Students collaborate with faculty mentors on an ongoing faculty research or creative activity project or conduct independent research under the guidance of a faculty member. This experience provides students with an inquiry-based learning opportunity and engages them as active learners in a research or creative activity setting. Either the student’s own project or the faculty member’s project to which the student is contributing should utilize the methods for creating new knowledge that are recognized in the field and should result in a unique contribution to the field of knowledge.

• Departmental Course Number – 498.
• The minimum is 1 credit.
• For every 45 hours completed, 1 credit is awarded.
• Up to a maximum of 6 credit hours may be earned per research experience.

Note: Honors scholars already enrolled in departmental research credit (e.g., PSY 498, CHE 290) do not need to follow the process detailed below in order to receive Honors experience credit as the credits will automatically count as Honors Experience credits.

If your department is not able to offer you research credit or if you are completing an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) at another school, you can still receive Honors credit by submitting an Honors Petition. Requests for Honor Experience credit via the petition process should be submitted by the following deadlines:

• Fall: Sept. 15
• Winter: Jan. 15
• Spring: Feb. 15
• Summer: June 15

Petitions received after the aforementioned deadlines will be reviewed in the following cycle. Decisions will be relayed to you via email within four weeks of the posted deadlines.

In order to complete the petition process, you will be asked to submit a reflection paper to the Honors College and for your supervisor’s contact information. Your supervisor will not receive your reflection paper. Petitions will not be accepted and added to your Honors record without supervisor approval.

Students have the option of individualized student work under the guidance of a faculty member. Independent study courses are intended to pursue topics that are not currently offered through regular coursework at UB. Independent study may be the focal point in the design of an individual program or it may merely add desired depth or breadth to a student’s formal degree program. To enroll in independent study, students must identify a member of the faculty or appropriate professional staff member willing to sponsor their work and gain approval of the appropriate department.

Departmental Course Number – 499.

• Departmental Course Number – 496.
• The minimum is 1 credit.
• For every 45 hours completed, 1 credit is awarded.
• Up to a maximum of 6 credit hours may be earned per internship.
• A maximum of 9 credits can be earned at the same internship location/company/business.

Note: Honors scholars already enrolled in departmental internship/co-op credit (e.g., MAE 496, ES 429, theatre practicums) do not need to follow the process detailed below in order to receive Honors Experience credit as the credits will automatically count as Honors Experience credits.

If your department is not able to offer you internship credit, you can still receive Honors credit by submitting an Honors Petition. Requests for Honor Experience credit via the petition process should be submitted by the following deadlines:

• Fall: Sept. 15
• Winter: Jan. 15
• Spring: Feb. 15
• Summer: June 15

Petitions received after the aforementioned deadlines will be reviewed in the following cycle. Decisions will be relayed to you via email within four weeks of the posted deadlines.

In order to complete the petition process, you will be asked to submit a project outcome reflecting on your experience, and for your supervisor’s contact information. Your supervisor will not receive your project outcome. Petitions will not be accepted and added to your Honors record without supervisor approval.

Note: If you are doing a summer internship and earning 496 credits for the internship, then you will need to pay summer tuition for those credits.

• Departmental Course Indicator – OPR 481, 482, 483, 484, 485.
• Students completing fewer than 3 credit hours must petition the Honors College to have this experience counted.
• Your study abroad program may be completed during the fall, spring, summer or winter.

• Departmental Course Number – 495.
• Students must be enrolled in the appropriate course by the end of the Drop/Add Period.
• The following additional TA opportunities are acceptable:
  • Gifted Math TA: For more information, call: 716-645-4467.
  • Math Place Lab Tutors: If you choose to receive the credits, they appear on your transcript as ULC 499 and can be used toward your Honors Experiences.
  • Center for Excellence in Writing: Writing consultants may be able to earn Honors Experience credit for this position by submitting an Honors Petition Request. The CEW training course, HMN 380, automatically counts toward Honors Experience credit.
  • ESL 320 - ELI Chat Room.

To see a full list of acceptable courses for Honors credit, look in the University Honors College section of your Academic Requirements Report in the HUB Student Center under “Honors Experiences.” Please contact your Honors advisor if you have questions about acceptable Honors Experience coursework.

• Departmental Course Number – 500 or higher.
• You must be enrolled in the appropriate graduate course by the end of the Drop/Add period. 
• For courses cross-listed as undergraduate/graduate, you must be registered for the graduation section for it to count toward your Honors Experiences.
• You must complete the Force Registration Request form to enroll in a graduate-level course for undergraduate credit. This includes gaining permission from the instructor to take the course.

• The form gives you a choice to enroll in the course for undergraduate credit or for graduate credit. If you want to use the course for a major, minor or UB curriculum course (or toward your 120 credits you need to graduate with an undergraduate degree) it must be taken for undergraduate credit. You would also need to confirm with your department that the course will count toward your major. If you take it for undergraduate credit, it will still show on your transcript as a graduate course, but it will be factored into your undergraduate GPA.
• Once you complete the form it will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar for them to enroll you.
  
• Undergraduate students can take up to three graduate-level courses.
  

• Honors contracted courses must be at the 200 level or above.
• Honors students contract directly with one of their faculty instructors to complete extra work in a course and submit it as an Honors contract.
• A final evaluation from your faculty supervisor must be submitted to the Honors College.
• Students will earn Honors Experience credit for the contracted course as long as they pass the course. To receive a "H" designation on your transcript next to the course grade, you must earn a grade of "B" or higher.

