The Mark Stephen Cosby Honors College

Reach the Next Level

Choose from a wide variety of innovative courses only offered in Honors, take advantage of unique leadership and research options, and become part of a vibrant community. Our goal? To create opportunities that will help you develop intellectually, personally, and professionally.

Click below to read about our next slate of honors courses, and follow the journeys, successes, and big dreams of some of our honors students.

A Different Kind of Learning

The Cosby Honors College takes pride in its small, interdisciplinary, discussion-based courses. When our highly motivated students from different backgrounds and majors share perspectives and work together, that’s where the Honors magic happens. Our courses are not harder—instead, they offer a different kind of learning. 

We offer over 30 courses per semester that are open only to Honors students. These courses include Honors colloquia—interdisciplinary classes on special topics, designed for Honors students—as well as Honors sections of introductory courses that are required in many majors. Honors students can also earn Honors credit for a variety of other high-impact experiences, including study abroad, research, and leadership.

With 95% of Honors students graduating in four years or less, Honors will help you get the most out of your education without extending time to graduation. In fact, Honors priority registration helps some of our students graduate early. Nearly all of our courses count toward the university's General Education framework, and some courses also count toward major or minor requirements. 

There's no better way to learn about Honors than to check out this semester's Honors course descriptions!

First-Year Experience in Honors

In the Cosby Honors College, you'll find a community of faculty, staff, and students who will challenge and support you to aim high and learn everything you can. We host a student leadership organization called Honors Student Council and a community hub in the Honors Commons in McIntyre Library. Almost every week, there's an Honors event where you can meet other students—social gatherings, meals with professors, community service projects, information sessions, special events, relaxation walks, and off-campus activities. Our weekly newsletter, the Honors Headline, will keep you updated about all of this and more.

Honors LLC

Housed in Bridgman Hall, the Honors LLC is led by a team of experienced Honors student RAs. The LLC serves as the center for the social life of Honors, combining the Honors mindset with a supportive community. We host movie nights, parties, game nights, outings, community dinners—just about everything. We’d like this to be a place that you can call home.

Catalyst

New honors students are also eligible to participate in Catalyst, a free weeklong summer program for all incoming honors students. A week before classes begin, from Aug. 23 - 27, 2027, new honors students are invited to move in early, meet student mentors, learn from honors faculty, hold academic discussions, explore campus, and participate in community-led projects. It's a week for all incoming honors students to get a head start: to find new friends, cultivate new curiosities, participate in their new Eau Claire community, and chart new paths to academic and personal growth.