2025-2026 Academic Catalog

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Honors College

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Our Mission

The Honors College seeks to inspire and facilitate an extraordinary undergraduate education for a diverse student body of exceptional motivation. Utilizing a flexible curricular framework with a strategic array of experiences, opportunities, and facilities, the College pioneers progressive, innovative approaches to undergraduate education that can be scaled up across the university.

Admissions

First-year and transfer applicants indicate their interest in the Honors College on their Coalition application, which prompts further review by the Honors College. Rather than establishing a numerical minimum for GPA and test scores, the Honors College looks holistically at a first-year applicant's overall academic record and experiences. We value quality of engagement (rather than sheer quantity), self-awareness, reflection on involvement, and authenticity.

Transfer students are similarly considered, but they must have a cumulative GPA of 3.40 or better at their previous institution to be eligible for review.

Currently enrolled Virginia Tech students may apply to the Honors College at the end of each spring semester provided they have achieved a 3.40 or better cumulative GPA and have at least four (4) semesters remaining at Virginia Tech before they graduate.

Honors Academic Requirements

Virginia Tech Honors College students must complete all Honors Academic Requirements to earn an Honors Laureate Diploma or complete the Honors Minor. Honors Academic Requirements were updated for students entering the Honors College in Fall 2023 or later. Cohort-specific requirements are below:

For students who entered the Honors College in Fall 2023 or later
Every Honors Laureate Program student or every student pursuing the Honors Minor in Collaborative Discovery must meet four Honors Academic Requirements in total, two of which must be met by the end of two traditional, consecutive semesters in Honors:

Complete the Honors Gateway
1. Entering the Honors College requires completing all modules and assignments in this Canvas course, which serves as both the required virtual orientation course and the Honors College application (for current Virginia Tech students, only).
Complete UH 1404 Principles of Collaborative Discovery
1. All Honors students must complete UH 1404 with a passing grade by the end of their first two semesters in Honors. Students who fail to meet this requirement will be removed from the Honors College.
2. We strongly recommend that students register for UH 1404 for their first semester in Honors to ensure their spot in the course is secured well before this requirement is due.
Meet the GPA Requirement
1. All Honors students must achieve a 3.4 cumulative GPA by the end of their first two semesters in Honors. After this deadline, Honors does not check GPA again until graduation. Students who fail to meet this requirement will be removed from the Honors College.
Satisfy Honors completion requirements
1. Students should make consistent progress toward the completion of at least 24 honors credits and achieve a final cumulative GPA of 3.4 or better.
2. The Honors Laureate Diploma (HLD) appears on the Virginia Tech diploma as a special designation and is not a separate document. Visit the Honors Laureate Diploma page for more information about the structural credit requirements of the HLD. The Honors Minor in Collaborative Discovery appears on a student’s transcript.

For students who entered the Honors College in Spring 2023 or earlier
Every Honors Laureate Program student or every student pursuing the Honors Minor in Transdisciplinary Praxis must meet four Honors Academic Requirements in total, two of which must be met by the end of two traditional, consecutive semesters in Honors:

Receive approval on their plan to earn the Honors Laureate Diploma (HLD Plan)
1. Plan approval happens in the Honors Peer Advising Center. Schedule an appointment here: HPAC.
Achieve a 3.6 or better cumulative GPA
1. A 3.60 or better cumulative GPA from the semester at Virginia Tech immediately previous to entering the Honors College may count toward this requirement.
2. Students who do not meet requirements #1 and #2 by the end of two traditional, consecutive semesters in Honors will be removed from the Honors College.
After meeting #1 and #2, students enter the GPA Flex Period, a time when Honors does not monitor GPA again until graduation. Students should make consistent progress toward 30 total honors credits.
1. Courses taken for Honors credit must be graded on the A–F scale unless P/F is the only option.
2. Students who entered the Honors College in Spring 2021 or earlier who never receive Honors Laureate Diploma plan approval and, therefore, never enter the GPA Flex Period are required to continue to maintain a 3.60 or better cumulative GPA after every semester until the planner is approved or upon graduation.
To graduate in Honors, students must achieve a 3.3 or better cumulative GPA and complete honors credit requirements.
1. The Honors Laureate Diploma (HLD) appears on the Virginia Tech diploma as a special designation and is not a separate document. Visit the Honors Laureate Diploma page for more information about the structural credit requirements of the HLD. The Honors Minor in Transdisciplinary Praxis appears on a student’s transcript.

