Service-Learning Honors
Help underserved populations.
Research structural barriers for targeted groups.
Give back to our community.
Program Overview
The Service-Learning Honors Program (SH) is designed to provide high-achieving students with an opportunity to complete a nine-month-long engagement in a service-learning project(s) while also taking upper-division Honors seminars. This program is particularly suitable for students who earn an AA degree prior to enrolling at UNLV, to transfer students from other universities, as well as continuing UNLV students who have completed the bulk of their general education courses.
Program Requirements
SH students must complete the following 18 credits:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| HON 496 - Honors Service-Learning | 3 credits; repeat up to 6 credits |
| Four HON 400-level seminars | 12 credits |
- SH students complete service-learning projects while enrolled in HON 496 (3 credits) for two consecutive semesters, totaling 6 credits.
- SH students must complete at least one HON 400-level seminar before starting HON 496.
- The pre-requisite for these classes is any approved second year seminar.
- Students currently enrolled in the UH and/or RH programs are not eligible for the SH program.
Please review the SH Program Learning Outcomes for more information.
HON 496: Honors Service-Learning (HON 496)
Honors Service-Learning (HON 496) provides an integrative academic experience that combines classroom content, literature review, and community engagement with a targeted underserved population. Potential populations with which SH classes may work include homeless populations, groups experiencing hunger, refugee or immigrant populations, LGBTQ groups, veterans, or other underserved groups.
Throughout the semester, students will identify the barriers faced by the target group based on information gathered from the course instructor, research, and interactions with community members. Students will then develop an action plan/needs assessment in order to make research-based recommendations to help the target population break down barriers. Because cooperative agreements must be arranged in advance, the instructor will select the targeted underserved population before the start of each semester.
HON 496 is taught, supervised, and graded by an Honors College faculty member and will be offered in Fall and Spring semesters (not during Summer). Students may enroll in HON 496 after having completed at least one HON 400-level seminar.
Honors Seminars
SH students must also complete four HON 400-level seminar courses. Taught by professors from an array of academic disciplines, these one-of-a-kind courses create a powerful atmosphere for invigorating class discussions, discovery, and deep learning. These seminars can be used to satisfy certain general education core requirements (verify with your Honors Advisor).
Program Eligibility
In order to apply for SH, students must have the following qualifications:
- Completed at least 30 college-credit-bearing classes (sophomore standing)
- Possess a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher for all college-credit-bearing classes
- Have excellent writing skills (as demonstrated by a writing sample)
In order to remain in good standing in the Honors College students must maintain an overall UNLV GPA of 3.3.
Latin Honors Designation
Students who complete SH will graduate Cum Laude if their cumulative UNLV GPA is between 3.60 and 3.69; or Magna cum Laude if their final UNLV GPA is 3.70 or higher.