91´ÎÔª

The Davidson Honors College is a interdisciplinary college within the 91´ÎÔª. We provide motivated students pursuing any major at UM with personalized opportunities to make the most of their undergraduate studies. Students complete the integrated honors curriculum on their way toward graduating with University Scholar distinction.

The Davidson Honors College is open to students of any major and provides special opportunities for students to enhance their learning and leadership skills within and outside the classroom. We are distinguished by our commitment to academic innovation, professional development, and our welcoming community.

We prepare thoughtful, informed, agile and impactful citizens. Our students are thinkers, doers, explorers, creators, servants, leaders, and agents of positive change. Through curricular and co-curricular experiences, they are equipped with new ways of knowing, seeing, doing and being in the world.

Through their experience in the DHC, they build capacity for:

• Collection, analysis, and synthesis of information;
• Excellence in oral, written, interpersonal and digital communication;
• Independent and collaborative work, problem-solving and community engagement;
• Learning and reflection about their own and others’ experiences;
• Ethical, original, creative, and critical thought and action;
• A meaningful life and future personal and professional success.

Honors students benefit from a passionate team of faculty and staff who provide holistic support for their university experience. This includes dedicated honors academic, career and scholarship advising, community engagement opportunities, research mentorship and priority registration.

In addition to world-class academics, your experience will include experiential learning through internships, service learning, undergraduate research and creative scholarship, and opportunities to travel nationally and internationally. And while DHC students are involved across campus and throughout the community, they are also active in the Honors Student Association, DHC Ambassadors, Dean’s Student Advisory Council, the Living Learning Community, and regional and national honors organizations. UM honors traditions include a fall float trip, weekly Friday morning hikes, monthly tea times, open mic nights, medallion ceremonies on the eve of Commencement each semester, and an annual Evening of Excellence.

As a current student in the Davidson Honors College, you will have tremendous opportunities for academic, personal, and professional development. You’ll also be part of a vibrant, interdisciplinary community of students, faculty and staff with diverse interests and aspirations, and who represent virtually every academic major at the 91´ÎÔª.

As a High-School Student, you can participate in a week-and-a-half pre-college program hosted by the Davidson Honors College. Learn more about the Schwanke Honors Institute here.

As an Incoming Freshman, you can kick off your college experience with other motivated, talented and passionate students.

As a Transfer Student, you can join the DHC when you make your transition to the 91´ÎÔª. It is imperative that you visit with an Honors Advisor to ensure you have enough time allotted at UM to fit honors requirements into your academic plan.

As a Current UM Student, you can join the DHC part-way through your UM education. Similar to transfer students, it is very important that you visit with an honors advisor to ensure that honors will fit into your UM academic trajectory.

Please work with to schedule a visit to the beautiful UM campus. If you indicate an interest in honors, the staff in the Admissions Office will ensure that you have an opportunity to meet with a representative from the Davidson Honors College during your visit.

We also work with the UM Admissions Office for their broader and we host Honors Visit Day each spring.

There are additional requirements involved with participation in the UM honors experience, but the extra work involved in participation in the Davidson Honors College is worth the effort! On average, our students take one honors course a semester or two a year. If your timeline to graduation is condensed, it may require more courses per semester.

A Davidson Honors College education will ask you to challenge yourself in a number of ways: intellectually, personally, pre-professionally, and as a member of our broader society. Students in the Davidson Honors College are hard-working, ambitious, curious and dedicated. 

Students must complete a minimum of eight honors experiences (about 21 credits). Students who graduate from the Davidson Honors College earn “University Scholar" distinction after working their way through a series of requirements that entail specific coursework, honors electives, experiential opportunities, and a culminating honors capstone project. 

Honors courses are generally smaller, capped at 20 talented and motivated students, representing majors from across campus. Honors courses emphasize critical thinking, problem solving, oral, written, and digital communication, research and community engagement. Honors courses are fun and include lively discussion and exchange between and among students and faculty. Honors courses aren’t just about ‘learning more stuff’ or ‘extra work’ but rather, they present opportunities for meaning making and opportunities for deeper dives into the subject matter and its applications for academic, personal, and professional success.

