KINGSTON, R.I. – June 10th, 2026 – The University of Rhode Island Honors Program is preparing to welcome incoming students this fall as the first class to participate in the program’s newly redesigned Honors curriculum, an expanded and more flexible academic experience aimed at supporting student exploration, experiential learning, and interdisciplinary achievement.
Beginning in Fall 2026, all incoming first-year honors students will enter the new 24-credit curriculum, while current honors students will remain in the existing 18-credit curriculum. The redesigned structure introduces new opportunities for students to personalize how they complete honors credits while maintaining a strong academic foundation rooted in research, reflection, exploration and interdisciplinary learning.
This new curriculum includes a 14-credit honors core curriculum featuring an introductory HPR 100-level course, the Honors Colloquium course, an Honors Project, an HPR or Honors section course, and the newly created Honors Learning Journal.
The Honors Learning Journal, a one-credit senior-year course, encourages students to reflect on and document their academic journey throughout their time at URI. Students will compile meaningful coursework, projects, and semester reflections into a portfolio, journal, or digital platform that highlights their growth, achievements, and experiences across their college career.
In addition to the core curriculum, students will complete 10 flexible Honors credits through a variety of academic and experiential opportunities. These options include additional HPR or Honors section courses, Honors Learning Experiences, Honors Contracts, and graduate-level coursework.
Honors Contracts, already available to current honors students, will continue under the new curriculum and expand opportunities for students to earn honors credit in non-honors courses. Through a contract developed in collaboration with a faculty member, students complete approximately 20 additional hours of work designed to explore a course topic in greater depth or broader context.
The new curriculum also formally introduces Honors Learning Experiences, or HLEs, which allow students to receive honors credit for existing credit-bearing experiential opportunities. Eligible experiences may include teaching assistantships, research assistantships, practicums, clinicals, study abroad experiences, internships, fellowship applications, and URI 101 mentorships.
Honors Program Director Karen de Bruin says “We are excited to allow students to chart their own paths in Honors. The new program will allow students to go deeper in their majors, beyond their majors, or bridge their majors and interests to create their own, unique Honors learning journey.”
“The contracts and Honors Learning Experiences are a gamechanger for both the students and the program. These options afford students the flexibility we’ve been looking for. With the additional choices, students can align their academic achievements much more directly with their own passions and ambitions,” Associate Director Karl Aspelund says.
In addition to the curriculum changes, the Honors Program and URI Housing are launching a new honors housing model for first-year students beginning in Fall 2026.
Under the new model, honors students will continue to live within their college-based Living and Learning Communities (LLCs) while also being placed within cohorts of fellow honors students. The initiative is designed to strengthen the Honors community by bringing honors advising, events, and programming directly into the residence halls.
The process will not require a separate application, according to Housing and Residential Life (HRL). Instead, students will be placed during HRL’s standard room assignment process, says Kayla Mosko, Associate Director of HRL.
The Honors Program expects the redesigned curriculum and new housing model to create a more connected and flexible student experience while fostering academic curiosity, collaboration, and engagement across the University community.