges.
Honors is, at its foundation, about academic excellence and personal growth. In addition to specialized honors courses, research opportunities and events and programs designed for your interests, Honors students receive additional benefits to help you to achieve your personal, academic, and social goals.
- Honors courses designed specifically for you such as the Honors Core and the Honors First-Year Seminar;
- Honors courses across the UConn curriculum that meet general education requirements and courses in your major that provide depth in your field of interest;
- Community as you live, study, and socialize in the Honors First Year Residential Community.
- Cutting-edge research and creative projects under the supervision of leading faculty;
- Your unique contributions to a diverse community of scholars;
- Growth in your skills and abilities as you move from a consumer of knowledge to a producer of knowledge.
- In your community through your commitment to student organizations, clubs, and learning communities;
- In your academic field by presenting and publishing your accomplishments;
- As a citizen-scholar at UConn and beyond.
Student Spotlight: Takera B.
Accounting '25
"My time in the Honors Program has allowed me the chance to experience a close-knit community where there is a deeper level of understanding. In Honors there will always be someone willing to help or direct you when you’re experiencing a problem. This has been the trait of honors that I have enjoyed the most as someone who can be very introverted. The Honors program has allowed me to pursue all my academic, social, and personal goals and has truly elevated my experience here at UConn. "
View the School of Business Honors Experience year-by-year.
☐ Plan Academics with Professional Staff School of Business Honors Advisor
- Intentionally integrate honors Gen-Ed classes to plan for Honors Laureate
- Declare your Business major by the end of your first year
☐ Attend Dean's Honors Lunch in week 2
- Watch UConn email for exclusive invite
☐ Attend Leadership Workshop offered by the Honors Program
- This is required to complete your UHL Leadership Experience, and a great step to take in your first year
- Learn more about this Honors GPS Team-led workshop, and the UHL Leadership Experience, here
☐ Complete Engagement in the Field requirement
Over the course of your first year, honors students can complete their "Engagement in the Field" requirement by completing at least 5 activities in Business. The Business Career Development Office (BCDO) has identified 10+ opportunities (like résumé workshops, employer visits, and exclusive conferences) to help students build their engagement while developing life skills and meeting with key employers. Click the red button below for the full list of activities.☐ Engage with HiBA Student Organization
☐ Attend Spring Honors Showcase to learn from Senior Honors students in Business
☐ Begin to take Business Core Honors Courses (particularly your major's foundational course)
☐ Complete Engagement in the Field requirement, if not complete during first year
Second Year honors students can complete their "Engagement in the Field" requirement by completing at least 5 activities in Business. The Business Career Development Office (BCDO) has identified 10+ opportunities (like résumé workshops, employer visits, and exclusive conferences) to help students build their engagement while developing life skills and meeting with key employers. Click the red button below for the full list of activities.☐ Meet with Honors Faculty Advisor
☐ Attend Spring Honors Showcase to learn from Senior Honors students in Business
☐ Submit Preliminary Honors Plan of Study
- This includes a preliminary plan for how you will complete your required Honors Thesis requirement [INSERT description of options?]
☐ Continue to take Business Core Honors Courses
☐ Complete Engagement in the Field requirement (if not completed during previous two years)
- Examples include experiential engagement opportunities like Student Managed Fund, Student Venture Fund, Consulting Club Involvement, or related business internship
☐ Attend Spring Honors Showcase to learn from Senior Honors students in Business
☐ Participate in Honors Capstone (MENT 4900/4902) Project
☐ Complete Engagement in the Field requirement (if not completed during previous two years)
- Examples include experiential engagement opportunities like Student Managed Fund, Student Venture Fund, Consulting Club Involvement, or related business internship
☐ Enroll in Honors Thesis Course
☐ Present during Spring Honors Showcase
☐ Graduate as a UConn School of Business Honors Laureate!
School of Business Honors Advising:
For the first two years, Business students in the Honors Program are advised by their assigned professional staff advisor. For a student’s junior and senior years, an Honors student will have an Honors Faculty advisor in their major. Students will be assigned their Honors Faculty Advisor in advance, in a student's second year, so discussions and departmental engagement can begin early. Faculty Advisors and other essential major-specific information can be found listed below.