Several DHC staff members provide honors advising through 1:1 advising meetings, group advising sessions, and regular workshop series. DHC students also receive academic advising from primary advisors in their academic areas of interest (e.g., major, minor, etc.). Honors advisors typically meet with students annually about honors requirements, registration, experiential opportunities, degree composition, career development, and general mentorship.

The DHC curriculum and requirements are designed to complement any major, minor, and certificate at UM. Indeed, honors students represent almost every degree program at the 91´ÎÔª. With assistance from honors and departmental advisors, DHC students develop and hone their academic plans to incorporate honors requirements and opportunities into their degree plans.

Yes, we have several opportunities for career development in the DHC. In fact, we have a dedicated advisor for career development for 1:1 and small group advising, courses geared toward career development, as well as a robust network of alumni to support students in achieving their goals after graduation. Check out the Career Development Program page for more information.

Once you have  you can access the  on your admitted student checklist.

College transfer students and currently enrolled students at the 91´ÎÔª with a record of strong academic performance are likewise welcome to apply. Please see the respective pages for more information.

Students are typically notified of their admission to the DHC via email within two weeks of submitting a complete application. Applications received by 11:59 PM MST on December 1 will be considered for honors scholarships. Feel free to contact the DHC if you have questions about your application, honors at UM, or would like to schedule a visit to our beautiful Missoula campus. Thank you for your interest. Good luck and Go Griz! 

Although we consider academic performance and potential, we conduct holistic reviews of applications to the DHC and encourage all interested and motivated students to apply. A strong application represents the student’s abilities, interests, and character in distinctive and compelling ways. Students should articulate their aspirations and how these fit with UM and the DHC. Strong applications tend to every element of the application (short answer responses, essay, etc.). Optional materials (such as the letter of recommendation) are encouraged. Transcripts should reflect students’ academic prowess and ambitions. A few red flags: typographical errors, redundant responses, and one-paragraph, re-purposed essays. Applicants should resist the temptation to tell reviewers ‘what they want to hear’ and rather let their unique personalities shine through.

Applications for the following year open July 1. Applications are accepted year-round; however, students are encouraged to apply in the fall (before the first Friday in December) to be considered for incoming student scholarships.

We offer a limited number of renewable, merit-based scholarships to incoming first-year students. To be considered for these scholarships, students must apply to the DHC before the first Friday in December. To learn more, visit our Incoming Students Scholarships page. 

For currently enrolled students in the honors college, we have an application for annual scholarships to support student experiences. To learn more about scholarship offerings for current students, check out our DHC Scholarship Information page.

There are NO additional costs or tuition fees to be a student in the DHC. There is also no application fee to apply to the DHC. Please visit the UM Undergraduate Cost of Attendance page for more information.

The DHC does indeed have honors-specific housing within the University’s residence halls. Situated in the renovated Knowles Hall (as of Fall 2023), the Honors Living Learning Community (LLC) is a community shared by honors freshmen with resident assistants who are fellow honors students. It’s a great way to build lasting friendships within your new cohort. Knowles Hall is also centrally located on campus and closest to the Lodge Dining Facility, making it an optimal place to live. 

Students in Honors represent every corner of the University. There are numerous students who are double majors or have additional minors added to their degree. There are also many Honors students who are athletes in track/cross country, golf, soccer, dance/cheer, and more. Nearly all Honors students are involved in student groups and often seek volunteer opportunities and leadership positions within the UM and Missoula. The DHC also helps students study abroad by offering resources, scholarships, and promoting faculty-led summer abroad programs.

There are myriad ways to get involved in the DHC community! As an incoming freshman, one very popular way is to live in the Honors Living Learning Community. It’s a great way to be introduced to the community and begin building long-lasting friendships. There are many more ways to get involved to through service projects, assisting with recruitment, outreach, and correspondence with visiting students, and assisting professors with their classes by engaging with students. Additionally, the DHC has many fun social traditions to welcome new students, celebrate students’ successes and talents, and to simply share a donut or a cup of tea with a friend.

Visit our Traditions and Opportunities page to learn more about ways to get involved in the DHC community and participate in DHC traditions!