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University Scholar Pathway

Year 1

• HONR 120: Introduction to Honors|1 credit
  First-year seminar taught by the dean to kick off your Honors experience. E-Portfolio* development begins here. Course is required for all first-year students. Transfer students are exempt.

• HONR 121L: Ways of Knowing | 3 credits
  Seminar course exploring the human experience across millennia through the lenses of philosophy, science, religion, and literature. Satisfies two general education requirements: Literary&Artistic Studies and Intermediate College Writing.

*E-PORTFOLIO: Honors students will develop an electronic portfolio as part of their requirements to graduate with University Scholar Distinction. The portfolio will include artifacts that demonstrate important activities and learning outcomes from their Honors courses and experiences. Support for completing this project will begin in HONR 120 and continues with ongoing Honors advising.

Year 1-4

• HONR 394: Interdisciplinary Colloquia | 3 credits
  A series of interdisciplinary offerings that explore an array of topics from diverse perspectives, taught by top faculty.

• EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING | 2+ credits
  Options include fieldwork, internships, supervised research, study abroad, and more.

• HONORS ELECTIVES | 9 credits
  Options include departmental honors offerings, general education honors courses, experiential learning, and honors special topic and interdisciplinary courses. The DHC offers over 50 classes each semester!

Year 3-4

• CAPSTONE PROJECT | 3+ credits
  Faculty mentor-supported, original research or creative scholarship in your academic area(s) of interest. Only one capstone required for each student. Must include a final artifact (end-product) and a formal, public presentation. Students may have their project published through the University’s research database.

The Honors Experience guide for students who started prior to Fall '22

First Year

• HONR 120 - Introduction to Honors
  All first-year students. Transfer and currently enrolled students exempt.
• HONR 121 - Ways of Knowing (Fulfills Gen. Ed. Requirements: Intermediate Writing and Literacy and Artistic Studies)
  Required of all first-year, current UM, and transfer students.
  
  

Anytime

• Honors Electives: Choose 5
  

  • Construct-Your-Own Honors Courses - Maximum of 2 credits
    Add to an existing course to fulfill an honors experience.

  • Honors Courses (HONR or departmental courses) - No Maximum
    Tip: Fulfill general education requirements and explore topics within and outside your major.
  • Out-of-Classroom Experiences - Maximum of 2 credits
    Independent study, service learning, field courses, study abroad, and internships

Fourth Year

• Capstone Project 
  • Capstone Research or Creative Scholarship Project
  • Can be met through projects in various majors, Global Leadership Initiative, or independent honors projects

Davidson Honors College course offerings for Autumn 2025 

Davidson Honors College course offerings for Spring 2025

Each of the honors curriculum options (Construct Your Own, Independent Study, and Internship), as well as the required Capstone Project, all require an application that must be completed with a faculty mentor’s support. If you are interested in any of these curriculum options or are ready to dive into the Capstone Project, schedule an appointment with an Honors Advisor to discuss your ideas before completing the application.

Credit for Internship Opportunities

Internships are a great way for students to gain valuable work experience and on-the-job training. Because the Davidson Honors College values out-of-class experiential learning we are able to offer the opportunity for students to earn credit for their internship opportunities through collaborating with a mentor in developing an academic plan to augment the internship experience. Any DHC student in good academic standing may design an academic internship course for a variable 1-3 credit experience. Students will register for either (HONR 198, 398, or 498) during the term of their internship. The mentor must be willing to evaluate and grade the student’s work, and the student must complete assignments discussed with the mentor that extend the work experience into an academic setting to earn credit. Your mentor will provide the discipline-specific criteria necessary for your work. Generally, it is a good idea to devise coursework that will complement or supplement the material covered in a regular course, major, intended profession, as well as the internship experience. Internship credit can count toward your eight honors experiences. Apply using the . 

Honors Capstone Approval Form

To qualify for graduation from the Davidson Honors college with the “University Scholar” distinction, DHC students must fulfill a set of academic requirements, one of which is the Honors Capstone Project. Students should begin thinking about and planning for their project during their junior year. Projects can be connected with Capstone requirements in the student’s major(s), minor(s), certificate program, or can be completed independent of other requirements. Plan to discuss possibilities with a faculty member or members in the area you are interested in, as well as with the Director of Student Engagement in the DHC. These projects may take a wide variety of forms and culminate in a thesis, performance or exhibit, an independent scientific experiment, etc., depending on the student’s major(s), minor, or area of interest. Students must also publish their capstone presentations to UM’s . Projects are intended to provide DHC students with a substantial capstone experience that encourages them to work in collaboration with a mentor over an extended period of time. These projects should challenge students to draw on knowledge and life experiences that they have attained throughout the course of their education, and apply them to an in-depth investigation of the chosen topic. Apply using the .

Construct Your Own Honors Course Approval Form

The DHC offers students the opportunity to collaborate with faculty in developing their own Honors courses. Any DHC student in good academic standing may make a regularly scheduled 3 or 4 credit course into an Honors course by approaching the faculty member teaching that course and asking them to grant one credit of independent study (HONR 192, 392, or 492) as a space to complete additional coursework. Students are limited to a maximum of two “Construct Your Own” Honors courses that count toward the eight Honors experiences required by the DHC for graduation as a University Scholar.  Submit your request with the .

