Department website: https://www.una.edu/honors/

The Delores and Weldon Cole Honors College admits well-qualified students through a year-round application process. High school students are encouraged to apply by March 1^st of their senior year for priority consideration. Current UNA students and transfer applicants may apply at any time.

Students admitted to the Honors College benefit from an exceptional undergraduate experience that includes academic, co-curricular, extracurricular, scholarship, research, travel, and residential opportunities. Students who complete the Cole Honors College requirements receive transcript and diploma designation along with special recognition at the Honors Medallion Ceremony and at Commencement. 

To receive diploma and transcript recognition and remain on Honors scholarship from the Delores and Weldon Cole Honors College, students must:

• maintain a 3.25 GPA on all coursework
• adhere to university policies
• make satisfactory progress toward completion of 18 Honors credits. 

  A Message from the Dean

Vince Brewton, Dean

Thank you for your interest in the Cole Honors College at UNA! The success and well-being of our students is our highest priority. We believe that college should be fun, that it should be a challenge, and that it should get us ready for the next big thing. 

Participation in the Cole Honors College offers numerous benefits, including:

• stackable tuition scholarships
• housing scholarships for first-year freshmen
• support for education abroad
• early registration
• small classes
• access to the Honors facility, Coby Hall
• frequent social events
• faculty and peer mentoring
• internship and job placement.

Our Mission is to recruit exceptional students to the University, provide them with an extraordinary undergraduate experience, and enable postgraduate success in first destination jobs and graduate programs. That’s it.

Our Values: the Honors College culture depends on respect for others and a celebration of our shared life at this great University; we promote curiosity, which is essential for learning; we encourage a commitment to service to the University, to our communities, and to the world; lastly, we strive for excellence in everything. We want to be good at what we do and bring others along with us.   

Our Honors staff is always ready to assist our students as they turn their goals into reality. That’s why we are here. We encourage you to visit our website for more information, follow us social media, and apply online through the MyUNA Account.

Visit us in person any time and Roar Lions!

Vince Brewton, Ph.D., Dean of the College

Cole Honors College Requirements

To receive diploma and transcript recognition and remain on Honors scholarship from the Delores and Weldon Cole Honors College:

• first-time freshmen must attend HON 101H (Honors Forum)
• Students must make progress toward completion of 18 Honors credit hours. Honors courses typically fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements, major requirements, and/or elective credit toward the UNA degree. Honors hours can be obtained in any of the following ways:
  • Honors Forum and Honors departmental courses
  • regular courses contracted for Honors credit
    • With faculty approval, any regular university course may be contracted for Honors credit. Students should contact the Honors College for more information about the contracting process
  • approved Honors coursework completed at another institution
  • up to nine hours of graduate coursework completed as part of a UNA Accelerated Master’s Program
• students must maintain a minimum 3.25 overall cumulative GPA
• students must adhere to university policies.

Honors students are strongly encouraged to participate in all forms of experiential learning to include major-specific internships and field-related employment, undergraduate research, travel and study abroad, community service, service-learning, and other forms of civic engagement.

Students seeking a nursing degree may be eligible for the first-time freshman Early Admission (EAdm) Option after admission to the Honors College. For more information, contact the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
HON 101H	Honors Forum	1
Honors Designated Courses / Honors Course Contracts/ Graduate Courses		17
Total Hours		18