High Knob Tower at sunset

Honors Program

Grow, stand out, and challenge yourself beyond the typical course load

The Peake Honors Program offers academically motivated students an array of opportunities to challenge and distinguish themselves by participating in intensive, interdisciplinary courses and enriching out-of-class activities.

The honors program offers special Honors Seminars that emphasize intensive study and discussion, culminating in a senior-year capstone project of interdisciplinary independent work. Honors students completing the program not only gain the skills associated with advanced study, they also earn the distinction of graduating “With College Honors.”

Honors seminars previously offered through the Peake Honors Program include:

  • Religion and Science
  • The Black Death
  • The Commercial Future of Space Exploration
  • The Garden in Western Culture

Honors Program Admissions Requirements & Application

The Peake Honors Program is open to UVA Wise freshmen with an academic GPA of 3.5 or higher and a combined SAT score (Math + Reading) of 1200 or better. For information about upperclassmen admission to the honors program, please contact the Program Director.

About the Honors Program
Find out more about the curriculum, events, and independent research projects for the Peake Honors Program.
Research Projects of Recent Graduates
Read descriptions of research projects of recent graduates from the Honors Program.
Current Members
Find a list of the current members of the Peake Honors Program.

Honors Program Classes

Honors seminars are small, discussion-oriented courses with more rigorous reading, writing, and speaking components than average courses.  The classes usually revolve around specialized topics and are often interdisciplinary in nature.  In order to allow for flexible and innovative course offerings, most Honors seminars are taught as special topics courses that vary from semester to semester.

HON 3950: Special Topics (3)

Recent offerings have included:

  • Religion and Science
  • Artificial Intelligence in Film
  • Morality and Capitalism
  • Propaganda
  • The Black Plague
  • Race, Class and Gender in Latin America
  • The Commercial Future of Space Exploration
  • The Italian Renaissance
  • Castles, Cathedrals, and Country Houses: English Buildings in Literature and Culture
  • Science Fiction and Politics

Please see the Program Director for up-to-date information about current and upcoming course offerings.

HON 4950: Special Topics (3)

HON 4990: Senior Capstone (3): An independent, interdisciplinary research project culminating in a paper and a public presentation in a special Honors colloquium.