The University Honors Program draws on the wide range of resources available at a large urban university, concentrating those resources within a small, personal, liberal-arts setting. Designed for students who want to satisfy their intellectual curiosity both inside and outside the classroom, the program is limited in size to 200 students who represent a wide variety of disciplines, backgrounds and interests.

An innovative curriculum is specially designed for those students and taught by faculty members who are known for their excellence in teaching and scholarship. Without delaying progress toward a degree, the Honors Program provides students an opportunity to participate in a community of committed scholars, to form close relationships with faculty, to explore new ideas, and to share their ideas, interests, and lives on a daily basis in the Honors House.

Students have opportunities to work on independent projects, to travel, and to participate in special extracurricular activities. Those who complete the program are recognized with the designation "With University Honors" on their transcripts and in the graduation program.