Eligible classes
Conversions are intended to add an Honors component when an Honors course is not available. If an Honors version of the course is offered (1) in the same semester, (2) at the same campus, and (3) in the same modality (online vs. in person), and there is space available in that course, then the non-Honors version cannot be converted.
Honors credit cannot be added to an S/U course, nor to a course that a student is taking as pass/fail.
Graduate degree courses (5000-level or higher) count as Honors credit automatically, so there is no need to complete a conversion.
The availability of an Honors conversion is always at the discretion of the instructor.
Eligible instructors
Any instructor of record is eligible to supervise a conversion. We request that graduate students serving as instructors seek out and receive mentorship from experienced faculty when supervising conversions.
Eligible students
Current UConn Honors students are eligible to pursue Honors conversions, as are current UConn students who (1) have submitted a complete Honors application, (2) have a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher, and (3) are rising juniors or higher (i.e., have no more than 4 semesters remaining in their program).
Deadlines
Due dates for approved Honors Conversion Agreements:
- Fall and Spring: end of the third week of classes
- Summer: end of the first week of classes
- Study abroad: three weeks after the study abroad term begins
Late Honors Conversion Agreements may be accepted. Please email honors@uconn.edu.
Honors Conversion Agreements must be submitted in the semester in which the course was taken. Conversions may not be used to add Honors credit to completed courses.
Quantity of work
Students and instructors should plan on an Honors conversion for a 3-credit course to take 20-25 hours across the course of the semester, on top of the work assigned for the course itself.
Grading
Work conducted as part of an Honors conversion does not factor into a student's course grade. Their grade should be computed based on the original syllabus.
Honors conversion work should still be evaluated, and students should receive feedback, but it is not necessary to assign it a letter or numeric grade. The Honors Conversion Agreement includes the minimum standards for satisfactory completion of the conversion work.
To earn Honors credit, the student must earn a B- or better in the course and satisfactorily complete the conversion work. Other than not earning Honors credit, there should be no penalty if the student does not complete the conversion satisfactorily. A student cannot earn Honors credit if they have placed the course on Pass/Fail, regardless of the quality of any conversion work.
Group conversions
When multiple students in the same course are pursuing Honors conversions, the instructor may choose to have them complete some or all of the conversion as a group. Each student must submit their own Honors Conversion Agreement, but the instructor can speed up the process by creating an Honors Conversion Plan in advance.
Withdrawing a conversion agreement
At any point in the semester, a student may withdraw from an Honors Conversion Agreement.
- This is not the same as withdrawing from the course. It simply indicates that the student is no longer pursuing Honors credit for the class.
- There is no penalty for withdrawing from an Honors Conversion Agreement.
- Withdrawing from an Honors Conversion Agreement will not be reflected anywhere on the student's transcript or other records.
Independent study & research classes
Many students use independent study or independent research courses to fulfill Honors requirements, especially as they work toward their thesis. If the course is not entered into Student Admin as Honors, the conversion process is used to add Honors credit.
These courses do not require additional Honors conversion work. Instead, the entire independent study or research course is conducted at an Honors level when compared to an equivalent non-Honors course in the same discipline. Honors expectations should be reflected in any learning agreements and in the final grade for the course.
Education abroad
Typically, Honors students either enroll in an EGL program offering Honors credit or they arrange their schedules to complete their Honors credits while on campus. However, it may be possible to convert a course taken while abroad.
Faculty-Led Programs
If the instructor of the course is a UConn employee, there would be no difference from any other UConn course conversion.
All Other Programs
If the instructor of the course is not a UConn employee, the student should discuss the potential conversion with an Honors advisor from the department that will be approving the course for UConn credit. With their permission, there are two potential ways to pursue Honors credit. In both cases, the Honors advisor would be listed as the "instructor" for the Honors Conversion Agreement.
- On-site instructor supervises the conversion work. At the beginning of the semester, the Honors advisor's approval indicates that the work is in line with Honors credit in their department. They will then communicate with the on-site instructor at the end of the semester to confirm that the conversion was successfully completed.
- Honors advisor supervises the conversion work. The on-site instructor does not need to be involved at all if the Honors advisor supervises conversion work remotely.