Programs Overview – UCLA Honors Programs

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Programs and Academic Offerings

We encourage students to explore their passions, connect across disciplines, and achieve their goals. Whether students prefer a traditional path or design their own, our programs and academic offerings foster creativity and innovation. Alongside our Honors pathways—College Scholars and College Honors—we offer a range of academic opportunities for the broader UCLA undergraduate community.

Honors Pathways

College Scholars and College Honors offer two distinct pathways toward earning the College Honors distinction. Both encourage intellectual curiosity, academic exploration, and personal growth through an enriched undergraduate experience. Students who successfully complete either program receive the College Honors distinction on their diploma and official transcript.

College Scholars
A four-year cohort-based program for first-year students seeking a personalized academic experience. Scholars engage in interdisciplinary learning and hands-on projects designed to foster resilience, creativity, and leadership.
College Honors
A distinguished honors track designed for transfer students and continuing students pursuing academic excellence and advanced learning. With a focus on depth and exploration, participants complete rigorous coursework to earn the College Honors distinction.

Global Learning

Global learning expands education beyond the classroom, encouraging students to engage with different cultures, broaden their perspectives, and deepen their understanding of the world.

Study Abroad
Expand your education beyond the classroom through transformative global learning experiences. Whether studying at a university abroad through the UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) or gaining professional experience through the Global Internship Program (GIP), students have opportunities to engage with different cultures, broaden their perspectives, and develop a deeper understanding of the world.

Distinctive Academic Experiences

For students whose curiosity takes them beyond traditional academic pathways, these programs offer opportunities to challenge themselves, explore new interests, and shape their educational experiences.

Departmental Scholar Program
A unique opportunity for advanced students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree simultaneously.
Individual Major
Create your own major with courses that span disciplines, and tailor your personal academic experience.
Undergraduate Student Initiated Education (USIE)
An empowering program where students design and facilitate their own seminars with faculty mentorship.
Plato Society Discussion Groups
Offered as a distinctive enrichment opportunity, the PLATO Society invites select Honors students to join small, peer-led seminars with retired and semi-retired professionals passionate about lifelong learning. While not a formal program, participation may count toward College Honors elective coursework.

Academic Courses

Honors coursework is a core component of the College Scholars and College Honors pathways. These courses encourage interdisciplinary exploration, intellectual curiosity, and deeper engagement with academic ideas.

Honors Collegium
The Honors Collegium features interdisciplinary seminars offered by our department. Open to all students, these small, innovative courses are taught by faculty who design them around their academic passions, fostering creativity, collaboration, and meaningful engagement.

Philanthropy Education

UCLA has expanded undergraduate philanthropy education, providing students with opportunities to explore the role of giving in driving social impact. What began as a single undergraduate course has grown into a larger initiative, equipping students with hands-on experience in strategic philanthropy and nonprofit engagement.

Philanthropy as Civic Engagement Course
Students who participate in the course have a unique opportunity to determine, in collaboration with their peers, how $100,000 (contributed to the course by UCLA donors) should be allocated to local non-profit organizations.
Philanthropy in Action Speaker Series
Our new Philanthropy in Action speaker series offer a unique opportunity to hear the stories of philanthropy organization leaders, donors and those whose lives have been transformed through the generosity of others and the services provided by nonprofit agencies.