Independent Study Course Approval Form

Because the Davidson Honors College is committed to student engagement in learning, we offer the opportunity for students to collaborate with faculty in developing their own Independent Study Honors courses. Independent study courses can be in any discipline and are an opportunity for students to work one-on-one with faculty to design a learning experience tailored to their needs and ideas. Courses are generally 3 credits. Any DHC student in good academic standing can work with a faculty member to design an independent study (HONR 192, 392, or 492) experience. Independent study opportunities can count toward the eight Honors experiences required by the DHC for graduation as a University Scholar. Submit your request with the .

Graduation Application Checklist

Graduation Applications

UM Graduation Application

• Fall grads: DUE April before anticipated graduation

• Spring grads: DUE November before anticipated graduation

• Managed by the Registrar’s Office

• Check Registrar’swebsite for due dates and fees

• Heads up: UM Grad App requires several signatures!

DHC Graduation Application

• Fall grads: DUE September before anticipated graduation

• Spring grads: DUE November before anticipated graduation

• Managed by DHC

• Online form found on DHC website in “Requirements and Advising” section

• No fees or signatures

Honors Capstone Projects

• Set up Honors Advising meeting to discuss projects, ideas and procedures

• ALL DHC students must submit an Honors Capstone Approval Form, regardless of whether your Capstone is through your department, the GLI or Honors

  • Honors Capstone Approval form found on DHC website in “Requirements and Advising” section.

• Apply for UMCUR (UM Conference on Undergraduate Research).

  • ONLY if you plan to use the conference to satisfy the presentation requirement for your capstone

  • Application and more information found on UM website’s UMCUR webpage.

• Submit final Capstone Artifact to faculty member (not DHC)

  • Due dates for final artifacts determined by faculty members

• Submit an electronic copy of Capstone Artifacts to UM Mansfield Library Scholar Works portal to publish your project

Honors Requirements

• Check Degree Works to make sure that your eight honors requirements are accurately reflected. If not, please reach out to Bethany or Andy for help!

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA to graduate with honors

DHC Graduation Reflection

• Each student will submit a 2-3 page reflection to the DHC elaborating on your experience as an honors student and how your experiential learning, capstone research, and other honors courses/experiences have contributed to meaning-making during your time at the Davidson Honors College. This reflection should include a thoughtful examination of how you have met the DHC's learning objectives through your time in the honors college. The reflection is due at the end of your final semester.

• Online Graduation Reflection submission on DHC website in “Requirements and Advising” section

Medallion Ceremony

• DHC-specifc graduation ceremony recognizing University Scholars hosted by DHC Dean, Dr. Tim Nichols, along with the DHC team

• Please feel free to invite family, friends and UM mentors

• Typically held late-afternoon, the day prior to UM’s commencement ceremony

• DHC provides medallions, free of charge, which serve as honors regalia during UM commencement ceremony

Career Development Program

• Consider setting up a meeting with DHC Associate Dean and Career Development Director, Katie Cordingley, for assistance with:

  • Application materials (graduate school, jobs, etc.)

  • Mock interviews

  • Networking with DHC Alumni in UM and around the world

Office of External Scholarships & Fellowships

• Consider setting up a meeting with Dr. Kylla Benes, Director of the Office of External Scholarships and Fellowships, for assistance with:

  • Identifying and applying for external (to UM) scholarships and fellowships aligned with your academic interests and aspirations

  • Networking with other scholars who have pursued external scholarships and fellowships

Exit Interviews with Dean Nichols

• Participate in an exit interview focus group with other graduating DHC seniors and Dean Nichols

Davidson Honors College Graduation Application

The DHC asks students to complete a graduation application in addition to the graduation application required by the ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú. There is no cost for the DHC graduation application and it should take around 20 minutes to fill out. 

Fall 2024 Graduation Application Deadline: Friday, October 4, 2024

Spring 2024 Graduation Application Deadline: Friday, November 22, 2024

For questions, please contact:

DHC Director of Student Engagement, Bethany Applegate

bethany.applegate@umontana.edu 

DHC Student Success Coordinator, Andy Josten

andy.josten@mso.umt.edu.

Each student will submit a 2-3 page reflection to the DHC elaborating on your experience as an honors student and how your experiential learning, capstone research, and other honors courses/experiences have contributed to meaning-making during your time at the Davidson Honors College.  This reflection should include a thoughtful examination of how you have met the DHC's learning objectives through your time in the honors college. The reflection is due at the end of your final semester.

 Bethany Applegate, DHC Director of Student Engagement 

Honors students receive general advising support from the DHC’s Director of Student Engagement, Bethany Applegate, who assists students with honors trajectory planning, honors course selection, honors requirement completion, and general academic advice and guidance. Additionally, the Director of Student Engagement provides advising assistance related to exploring options for out-of-classroom experiential educational opportunities such as study abroad, independent study, and domestic field courses.  

Students in the Davidson Honors College receive priority registration status, which allows them to register before the general UM student body. Please reference the UM Office of the Registrar’s Priority Class Registration Timetable for up-to-date information on when priority registration will open for the coming term.

The Undergraduate Advising Center on the UM Campus is an excellent resource for questions related to advising policies and procedures, timelines, deadlines, and courses. They also have several advisors on staff who can meet with students for 1:1 appointments.