Honors Program

The BSW Honors Program invites students to view the world through a critical and curious lens, asking meaningful questions that can be explored through social work theories and values. Students design and execute a research project, culminating in a thesis developed under the guidance of a social work faculty mentor.

In addition to the BSW Honors Program, students may also be eligible for other academic distinctions such as university honors at graduation. These honors are awarded separately and recognize broader academic achievement across the university.

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Eligibility for the BSW Honors Program


To join the BSW Honors Program, students must demonstrate strong academic performance, curiosity about social issues, and a commitment to critical thinking and research. At minimum, students should be prepared to engage deeply with social work concepts, commit to independent study, and collaborate closely with a faculty mentor on a year-long research project.

To be considered for the BSW Honors Program, students must meet the following criteria:

  • Have a UT Austin GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Have a Social Work GPA of 3.5 or higher
  • Create a long-term academic plan with a BSW advisor that incorporates Honors coursework
  • Have at least two long semesters remaining before beginning Practicum
  • Submit a completed BSW Honors Program application

These requirements ensure students are well-prepared to engage in independent research and successfully complete the Honors thesis.

Graduating with Special Honors

To graduate with Special Honors in Social Work, students must meet the following requirements:

  • Complete both Honors tutorial courses, S W 679HA and S W 679HB, earning a minimum grade of B- in each
  • Present their Honors thesis in a research colloquium open to UT Social Work’s  community and the public
  • Maintain a UT Austin GPA of at least 3.0
  • Maintain a Social Work GPA of at least 3.5

These requirements recognize students who have demonstrated academic excellence and completed an in-depth, faculty-supervised research project.

Graduation with University Honors

To be eligible to graduate with University honors, an undergraduate must have completed at least sixty semester hours at the University of Texas at Austin. Graduation with University honors is based on the average of all grades earned in courses taken in residence at the University, whether the courses were passed, failed, or repeated. Courses taken pass/fail are counted in the sixty-hour minimum, but only letter grades (including Fs in pass/fail courses) are used to determine the grade point average.

The grade point averages established for May graduates are applied to the following August and December classes to determine honors, high honors, and highest honors.

Honors Rank: top 20%
High Honors Rank: top 10%
Highest Honors Rank: top 4%

Honors Day

Each spring, UT Austin recognizes outstanding undergraduates as College Scholars and Distinguished College Scholars during Honors Day. These designations are based on registration status, coursework completed in residence, and in-residence GPA, as outlined below.

College Scholar Criteria
 To qualify as a College Scholar, students must:

  • Be currently enrolled as an undergraduate (not in-absentia or holding a bachelor’s degree)
  • Have completed at least 30 semester hours in residence at UT Austin and 60 total college credit hours (including transfers and test credit)
  • Rank in the top 20% of their class within their college or school, based on in-residence GPA
  • Hold an in-residence GPA of 3.50 or higher

Distinguished College Scholar Criteria
 Students qualify as Distinguished College Scholars if they meet the College Scholar requirements above and:

  • Either have the highest in-residence GPA in their class within their college or school
  • Or rank in the top 4% of their class within their college or school

Ineligibility
 Students are not eligible for recognition if, within the last two years, they received final sanctions for academic misconduct or serious non-academic misconduct (probation or higher), per University rules.

How Recognition Is Determined
 Eligibility is determined by the Office of the Registrar as of 5 p.m. on the 20th class day of the spring semester. Qualified students are formally invited to the Honors Day convocation.