University Honors College
University Honors College
1632 SW 12th Ave.
503-725-4928
www.pdx.edu/honors
honors@pdx.edu
Honors in the City
University Honors College combines the benefits and rigor of a small liberal arts college with the opportunities and resources of a large urban research university. The College centrally engages Portland State’s mission to “Let Knowledge Serve the City,” drawing on PSU's institutional commitment to community engagement, sustainability, and internationalization as well as its civic leadership and location in downtown Portland. The Honors College serves academically motivated students by providing an engaged and challenging educational experience that uses the city of Portland as a living/learning laboratory. Students in any department or major can join the University Honors College; all Honors students graduate with prestigious University Honors in their chosen field.
Honors at PSU offers courses in the theory and research methods of the human, natural, and social sciences as well as a wide-ranging selection of intensive interdisciplinary seminars. Students have the opportunity to work closely with faculty on research projects, network and gain experience through internships, and study abroad with Honors faculty. In their final year, Honors students research and write a baccalaureate Honors thesis.
Engaging faculty from across PSU's campus, the University Honors College gives students the opportunity to work with our finest teachers and researchers. Honors students become disciplined, nimble thinkers, prepared to become leaders, and ready to apply their academic learning to the challenges and uncertainties of the real world.
Admission requirements
Interested students must complete the additional Honors College application questions available as part of the PSU undergraduate application. Current PSU students wishing to transfer into the Honors College should see the Honors website for instructions on completing an application: www.pdx.edu/honors. Students are welcome to transfer into the University Honors College from outside institutions or from within PSU at any point in their freshman, sophomore, or junior years. Students wishing to transfer into Honors as seniors should contact the University Honors Director to discuss their research experience and thesis plans.
In order to be admitted to the Urban Honors College, all students must first be admitted to Portland State University.
Expected criteria for admission:
First-year students (entering from high school):
- 3.50 cumulative unweighted high school GPA
- Two essays submitted as part of the application
- SAT and ACT scores are accepted but not required
Transfer/Current PSU students:
- Cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher in college-level courses
All applications are reviewed holistically by a faculty committee.