Honors Contracts

Overview

What Is an Honors Contract?

An Honors Contract allows you to transform a traditional, non-Honors course into an Honors experience by completing additional, more advanced work under the guidance and mentorship of your instructor. If you successfully complete the terms of the contract and earn a B or better in the course, you will receive Honors Points equivalent to taking an Honors course (10 points per credit hour).

Honors Contracts give you the opportunity to dive deeply into course material, work closely with a faculty member, and earn Honors recognition for rigorous work you are already invested in. Contracts require substantial student-faculty collaboration and involve work that clearly goes beyond regular course requirements to add academic depth or new dimensions of learning.

Important: An Honors Contract is established at an instructor's discretion. Faculty members are not required to agree to overseeing Honors Contracts, and availability may vary.

Commitment

What to Expect

Effective Honors Contracts require an additional time investment (typically 1–3 hours of contract-related work per week), represent a semester-long commitment, and provide learning experiences that are broader or deeper — not simply more extensive or more difficult. Students and faculty may explore topics not traditionally addressed in a course, identify real-world applications for course material, conduct novel research, or examine course material in greater depth.

Getting Started

How to Pursue a Contract

An Honors Contract is a formal agreement among the student, the supervising faculty member, the faculty member's department, and the SF Honors Program. Before work can begin, a completed Honors Contract Proposal must be submitted and approved by all parties. The proposal outlines the nature of the work, connections to Honors learning objectives, a timeline, and a schedule for instructor feedback.

Completing this proposal is a multi-step process:

  1. 1
    Identify a course and faculty member willing to supervise your contract.
  2. 2
    Attend a required Honors Contract Workshop.
  3. 3
    Meet with your instructor to develop the proposal, including project focus, deliverables, timeline, and meeting schedule.
  4. 4
    Complete the Honors Contract Proposal Form and submit it for approval.
  5. 5
    Receive departmental approval from the department chair or designee.
  6. 6
    Receive Honors Program approval.
  7. 7
    Meet with an SF Research Librarian to develop supporting resources for your project.

All proposals must be finalized, approved, and submitted before the end of the third week of the semester. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Finishing Up

Completing the Contract

To earn Honors credit, you must fulfill all terms of your approved contract, complete all deliverables, meet all agreed-upon milestones, and participate in scheduled meetings with your instructor. At the end of the semester, submit your course syllabus and a copy of the completed contract work via Canvas. Your instructor will separately submit an Honors Contract evaluation form. If your final grade is a B or better and all work is completed satisfactorily, you will receive 10 Honors Points per credit hour of the course.

Start an Honors Contract