Honors

The Arts and Architecture Honors Program (AAHP) furthers the CoA+A’s goals of providing creative leadership for UNC Charlotte and greater Charlotte communities by encouraging and developing the full potential of our outstanding students. Through the AAHP, students take an active and engaged role in their own education within an interdisciplinary learning environment built on the shared nature of the built, visual, and performing arts. Within the AAHP, students not only explore connections between the various artistic disciplines but also between the arts and the community.

With the founding of the College, an AAHP was established to provide an enriched academic and extracurricular experience for its most exceptional, talented, and self-motivated undergraduate students. The AAHP is one of the first initiatives to formally bring students together from all units of the College in both coursework and extracurricular activities. Current students in any major in the CoA+A as well as incoming freshman and transfer students who have declared a major within the CoA+A are encouraged to apply. See below for details.


PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Small Class Size

Enrollment in all honors courses is limited to 15 students to promote discussion and interaction between students and faculty, and among the students themselves. Honors courses are open to participants within the various departmental, college, and university-level honors programs.

Focused Advising

AAHP students are encouraged to use the AAHP Coordinator as well as the faculty representative to the Arts and Architecture Honors Council from their department as an informal advisor familiar both with the curricular requirements of their major as well as with those of the AAHP.

Honors Housing

As part of the wider honors community at UNC Charlotte, AAHP students are eligible to live in the honors residence hall. Currently, Levine Hall, one of the finest on campus, is reserved for honors students from across the University.

Research/Travel Grants

Research grants are awarded to final-year students for materials needed to complete their honors thesis. Additionally, the AAHP offers two exclusive grants to help cover tuition for a CoA+A international summer program.


HONORS PROGRAM FACULTY

Headshot of Kaus Sarkar, against a wooden stage
KAUSTAVI SARKARAssociate Professor of Dance, AAHP Director
Headshot of Jim Frakes against a green gallery wall
JIM FRAKESProfessor of Art History
Headshot of James Grymes against a blue background
JAMES A. GRYMESProfessor of Musicology
Headshot of Jae Emerling in Robinson Hall
JAE EMERLINGProfessor of Art History
Headshot of Mark Pizzato in Robinson Hall
MARK PIZZATOProfessor of Theatre and Film

AAHP APPLICATION PROCESS

Visit the Honors College website for information about how to apply. We are now accepting applications for Fall. We recommend that you apply as early as possible in the application cycle so that your application will be complete prior to the November 1 priority deadline for applying to UNC Charlotte. You must meet that deadline in order to apply for the December 1 early action deadline for the “Honors College Application.”

Continuing UNC Charlotte students who are applying for spring entry need to apply by this date as well. You may also apply in the spring: February 1 is the regular decision deadline for applying to UNC Charlotte; March 1 is the regular decision deadline for the “Honors College Application.” Students who have already completed more than 30 credits are encouraged to discuss the feasibility of completing the program’s curricular requirements with the program director before they apply. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of May. Apply through the NinerScholars Portal (Honors College application).

To be eligible to apply for the Arts + Architecture Honors Program, students must:

  1. have declared a major in one of the five units of the CoA+A
  2. have a minimum overall GPA of 3.

If you are a current AAHP student, keep track of your fulfilled AAHP requirements: AAHP Tracking Form. Submit a thesis proposal to the University Honors Council for approval, here.


For more information about the AAHP, please contact the Director of the Arts + Architecture Honors Program, Dr. Kaustavi Sarkar