What are the benefits of being an Honors College student?
You will have a deep network of support that includes a close-knit community both socially and intellectually, personalized advising to help you plan your academic path and discover opportunities on campus, access to faculty and peer mentors, and special events to connect you to honors alumni and graduate students eager to mentor you. You’ll also have an innovative curriculum with small classes, dedicated honors housing options, exposure to robust research and artistry, and many other opportunities for experiential learning, community engagement, leadership, and professional development.
I received an invitation to the Honors College. How can I learn more about it?
Students invited to the Honors College will receive more information in the coming weeks about admitted student events and ways to learn more. Please continue to check your email for this information. You may also visit the Admitted Student webpage to learn more, including dates for tours and visits.
Do all incoming first-year Honors College students get a merit scholarship?
Yes. You can learn more about merit scholarships from Undergraduate Admissions.
How do I accept my Honors College invitation?
To accept your Honors College invitation, you need to officially enroll in the academic school through which you were invited to the Honors College. You will then automatically be enrolled in the Honors College. Once you enroll, we encourage you to complete the housing application as soon as possible if you intend to live on campus.
If I’m admitted to multiple schools, will I be invited to be part of the Honors College through each school?
The Honors College selects top students from each school, based on that school’s pool of admitted students. Invitations are based on the student’s first choice Rutgers-New Brunswick school. It is possible you could be invited to be part of the Honors College through one school, and not through another. For example, you could be admitted to the engineering, pharmacy, and fine arts schools, but only be invited into the Honors College through the pharmacy school.
What are the additional requirements that I have to complete?
Like all Rutgers students, Honors College students must complete a core curriculum, a major, and perhaps a minor as required by their schools. The Honors experience includes an Honors mission course, departmental honors courses, courses that develop interdisciplinary analysis and global/cultural perspective, and community engagement; a capstone project is optional. Many of the Honors requirements overlap with the major, minor, and core.
Do I get priority registration?
In the summer before the first year, incoming Honors students will register for classes at New Student Orientation with advising from their school/college. You will receive more info after you commit to Rutgers. After that, registration at Rutgers is based on earned credits. There is no specific priority for Honors, but many Honors students come in with pre-college credit, so they tend to register earlier than other students in their class year.
Where will I live as an Honors College student in my first year and moving forward?
Honors housing is available on multiple campuses but is not required. Students can choose to live in Honors housing with fellow Honors students, live in other residences on campus, or live off campus and commute. Some programming occurs in Honors residential spaces but is open to the entire Honors community, while other events are held in shared spaces.
Am I still a part of an Undergraduate School even if I am in the Honors College?
Yes. Each student is enrolled in one of six undergraduate schools, which determines degree requirements. The Honors College offers academic and co-curricular experiences that enhance the student experience but do not supersede school requirements.
What is the relationship between the Honors College and the different schools that are participating in the Honors College at Rutgers–New Brunswick?
The deans and faculty of the schools participating in the Honors College—the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, School of Engineering, Rutgers Business School, Mason Gross School of the Arts, and Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy—work closely with the administration and staff of the Honors College. Members of the Honors College are granted their degrees by the schools to which they were accepted, and must complete all degree requirements for the Honors College, for their academic school of enrollment, and for their chosen major(s)/minor(s).
What are the classes like for honors students? Are they all honors classes?
Honors classes typically provide exposure to robust research and artistry, encourage interaction and collaborative learning, and provide opportunities for students to go deeper in chosen topics. Some honors classes are explicitly interdisciplinary, driven by a “big” question and integrating multiple perspectives into a coherent framework of analysis. Honors students take a mixture of Rutgers' excellent and wide-ranging courses and some specially designated Honors courses.