Texas A&M University students must earn at least 18 hours of honors credits (undergraduate honors courses with HNR prefix or graduate courses) in courses from any engineering or science department.
The hours must consist of the following:*
- At least 12 hours must be engineering credit.
- No more than 6 hours of graduate courses
- Between 4-6 hours of research (ENGR 491H)**
- ENGR 181H - 1 credit hour EH seminar course
Graduation requirements:
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Earn a GPA of 3.25 or higher in honors courses
- Receive no honor code violations
*Some departments have have slightly different research requirements - view department specific requirements on their webpages
** Students can use no more than 6 hours of research toward the total 18 hours.
Departmental Requirements
Each department may have requirements that students will have to meet in place of or in addition to the general requirements listed above.
To view each of the department requirements please visit the Program Description page and click on the departments acronyms in the sidebar and then click the Requirements link.
Ways to Earn Honors Credit
Honors Courses
Non-Research Honors Courses in the College of Engineering
Students can often find honors sections for engineering courses offered by their department.
If there is no existing honors section of a regular course offered by the college of engineering, students can ask the professor teaching the course if they would be interested in teaching the course as a stacked honors course. If they agree, the department’s advising office would set up an honors section that is stacked with the regular version of the course, which students need to enroll in on or before the 12th day of class. The professor will modify the course so that students could receive honors credit by modifying the assignments, scheduling separate discussions, etc.
Research Honors Courses in the College of Engineering
Students receive honors credits when enrolled in undergraduate honors courses designated by honors section numbers of 2XX.
- Honors Undergraduate Research (291/491)
- Directed/Independent Study (285/485)
- Internship (284/484)
Applications for honors credit for such courses may vary by department. Reach out to your professor and academic advisor well before the semester begins to ensure you can properly enroll in these courses. Honors credit will be applied to the student's transcript after final grades have posted.
Honors Course Contracts
For courses outside of the College of Engineering (e.g., College of Science courses), students can earn honors credits for non-honors courses by working with the instructor to determine some alternate or additional assignments/activities to those listed by the instructor in the course syllabus; these activities should allow the student to emulate the experience of an honors course and should augment the course activities, not simply add to them.
Contract proposals should be developed by the student in consultation with the instructor, and must be approved by the following:
- Course instructor
- Department
- University Honors Program
Applications for honors course contracts are due by the 12th class day of the semester. Honors credit is given at the end of the semester after the student has satisfactorily completed the activities described in the honors course contract application.
For non-departmental engineering courses (e.g., those with an ENGR course code such as ENGR 111/112, ENGR 181, etc.) and major-specific courses, request for an honors section through the department advising office.
Graduate Courses
Any graduate course taken at Texas A&M University for undergraduate credit (i.e., applied to an undergraduate degree) will be considered as honors credit for honors students.
A maximum of 6 hours of graduate coursework can be counted toward the Engineering Honors distinction requirements, if taken for undergraduate credit. Graduate courses being reserved for graduate credit cannot be counted.
Students should contact their track coordinator for questions regarding taking graduate courses for honors credit.
Fast Track: Students participating in the fast track graduate program can receive honors credit for fast track courses they take, as those graduate courses replace courses required for their undergraduate degree. Contact your department’s advising office if you have questions regarding the Fast Track program.
*Note* AP credits do not count toward honors credit hours. Only courses taken at Texas A&M are counted.