About the Honors Contract

The Honors Contract permits students to turn a regular 200 level (or above) university course into an Honors course by contracting with the instructor to complete additional work that is outside and or above the scope of course assignments. Students should expect to spend approximately 30 hours of work or service hours (including reflection) during the semester or summer session to complete their contract. Honors Scholars can use any 200-level course or higher for an Honors Contract. Students need to work with their faculty within the first week of classes to submit their contract proposal by the deadline (end of the third week of the semester).

The contract involves an agreement among the honors student, a UB faculty member, and the University Honors College. All the terms stated in the contract proposal must be successfully completed by the agreed upon due date in order for the student to receive honors credit.

The contract work or project should add an academic dimension by introducing new material or by allowing the student to go into greater depth than normally required in some aspect of the course. Contracts may be service-learning focused through student engagement in a service project and reflection related to the course content. It must be made clear on the Honors Contract how your proposal exceeds regular course requirements. Since a faculty member must supervise the contract, students should select faculty who have the time to oversee their projects to completion.

How to Complete an Honors Contract

1. Select your course: Determine a 200 level or higher course that you would like to explore further.  This course can be in or outside of your major.

2. Brainstorm contract ideas: After carefully reviewing your syllabus, begin to think about an area that you would like to explore further.  Consider potential ways that you can expand your learning. Some examples include:

• An independent research project with lab work and demonstrable results.
• Service hours related to the course topic along with meaningful reflection (service-learning).
• A major research paper (in addition to any course requirement).
• A translation of a new author or dramatist in a foreign language.
• A lecture or recital about a musician you have come to admire.
• A portfolio of creative writing.
• Any other exploratory, creative, wide-ranging or experimental learning experience related to the content of the contracted course.

3. Ask your professor: Approach your course instructor within the first week of the semester and explain the purpose of an Honors Contract and ask if they would be willing to work with you.  Use this page for assistance in explaining what an Honors Contract is, and the expectations involved in completing an Honors Contract with your professor.

4. Submit your Honors Contract proposal: Students should submit the Honors Contract Form for Students by the end of the third week of classes of the semester or first week of a summer session.
Be sure to include all of the following information:

• Description of the purpose of the contract in detail         
• Materials to be used
• Specific assignments due including length of assignments
• A timetable for the completion of the contract that includes the final due date.

Failure to include the above details may result in a delay of your Honors Contract proposal being approved. The Honors College will review all Honors Contract proposals and students will be notified when their Honors Contract proposal has been approved.

5. Complete the components of your Honors Contract: Complete all agreed upon components of your Honors Contract, including any scheduled check in meetings with faculty. Submit your project by the deadline agreed upon between you and your instructor. If at any point you choose not to complete your Honors Contract, please alert your instructor. 

6. Faculty complete Honors Contract evaluation: To receive honors credit for the course, Honors students must satisfactorily complete the terms of the contract during the semester that credit is earned. Students receiving an “I” in a course that they have contracted will not receive honors credit upon completion. An evaluation form is sent to the course instructor near the end of the semester and must be completed by the instructor before Honors Contract credit can be awarded. We highly recommend following up with your instructor after you have submitted all work related to your contract to ensure that they complete the evaluation form. Students will be notified when they have been awarded Honors Experience credits after the close of grades for the term.

When is the deadline to submit the Honors Contract form?
Honors Contract forms should be submitted no later than the end of the third week of the semester or the first week of a summer session.
      
How many Honors Experience credits will I earn?
You are able to earn the same number of Honors Experience credits that you will earn for completing the course. For example, if you complete an Honors Contract for PHI 236, a 3 credit course, you can earn 3 Honors Experience credits if you satisfy the terms of your Honors Contract.

What is the best way to ask my instructor if they will allow me to complete an Honors Contract for their course?
Approach your course instructor within the first week of the semester and explain the purpose of an Honors Contract and ask if they would be willing to work with you.  Think about possible projects before reaching out to your instructor and further refine your ideas during your conversation.


When will my Honors Contract course be reflected in my AAR?
Typically within two weeks after the close of grades. You will receive an email when your Honors Contact is visible in your AAR.

If I complete an Honors Contract to have a course count for Honors Experience credit, can the course still fulfill my major/minor requirements?

Yes! Completing an Honors Contract in a course does not affect the course’s ability to apply to other degree requirements.

There’s an “H” next to the final letter grade for the course I completed an Honors Contract for. What does that mean?

Students who earn at least a B grade in a course for which they complete an Honors Contract will also receive an “H” notation next to their grade on their transcript to indicate that they earned Honors designation in the course (example: A-H for an A-). If you earn a B- or lower, you will still earn Honors Experience credit provided that you satisfy the terms of your Honors Contract and successfully pass the course.

Can I complete an Honors Contract project that isn’t paired with a specific course?

No. Honors Contracts must be associated with a course that the student is enrolled in for the same semester they are completing the Contract. If you’re thinking of completing an independent project, we recommend looking into research or independent study opportunities with your academic department.

What’s the difference between an Honors Contract and an Honors Petition?

An Honors Contract refers to an agreement between student and instructor involving the completion of extra work associated with a particular course. An Honors Experience Petition allows students to earn Honors Experience credit for eligible non-academic credit-bearing opportunities.

If you have any questions about contract coursework, please contact the Honors College.