UAA Honors College

  • University Honors College

    Apply to the UAA's University Honors College, where you will have the opportunity to design your own pathway uniquely fitted to your personal and academic interests and goals. Next Admission Review Deadline: March 15th for Fall 2025.

Mountains in front of a sunrise with the text "Honors is for you"

The Dean's Welcome

Ray Ball

Ray Ball, Ph.D.
Dean of the Honors College

Welcome to the University Honors College! We are glad you’re here. 

Membership in the UAA Honors College allows you to creatively craft and personalize your journey at UAA. It will also help you to make sure your impact counts for credit. Have you been involved in student clubs at UAA, and found yourself in a leadership role? Do you want to study abroad and immerse yourself in other cultures? What about conducting research with a faculty member or performing an original creative work on stage? Are you already active in your communities by serving local, regional, or national organizations outside of school? If you work to help support yourself through college, your professional experiences may also contribute to completing Honors. Come learn how your experiences can earn you an Honors Scholar designation upon completing your degree at UAA.

UAA students, whether in an Associate’s or a Bachelor’s Degree Program, who have a 3.0 GPA or higher are eligible to apply. Once admitted, you have the opportunity to choose one of four tracks. Within your chosen track, you get personal mentorship from Honors faculty members as you discover how your passions, goals, and needs can help you thrive and have an impact. The Honors College will challenge you to think deeply, to collaborate with others, and to pursue what excites and fascinates you. Prior to graduation, you will complete and present a portfolio that distinctly reflects your journey. Ultimately, your experiences as an Honors Scholar will help distinguish you as you enter the job market, work towards a new career, or seek postgraduate education.

The University Honors College is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council. It also serves as the home of Major Scholarships.  

Mission Statement

The University Honors College cultivates personal, professional, and civic growth within a motivated and supportive academic community of faculty and students. We emphasize curiosity and experiential learning and empower students to build their own individualized pathway through tracks in community engagement, global and multicultural studies, leadership, and research and creative activity.

Values

We invite and express curiosity. 
We build community.
We embrace challenge.

Vision Statement

The University Honors College creates authentic communities of belonging. Its members innovate with compassion, integrity, and purpose and lead change that positively transforms lives.

 

Choose your Pathway

 


Announcements:

Honors College Happenings!

 
Honors College Graduation Celebration
Date: April 18, 2025
Time: 4 PM
Location: UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307
 
Family and friends are welcome to attend! Honors students graduating in Spring 2025 will present their ePortfolios and talk about their Honors journey. 

49th State Fellows

Students

The 49th State Fellows Program is designed to recognize students and faculty at the Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ (UAA) who exhibit stellar academic achievement and the highest-degree of intellectual curiosity.

University Honors College students who are pursuing Bachelor’s degrees related to Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ Native cultures; Indigenous leadership; or Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ and/or Arctic history, literature, policy, or science and/or those who are applying experiential and co-curricular activities related to those areas are eligible to apply. This program provides a scholarship for at least two UAA Honors College Students each academic year.                                                                                                                       

Application deadline: January 5th

 

 

Faculty

Full-time UAA Faculty who conduct research or creative activity directly relevant to Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ and/or who teach courses related to Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ Native cultures; Indigenous leadership; and/or Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ (and/or Arctic) history, literature, policy, or science are invited to apply to be the 2024-2025 Faculty Fellow.

The Fellow will provide a presentation to Honors College faculty and students in the spring semester of their fellowship year and receive a $500 professional development stipend.

Application deadine: January 31st

 


Honors Housing Scholarship Available!

UAA is pleased to offer students in the University Honors College a $1,500 per year housing scholarship. The Academic Honors Housing Scholarship is open to students in the University Honors College and recipients of the UA Scholars award. The Academic Honors Housing Scholarship is applied each fall and spring semester as a $750 discount off the cost of housing and food. The scholarship will be automatically applied; no additional application is needed!

For additional details, visit our UHC News and Events page at the top.

Applications Open for the McNair Scholars Program

The McNair Scholars Program has opened applications and is holding information sessions! The program is geared towards upper-division students, but lower-division students are also encouraged to take a look at the program's offerings if they are interested. All majors can apply.

Visit the McNair Scholars Program webpage for more information, or reach out to Sunny Mall (sunny@alaska.edu) with your questions or to make an appointment.


Spring 2025 ePortfolio and Digital Storytelling Workshops

This is a training to help you create your ePortfolio, which you will present during the Honors College graduation ceremony. There are three training sessions offered Spring 2025, and we expect all graduating seniors to attend at least one of these trainings. All Honors College students are welcome to attend, and we invite you to come to more than one.
 
March 3rd 4:00-5:00 PM
 
March 19th 5:30-6:30 PM
 
April 1st 4:00-5:00 PM

 

 

 


Contact the Honors College

Honors College Administration:

  • Joseph Bruner, M.A. - Director of Student Success Initiatives, Strategy & Assessment
    Phone: 907.786.1473
    Email: jcbruner@alaska.edu
  •  
  • Leslie Olberding - Honors Advisor
    Phone: 907.786.1357
    Email: lkolberding@alaska.edu