Honours Certificate

The Honours Certificate is a Utrecht University document, which you can receive next to your University College Utrecht Bachelor’s diploma. The requirements differ per programme, faculty or university.

The requirements at University College Utrecht are:

  • A minimum final GPA of 3.6 (no rounding up).

  • No history of social or academic probation.

  • Graduating with 200 EC or more (that is at least 20 extra on top of the 180EC necessary to graduate)

  • As many Curriculum Enrichment options as needed to reach 15EC. For example, the Student-led Honours Seminar (INTHON32) and Creating Societal impact (USG 4541).

    • What counts as a Curriculum Enrichment option? Any course yielding academic credits—either listed on our website or that you took at UCU, UU, on exchange or elsewhere— that pushed out of your comfort zone, for instance by requiring you to develop as an interdisciplinary thinker, as a leader, as a member of a team, as a bridge between academia and society, or as a highly independent researcher.

    • How do I make a course count as a Curriculum Enrichment option? By writing a paragraph in your Academic Reflection (see below) about each Curriculum Enrichment option [mention: course name + ECs for each course] for a total of 15EC: explain how each of these courses pushed you out your comfort zone —e.g., by its multi or interdisciplinary character, by pushing you out of your main discipline(s)—, and contributed to make you become the person you are now —e.g. by requiring you to develop leadership, teamwork, or a high degree of independence.

When to apply

Only applications of students who have already graduated will be accepted. Do not apply before all your grades are in. If you are still finishing a thesis or an internship, please wait until that has been completed and graded.

Applications will be accepted after the winter or summer term after your graduation. The deadlines for these rounds are 1 March (for Fall and Winter graduates) and 1 October (for Spring/Summer graduates). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

How to apply

Collate the following documents in a single PDF document:

  • A transcript listing all of your courses and grades. 
  • Write an Academic Reflection on how you have lived out the Liberal Arts and Sciences vision (limit: 750 words). Tell about the relation between your tracks, your minor, and your curriculum enrichment options. For example, explain how progressing in one of your tracks has helped you become a better student in another track. Or explain how a curriculum enrichment course has opened your eyes to areas of studies or methodologies you were not acquainted with before. Please notice that it is compulsory to write a paragraph about each Curriculum enrichment option (see above)
  • Fill in the Table of Achievements (download).(See an example for filling in the table.)
    • “ECTS breadth”: ECTS completed outside of your department and Language and Culture requirement; either part of a minor or not; if you are an interdepartmental major, mention it;
    • "Exchange or other international experience": exchange – mention GPA needed for your exchange destination; UCU East Africa, Aruba programme or international internships; other kinds of active international experience (not a holiday) that have formed you.
    • “Further activities”: Anything else worth mentioning, such as successful engagement (awards, prizes, public performances) in sport, art, music or other kind of activity requiring dedication, discipline, perseverance and practice.

Send the PDF document to the Honours Director: ucu.honoursdirector@uu.nl.