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Admission into the Program

All high school graduates with a GPA of 3.3 or higher and strong SAT scores are encouraged to apply for the Honors Program at CSULB. Full time California State University, Long Beach students with a GPA of 3.3 or higher are also invited to apply, as well as students transferring from other colleges to CSULB who meet the 3.3 GPA minimum and who still need 18 GE units.

Students with unusual extenuating circumstances, who do not meet the above requirements, should explain their situation in the application to the Director, who will then review individual cases.

APPLICATIONS AND PROCEDURES


For all students who wish to apply into the University Honors Program

Essay


· Essay Criteria: In approximately 2-3 pages tell us a little about yourself--what your personal interests are (hobbies, recreational choices, kind of movies you like, favorite forms of entertainment, etc.), and what your general career goals at this point may be. Indicate the various majors you are considering an the kinds of elective (non-major requirements) courses you might take. If you have lived or traveled outside of California, tell us where that has been, what the length of stay was, and what the experience was like for you. Finally, describe briefly your reading preferences--the magazines you look at or purchase (sports, fashion, public opinions, special interests, etc.), the newspapers you read (the sections you go to first), as well as any recent books you may have read.

Application Form

Please stop by the University Honors Program office on the second floor of the Library in LIB-214 or call us at (562) 985-2426 to request an application form.

Please print or type all information on the application that is appropriate to your situation.

Additional Application Instructions

· Please return the completed application and essay as soon as possible
· Attach a letter of recommendation from one of your high school and/or college instructors.
· Attach a complete copy of your high school and/or college transcripts
· We will notify you of your admission status byeither phone or postal mail.

· Please keep us updated on your Student Orientation, Advising & Registration (SOAR) date.

Mail complete application materials to:
University Honors Program LIB 214
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840-1901

REQUIREMENTS ONCE IN THE PROGRAM

In addition to graduating with a degree from California State University, Long Beach, UHP students can also earn a Certificate and Medallion that will be presented at the graduation ceremony. Every student electing General Honors in the University Honors Program must complete all university-wide graduation requirements. General Honors is itself not a major.

To achieve the Honors Certificate as part of your GE package, you must complete a minimum of 21 General Education units from UHP courses (University requirement for GE is 48 units total) including:

-UHP 100, "Angles of Vision" (3 units). Fulfills GE category A-3.

-UHP 150, "Exploring a Text" (3 units). Fulfills GE category E

- Complete a culminating six unit active learning project in your Major via UHP 496/498 (6 units). These could count towards credit in the Major.

Please see the University Catalog for more detailed Requirements.
All CSULB students must complete 48 units of General Education. However, many of these requirements can be fulfilled through the University Honors Program.

CATEGORY FULFILLMENT

The University Honors Program provides Honors classes that meet General Education requirements. California State University, Long Beach requires that 48 units in General Education be completed for graduation requirements of a Baccalaureate degree. Each student must complete 3 units in a Human Diversity course, 9 units in upper division classes (300 - 400) and 6 units of those 9 must be interdisciplinary courses ("I" suffix). There are five categories of General Education study; they are:


· Category A: Communication in the English Language and Critical Thinking (9)

· Category B: Physical Universe (9)

· Category C: Humanities and the Arts (9)

· Category D: Social and Behavioral Sciences and Their Historical Backgrounds (12)

· Category E: Self-Integration (3)

. General Education Electives (6)

(The number in parenthesis is the total number of units needed for each category.)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I have sophomore standing here at Caifornia State University, Long Beach. Can I still apply for the program?
If you still need 9-18 units of General Education classes and you meet the minimum GPA requirements, you should apply for admission to the program.

I've taken a lot of AP exams in high school, and they fulfill many of my GE requirements. Should I still join the program?
Yes, you should. Although APs do cover many GE requirements, they do not cover most of them. Human diversity, self-integration, and interdisciplinary courses are a few of the GE courses not satisfied by APs that are satisfied by the courses offered in the UHP.

Are UHP classes harder than non-UHP courses?
The Honors courses are specially tailored for Honors students. The UHP professors usually go more in depth in Honors courses than they do in regular courses.

Will it be harder to attain high grades because I'm in the Honors Program?
A recent informal study at Arizona Western College showed that students in honors classes receive higher grades than students in regular classes. Here at CSULB, 90% of the students in the Honors Program receive higher grades than in their regular classes.
"Honors classes are not harder, just different."

Do I have to take extra classes for the Honors Program?
The UHP 496 and 498 do not fulfill CSULB's General Education requirements. However, UHP 496 and 498 can be used to fulfill requirements in most majors, and UHP 496 and 498 are required for graduating from the Honors Program.

Will I be isolated from the rest of the college campus?
No. Only seven units of UHP classes are required from you each semester for your first year and a half. After you have chosen your seven units of Honors classes, you may take as many classes as you would like to take outside the program. However, many students prefer to take all of their GE classes in the program.

Who should I contact for help with the Honors Program?
You would want to talk to Duan Jackson, who is the Assistant Director of the Program, or Dr. Timothy Caron, the Director. Duan Jackson's phone number is (562) 985-4706 and Dr. Caron's office number is (562) 985-4233.