Honors Minor

The Honors College offers its own, optional academic minor. Students who enter the Honors College in Fall 2023 or later have access to the Honors Minor in Collaborative Discovery. All students in earlier cohorts have access to the original version of the minor: the Honors Minor in Transdisciplinary Praxis.

Pursuing the Honors Minor in Collaborative Discovery will both help you stand out from the crowd and prepare you for “what’s next.” By completing the Honors Minor, you will:

Automatically also complete the Honors Laureate Diploma
Add considerable value beyond your disciplinary education
Gain a deeper understanding of the productive value of disciplinary differences and harness those differences through transdisciplinary collaboration
Become an extremely valuable and desirable colleague wherever you may go after graduating

Honors Academic Requirements apply to students whether they pursue the Honors Laureate Diploma or the Honors Minor. For more information about the Minor, visit the Honors Minor page of our website.

Honors Collaborative Discovery Diploma

The Honors Collaborative Discovery Diploma (HCDD) is limited to students in 14 participating programs that span engineering, science, business, design arts, humanities, and policy. Only students in the 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 graduating classes may receive the HCDD in this four-year pilot program. The Calhoun Honors Discovery Program is at capacity with 140 students. Visit the website for more information: https://honorscollege.vt.edu/chdp.html.

The Calhoun Honors Discovery Program (CHDP) combines a structured disciplinary education with an open-ended, collaborative, and transdisciplinary discovery process. Students collaborate with one another across disciplines, as well as work alongside our faculty, industry, and non-profit partners. After four years of learning the process of discovery, innovation, and problem-solving, students will be prepared to face the real world. Under this new learning platform, students will graduate from Virginia Tech with the skills and knowledge needed to lead collaborative sociotechnical innovation and live out our motto Ut Prosim, “That I May Serve.”

Honors Advising

The Honors Peer Advising Center enables honors students to meet individually with trained Honors Peer Advisors to talk through processes and resources to answer Honors-related questions. The honors staff also welcomes student appointments and walk-in visits. Each staff member has a distinct specialization with which they can assist students. Furthermore, advising for major national and international scholarships is available through the Honors College for all Virginia Tech students.

Honors Living-Learning Programs

Honors College students have two Honors community options: the Hillcrest Honors living–learning community houses about 100 students in Hillcrest Hall and the Honors Residential Commons houses about 320 students in East Ambler Johnston Hall. Both communities are multigenerational and multidisciplinary, housing first-year students to fifth-year seniors from all seven colleges at Virginia Tech.

Honors students are not required to live in an Honors living–learning program. Many students live off-campus or in other living-learning programs.

Dean: Rebecca Bott-Knutson
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Paul Heilker^2,4,7
Associate Dean for Finance and Administration: Lefter Daku
Associate Dean for Academic Operations: Sara Vandyke
Director of Professional Development, National and International Scholarships: Christina McIntyre
Director of Admissions and Scholarships: Russell Shrader
Director of Instructional Technology and Spaces: Neal Henshaw
Honors Laureate Program Coordinator: Mary Helm
Business Office Coordinator: Eni Gosselin
Administrative Assistant: Ashlee Cox
Communications Specialist: Erin Deitzel
Collegiate Associate Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences: Anne-Lise Velez
Collegiate Associate Professor: Stephanie Lewis
Collegiate Assistant Professor: Rachael Budowle
Collegiate Assistant Professor: Anne Patrick
Honors Faculty in Information Technology & Decision Sciences: Michael Kretser
Professor of Practice in Collaborative Discovery and Design: Enric Ruiz-Geli
Professor of Practice in Collaborative Discovery: Kevin Jones

Undergraduate Course Descriptions (UH)

UH 1404 - Principles of Collaborative Discovery (3 credits)

Introduction to honors education at Virginia Tech. Disciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, multidisciplinarity, and transdisciplinarity. Qualitative and quantitative research methods. "Wicked problems," systems thinking, and collaborative discovery. Problem analysis and iterative thinking. Ethical dimensions of trans-sector activity.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

UH 1504 - PGS PStudy Abroad Pre-Departure Seminar (2 credits)

Orientation for Presidential Global Scholars (PGS) participants. Introduction to theories of culture and cross-cultural competence. Survey of Swiss culture, history, and politics. Introduction to PGS faculty and research interests. Development of individual research questions; transdisciplinary research on critical issues in U.S. contexts. Critical travel and safety information.

Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Crd)

UH 1604 - Introduction to Honors Quantitative and Qualitative Research Practices (3 credits)

Introduction to critical practices in undergraduate quantitative and qualitative research for Honors College students, including generating focused research questions, finding scholarly literature, organizing data, conducting ethical research, collaborative research practices, and identifying venues to present research findings.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

UH 1984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

UH 2124 - Honors Reading Seminar (1 credit)

Reading based sections in which small groups of students practice discussion, debate, and argumentation grounded in a topic or genre of reading of their groups choosing. Honors standing. Variable course content. Repeatable for up to six credits.

Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 1 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 6 credit hours

UH 2504 - Topics in Discourse and Global Citizenship (3 credits)

Discovery, analysis, creation, and evaluation of written, spoken, and visual presentation of ideas in cross-cultural contexts. Special attention to the relationship of rhetoric to effective participation in academic, professional, and public/civic problem-solving. Course cannot be repeated for credit.

Corequisite(s): UH 2524, UH 2534, UH 2544, UH 2554, UH 4994

Pathway Concept Area(s): 1A Discourse Advanced, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

UH 2514 - Topics in Quantitative/Computational Thinking and Global Citizenship (3 credits)

Application of quantitative/computational thinking in cross-cultural civic/public contexts. Use of quantitative/computational thinking to frame a question and devise a solution related to a civic/public issue. Drawing valid quantitative inferences about civic/public and cross-cultural issues characterized by inherent uncertainty. Evaluating conclusions or decisions about civic/public issues based on quantitative data. Ethical considerations of quantitative/computational thinking in cross-cultural civic/public issues. Course cannot be repeated for credit.

Corequisite(s): UH 4994

Pathway Concept Area(s): 5A Quant & Comp Thnk Adv., 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

UH 2524 - Topics in Natural Sciences and Global Citizenship (3 credits)

Study of a specific branch of the natural sciences, especially as it intersects with public/civic controversies and problem-solving. Cross-cultural perspectives on the nature, purposes, and processes of scientific inquiry and knowledge. Course cannot be repeated for credit.

Corequisite(s): UH 2504, UH 2534, UH 2544, UH 2554, UH 4994

Pathway Concept Area(s): 4 Reasoning in Natural Sci., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

UH 2544 - Topics in Social Science and Global Citizenship (3 credits)

Study of the behavior and actions of individuals, groups, and institutions within larger social, economic, political, and geographic contexts, especially in cross-cultural settings. Special attention to social beliefs and actions as they influence public/civic controversies and problem- solving. Examination of the influence of value and beliefs on human behavior and social relationships. Course cannot be repeated for credit.

Corequisite(s): UH 2504, UH 2524, UH 2534, UH 2554, UH 4994

Pathway Concept Area(s): 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

UH 2554 - Topics in Humanities and Global Citizenship (3 credits)

Analysis and interpretation of texts and other artifacts to understand ideas, values, and identities in cross-cultural contexts. Special attention to the functions of narrative and rhetoric in public/civic controversies and problem- solving. Situating local/regional texts and artifacts in global frameworks. Course cannot be repeated for credit.

Corequisite(s): UH 2504, UH 2524, UH 2534, UH 2544, UH 4994

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

UH 2604 - Intermediate Honors Quantitative and Qualitative Research Practices (3 credits)

Intermediate study of critical practices in quantitative and qualitative research for Honors College students, including identifying funding opportunities for research, collaborating across disciplines, designing introductory research protocols, managing research projects, and using posters to present research findings.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

UH 2744 - Foundational Topics in Computing in Technology Innovation for Societal Impa (1 credit)

Foundational study of applications of computational thinking in technology innovation for societal impact. Key components of computing and their interrelation. Uses of computational thinking to frame questions and devise solutions. Implementation of simple computational processes and tools. Construction of computational models to analyze and draw inferences about complex and uncertain phenomena. Evaluation of knowledge based on quantitative data. Impacts of computing and information technology on society. Ethical dimensions of computing for technological and societal innovation. May be repeated 5 times with different content for a maximum of 6 credits.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 5F Quant & Comp Thnk Found., 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 1 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 6 credit hours

