Apply to the University Honors Program
Deadlines: incoming freshmen: early notification deadline is December 10th and Honors Program deadline is February 15th;
transfer or on-campus students: fall applications December 1st, spring applications, May 1st
Contracting a class for Honors credit
Students can work with professors to develop an individualized contract for greater depth in one of their non-Honors courses to then receive H credit upon successful completion of contract commitments. If you are a student, please watch this brief video explaining the benefit of contracting your class. If you are a professor and would like to learn more about students contracting your courses, please watch this video.
Deadline: the 5th week of classes for the term you wish to contract.
Research Opportunities & Funding
Students conduct independent, unique research in order to meet their undergraduate thesis requirement for the Honors Program. Many CASNR faculty aid our students with this process every year.
UCARE (research)
Patrice Berger Honors Experiences Fund (research or travel, August 15; for use in Fall semester, December 1; for use in Spring semester, April 1; for use in Summer)
NSF REU (research for undergraduates)
Education Abroad Opportunities & Funding
CASNR Ed Abroad office (opportunities, term-based deadlines)
CASNR grants (funding, rolling deadline)
Kleis International Travel Award (funding, rolling deadline)
Global Access Travel grant (passport funding, rolling deadlines)
Undergraduate Thesis & Creative Project
WHO AND WHAT: All students who are enrolled in the University Honors Program, regardless of their College home, are required to complete either a senior thesis or a creative project. This can take many forms including but not limited to: a traditional thesis, a publishable journal article based on original research, a multi-media project, a business plan for an original entreprenuerial effort.
HOW: Students in CASNR who are completing a thesis for their major do not need to complete more than one project. The thesis or research will serve to complete the requirements for both the college and the University Honors Program.
WHY: Our goal is not additional stress and strain on the student, but to help them through an academic process that exceeds the work of the majority of their peers. If they are already working in this manner, there is not a need to develop a separate research project. Students should work to their strengths and utilize research or projects they are hoping to complete by their senior year rather than attempting to design something completely different to begin. Academic and research advisors and supervisors should try to encourage students in this manner.
CASNR Thesis or Creative Project Prospectus Deadline: mid-March of student's Junior Year for a May graduation; mid-October of Junior year for December graduation.
University Honors Program Thesis or Creative Project Prospectus Deadline: mid-March of student's Junior Year for a May graduation; mid-October of Junior year for December graduation. (This is an online portal rather than a printable form.)
CASNR Thesis or Creative Project Evaluation Form Deadline: mid-March or mid-October of student's graduation term.
University Honors Program Thesis or Creative Project Evaluation Form Deadline: mid-March or mid-October of student's graduation term.
More guidance from the University Honors Program is available here.
COMPLETION: Once the thesis or project is complete and an evaluation has been made, students must submit their work to the Digital Commons at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
Graduating with Distinction in CASNR
All students have the opportunity to graduate with Distinction in our college. Students who are completing a thesis have the capacity to then graduate with Highest Distinction. This page has further guidelines. The forms used for this are the same forms for the thesis/project prospectus and evaluation.