Honors College admission is competitive. Honors candidates must fulfill at least one of the following criteria.

Entering Freshmen:
1) Honors candidates must have a combined Critical Reading and Math SAT score of 1200, or
2) an ACT of 27, or
3) must be in the upper 10% of their high school graduating class

Currently Enrolled UT Arlington or Transfer students:
Currently enrolled or transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 3.2.

Admission, however, is not based solely on grades or scores. The Admissions Committee looks for evidence in the application of strong analytic and imaginative abilities. An essay that is well thought-out and articulate is an important consideration in the admission process.

All Honors course credit transferred to UTA from other colleges and universities, and noted as Honors on the college or university transcript, will be accepted as Honors credit by UTA's Honors College. Transfer Honors Students must complete at least 12 semester credit hours of Honors coursework at UTA.

The Honors College is compatible with any major. All Honors course offerings fulfill core, departmental, and/or college requirements.

The Honors College promotes an exceptional education at affordable prices offering students a smaller academic community within the larger University. The Honors curriculum is designed to offer a special interdisciplinary emphasis at each level of the student's academic career. UTA's Honors College is one of only six such institutions in the state of Texas.

The Honors College seeks students with broad interests, varied talents, and diverse cultural backgrounds. All majors are compatible with the Honors College.

New Honors students must be advised by an Honors Advisor during their first semester at UTA, and are encouraged to be advised early in the semester, or they will lose their Honors status and privileges. There is no probationary period for students who fail to make and keep this appointment. All Honors students must maintain a 3.2 grade point average. Progress is reviewed each semester. If a student loses their Honors status, they must reapply to the Honors College if they wish to regain it.

There is no penalty for withdrawing from the Honors College. All completed Honors work will continue to count toward your degree and will still list as Honors courses on your transcript.

Participation in the outstanding Honors academic program is the principal benefit. Some of the other tangible benefits are: Honors Degree, Sense of Community, Award-Winning Faculty, Small Class Size, Affordable Study Abroad Programs, Wide Range of Honors Courses, Honors Scholarships, Research Assistantships, Extended Library Privileges, Priority Registration, Honors Library and Computer Lab, Special Honors Events, Honors Designation on Transcript, Special Recognition at Graduation.

Honors courses are designed to offer a challenging interdisciplinary perspective to students who enjoy a rigorous program of study. Emphasis is on allowing students more personal involvement, discussion time, and interaction with Honors faculty and other Honors students. Typically, Honors students do much better in their Honors courses than their regular courses because of the small class size and the opportunity for individual contributions. Grades in Honors courses are computed exactly as in other courses. Faculty set the standards, taking into account the different nature of the Honors courses; students are not penalized for participating.

Honors courses are not "accelerated" as are many high school honors courses. Instead they are designed to offer greater flexibility in teaching techniques, more faculty/student interaction, and a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Honors courses satisfy many of the regular University requirements and correspond closely to regular sections in preparing students for further courses.

In an effort to provide students with an exceptional academic experience, the Honors College seeks to designate for Honors credit courses taught by some of the most rigorous faculty in the university. By the same token, students are encouraged to seek out challenging courses. Courses for which Honors credit is sought should be taught by full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty. In special cases, students may request Honors credit for courses taught by adjunct faculty. The same policy holds for designation of professors to mentor Honors internships and theses. Requests and related questions may be addressed to the Associate Dean of Honors.