UH 2764 - Advanced Topics in Engineering in Technology Innovation for Societal Impact (1 credit)

Study of applications of computer and systems engineering in technology innovation for societal impact. Application of computer and systems engineering processes and tools to analyze complex or large-scale phenomena. Application and evaluation of computer and systems engineering approaches to analyze and draw inferences about the feasibility and effectiveness of technological innovations. Impacts of computer and systems engineering on society and the environment. Ethical dimensions of computer and systems engineering for technological and societal innovation. May be repeated 2 times with different content for a maximum of 3 credits.

Prerequisite(s): UH 2744

Pathway Concept Area(s): 5A Quant & Comp Thnk Adv., 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 1 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 3 credit hours

UH 2814 - Topics in Social Sciences for Technology Innovation for Societal Impact (1 credit)

Threshold concepts in social sciences related to collaborative, transdisciplinary technology innovation for societal impact. Study of key ideas about the behavior of individuals, groups, and institutions related to technology innovation within larger social, economic, political, and geographic contexts. Use of key concepts in the social sciences to examine the ethical dimensions of technological and societal innovation. May be repeated 5 times with different content for a maximum of 6 credits.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 1 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 6 credit hours

UH 2824 - Topics in the Arts for Technology Innovation for Societal Impact (1 credit)

Application of threshold concepts in the fine arts to collaborative, transdisciplinary technology innovation for societal impact. Study of key ideas for non-specialists about the formal elements, process, meaning, and value of the fine arts in technology innovation. Use of key concepts in the fine arts to examine the ethical dimensions of technological and societal innovation. May be repeated 2 times with different content for a maximum of 3 credits.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 6A Critique & Practice in Arts, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 1 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 3 credit hours

UH 2834 - Topics in Humanities for Technology Innovation for Societal Impact (1 credit)

Threshold concepts in the humanities related to collaborative, transdisciplinary technology innovation for societal impact. Study of key ideas and values related to technology innovation in various spatial, cultural, and temporal contexts. Use of key concepts in the humanities such as historical/cultural context and the nature of the good to examine the ethics of technological and societal innovation. May be repeated 5 times with different content for a maximum of 6 credits.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 1 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 6 credit hours

UH 2855 - Calhoun Transdisciplinary Fusion Studio (3 credits)

Introduction to transdisciplinary, collaborative design processes to address real-world problems in technology innovation provided by clients from business, government, and nonprofit organizations. 2855: Collaborative problem-setting. Evaluative criteria for technology innovation: feasibility (can it be made?), viability (is it financially sensible?), desirability (do people want it?), and sustainability (can it work long-term?). Introduction to design thinking. Ethical dimensions of collaborative technology innovation for societal impact. 2856: Collaborative problem-solving. Introduction to quantitative and qualitative research methods. Optimization and integration. Design thinking and component prototyping. Ethical dimensions of collaborative technology innovation for societal impact. Design Lab/Studio.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 6D Critique & Prac in Design, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Lab, 3 Crd)

UH 2856 - Calhoun Transdisciplinary Fusion Studio (3 credits)

Prerequisite(s): UH 2855

Pathway Concept Area(s): 6D Critique & Prac in Design, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Lab, 3 Crd)

UH 2974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

UH 2984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

UH 3204 - Honors Service Learning (3 credits)

A two-part course. Part one: three hours a week working directly with community partners. Part two: a one-hour class to reflect on the service experience and discuss readings and other course materials that place the experiential learning into a theoretical context. Open to all Honors students. Variable course content. Repeatable for up to six credits.

Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 6 Lab, 3 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 6 credit hours

UH 3504 - Topics in Honors Transdisciplinary Seminars (3 credits)

Exploration of transdisciplinary issues and questions. Analysis of complex topics from multiple points of view. Collaborative discussion and critique. Ethical decision-making across disciplines. Application of knowledge and processes from other disciplines. Variable course content. May be repeated one (1) time with different content for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 6 credit hours

UH 3604 - Designing Protocols for Honors Quantitative and Qualitative Research (3 credits)

Advanced study of critical practices in quantitative and qualitative research for Honors College students, including transdisciplinary project management, refining research protocols based on feasibility of data collection, maintaining research ethics and integrity, planning for data collection, and planning for dissemination of research findings.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

UH 3614 - Data Collection and Analysis for Honors Quantitative and Qualitative Research (3 credits)

Continuing advanced study of critical practices in quantitative and qualitative research for Honors College students, including working with multiple types of data, collecting, cleaning and managing data, reporting of primary and secondary data, evaluating the work of others, and communicating conclusions to general audiences.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

UH 3855 - Calhoun Transdisciplinary Design Studio (3 credits)

Intermediate study of transdisciplinary, collaborative design processes to address real-world problems in technology innovation provided by clients from business, government, and nonprofit organizations. 3855: Systems thinking and systems definition; identification and analysis of stakeholders; skills discovery and transdisciplinary team building; rapid prototyping. 3856: Collaborative innovation; customer discovery; evidence-based decision-making; iterative design; troubleshooting. Design Lab/Studio.

Prerequisite(s): UH 2856

Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Lab, 3 Crd)

UH 3856 - Calhoun Transdisciplinary Design Studio (3 credits)

Prerequisite(s): UH 3855

Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Lab, 3 Crd)

UH 3954 - Study Abroad (1-19 credits)

Honors Section.

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

UH 3984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

UH 4004 - Honors Tutorial (3 credits)

Small, seminar-style course of one or a few students. Students explore a specific topic that is new to them with a faculty member who provides individual attention and is an expert in that established field. Open to all Honors students. Junior Honors standing. Variable course content. Repeatable for up to six credits.

Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 6 Lab, 3 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 6 credit hours

UH 4104 - Honors Student Teach Practicum (2 credits)

For Honors students facilitating Honors courses that encourage and require student facilitation or mentorship responsibilities. Student Teaching Assistants and their sections are overseen by honors faculty or staff. Student Teaching Assistants meet weekly with a member of the honors staff in a class designed to prepare them for the facilitation experience and to monitor their progress. Open to all Honors students, subject to Program approval. Sophomore Honors standing required. Variable course content. Repeatable for up to eight credits. P/F only.

Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 2 Lab, 2 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 8 credit hours

UH 4504 - Topics in Honors Discovery and Innovation Studios (3 credits)

Discovery and definition of critical, real-world problems. Transdisciplinary collaboration, design thinking, and experimentation. Reflective evaluation of individual and collective problem-solving efforts. Communication of solutions to diverse stakeholders. Variable course content. Repeatable for up to 12 credits.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 12 credit hours

UH 4514 - Honors SuperStudio (1 credit)

Transdisciplinary collaboration. Identifying and defining public/civic issues. Framing and strategizing transdisciplinary solutions to public/civic problems. Reflecting on transdisciplinary processes. Identifying and reflecting on issues of ethics and equity in public/civic problem solving. May be repeated one time with different content for a maximum of two credit hours.

Corequisite(s): 4504 or enrollment in an approved disciplinary capstone course.

Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 1 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 2 credit hours

UH 4704 - Honors Studio+ (3 credits)

Transdisciplinary and trans-sector collaboration in technology innovation. Identifying, defining, and setting problems in technology innovation. Applying evaluative criteria for technology innovation — feasibility, viability, desirability, sustainability. Using design thinking to analyze and reflect on creative processes. Identifying, articulating, and reflecting on the ethical dimensions of collaborative technology innovation. Design Lab/Studio (2H, 2L, 3C)

Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Lab, 3 Crd)

UH 4855 - Calhoun Transdisciplinary Capstone Studio (3 credits)

Advanced study of transdisciplinary, collaborative design processes to address real-world problems in technology innovation provided by clients from business, government, and nonprofit organizations. 4855: Systems building; project leadership and management, including resource allocation and scheduling; team management; value propositions; project pitches. 4856: User experience; user testing; systems assessment, including feasibility, viability, desirability, sustainability, optimization, and integration; systems reflection and documentation. Design Lab/Studio.

Prerequisite(s): UH 3856

Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Lab, 3 Crd)

UH 4856 - Calhoun Transdisciplinary Capstone Studio (3 credits)

Prerequisite(s): UH 4855

Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Lab, 3 Crd)

UH 4974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

UH 4984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

UH 4994 - Undergraduate Research (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course