2024-25 Important Dates
09/06/24 - Honors Lunch with the Deans
10/19/24 - BCLC professional Conference (Storrs)
11/15/24 - Honors Case Competition
TBD, Week of 02/03/25 - Networking Forum (Storrs)
Spring '25 - Networking Forum (Stamford)
Spring '25 - Honors Case Competition
Spring '25 - Spring Honors in Business Showcase
School of Business Honors Information:
| Major/Campus | Honors Faculty Advisor | Thesis Course(s) (or BUSN 4897W Leadership Seminar) | Take Honors Section (at the least) | Department Information |
| Accounting at Storrs | Alina Lerman | ACCT 4997W | ACCT 2001 | Department webpage |
| Analytics and Information Management (formerly MIS) at Storrs | Stephen Fitzgerald | OPIM 4996 & 4997 | OPIM 3103 | Department webpage |
| Business Administration at Waterbury | Nora Madjar | Dependent on topic | ||
| Business Data Analytics at Hartford, Stamford, and Waterbury | Stephen Fitzgerald | OPIM 4996 & 4997 | OPIM 3103 | Department webpage |
| Finance at Storrs | Liping Qiu | FNCE 4997W | FNCE 3101 | Department webpage |
| Financial Management at Stamford (or already declared at Hartford) | Liping Qiu | FNCE 4997W | FNCE 3101 | Department webpage |
| Healthcare Management at Storrs | Resul Cesur | HCMI 4997W | FNCE 3101 | Department webpage |
| Management at Storrs | Jo Oh | MENT 4997 | MENT 3101 | Department webpage |
| Marketing at Storrs | Nicholas Lurie | MKTG 4996 & 4997W | MKTG 3101 | Department webpage / Honors information |
| Marketing Management at Hartford and Stamford | Nicholas Lurie | MKTG 4996 & 4997W | MKTG 3101 | Department webpage / Honors information |
| Real Estate and Urban Economic Studies at Storrs | Jeffrey Cohen | FNCE 4997W | FNCE 3101 | Department webpage |
Download PDF - Honors Scholar Planning Worksheet
Honors Credits in the Major or Related
- At least 15 Honors credits in or related to the major as approved by the departmental Honors advisor as follows:
- Twelve (12) Honors credits in the major or related earned at the 2000+ level:
- Required: At least one dedicated honors section of a Business Core course outside of their major (ACCT 2001, FNCE 3101, MENT 3101, MKTG 3101, or OPIM 3103). Students are encouraged to enroll in dedicated honors sections of as many of their business core courses as possible.
- Required: At least one 3-credit honors course in the student’s major, ideally the major’s foundational course (for example, finance majors should take the honors section of FNCE 3101); students can work with their Honors Faculty Advisor to convert a 3000+ level major-required course with instructor approval.
- Required: MENT 4900/4902 (3 credits) dedicated honors section (not conversion)
- Required: Honors thesis or equivalent (at least 3 credits) course:
- Departmental Senior Thesis (ACCT 4997W; FNCE 4997W; MENT 4997; MKTG 4997W; OPIM 4997; BUSN 4997W)
- or Honors Leadership Seminar (BUSN 4897W)
- Three (3) additional Honors credits in the major or related earned at any level:
- 1000-level School of Business critical or other Business course (examples: ECON 1201, ECON 1202, MENT 2240)
- Honors section of a Business Core course (see first bullet point in the prior section)
- Graduate classes from Accelerated master’s programs into which Honors students have been accepted
- Additional Honors Research courses for your major, such as MKTG 4996 or OPIM 4996
- Honors conversions (note that Honors conversions cannot be approved for courses for which there is a dedicated Honors section offered in that term; conversions are at the instructor's discretion and need the approval of the Honors Advisor)
- Twelve (12) Honors credits in the major or related earned at the 2000+ level:
Engagement in the Major Field
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- Can be completed by completing at least 5 of the 7 "Engagement in the Field" activities in Business over first and second year OR by another major-related experience approved by your Honors Faculty advisor
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GPA and Grade Requirements
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- Courses must be graded (no P/F and no S/U) with a B- or above to be eligible for Honors credits
- Earn a cumulative degree GPA of at least a 3.40
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Thesis Submission
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- Submit a hard copy of your approved Honors thesis with a signed approval form to the Honors Program office.
- An electronic submission to Open Commons is highly recommended, but not a requirement.
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- All students in the School of Business, including Honors Scholars, take at least two writing-intensive ("W") courses.
- One required writing-intensive courses will be identified on the major's plan of study:
- BUSN 3002W
- or BUSN 3003W
- or BUSN 3004W
- The second writing-intensive course may be the honors thesis course (see major information above to see which departments offer writing-intensive versions of the honors thesis course) or, if not offered as a writing-intensive course, any course of the students choosing (examples are ANTH 1000W, SOCI 1501W, HIST 1502W, etc.)
- One required writing-intensive courses will be identified on the major's plan of study:
- Honors Scholars are encouraged to take more writing-intensive courses where their plan permits.
Links and Resources:
Honors Guides for Peer Success
The Honors GPS Team collaborates with Honors staff to help students understand and complete Honors co-curricular graduation requirements.
National Scholarships and Fellowships
The Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships recruits and mentors high-achieving students for prestigious national and international scholarships
Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate research develops transferable skills with broad application, including critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and collaboration.
Student Spotlight: Nathan Q.
Analytics and Information Management '24
"Being an honors student has allowed me to apply my knowledge in the classroom to the real world. In my business honors classes, I've often had projects to do some research about class concepts and how they may apply to the real world. For example, for a management class, I did some research on organizational behavior in companies such as Apple, which I found to be quite interesting."
Student Spotlight: Cassandra B.
Finance and French '24
"The best part about being a student in the honors program is being able to surround myself with highly motivated individuals who push me to challenge myself. I lived in honors housing my first two years on campus and met so many great people. It really is a strong community, and one that inspires a sense of commitment to academic and extracurricular excellence. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the people I surrounded myself with who were supportive and encouraging of my endeavors, and never hesitated to share opportunities for involvement. "
