2026-2027 Departmental Honors Program Details & Application

The UCLA Department of English Honors program involves either an academic research project or a creative writing project (e.g. a novella, selection of short fiction, poetry collection, graphic novel, etc.)

Please note that students pursuing a creative project are expected to complete a specific set of creative writing workshops prior to beginning their theses (see below for details.)

Requirements

  • The Honors program is open to English and American Literature and Culture majors with at least a 3.5 grade point average in upper division coursework for the major and a 3.25 overall grade point average at UCLA.
  • All Honors students are required to take at least one critical theory course (English 120-128) no later than the current spring 2026 term.
  • Creative Writing honors students must complete two workshops in the same genre no later than the spring 2026 term. The workshops must fall into the category of poetry (136A/B) or prose (137A/B,) and the second workshop must be an Advanced workshop (136B or 137B.)
  • Note: Any students who do not yet meet the critical theory course requirement or GPA threshold are encouraged to apply to the program and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the program director.

Timeline for Application

  • Submit Honors Application by May 1, 2026 via the webform below.
  • Be prepared to upload a copy of (1) your proposed thesis project application narrative and (2) a current pdf of your default Degree Audit Report that includes winter 2026 grades
    • Your ~500-word application narrative should:
      • Introduce yourself and describe why you are applying to the Honors program
      • Include core ideas, themes, and/or potential works for your project
      • Mention relevant coursework, broadly construed
    • The submission form includes instructions on how to obtain a PDF of your Degree Audit Report. Please be sure to run an audit for your Current Program and not for a Modelled Program.
  • Applicants must also submit a writing sample (~5 pages) from an upper-division course in the major.
    • Your writing sample should match the thesis track you are applying to, e.g. an academic paper for critical research projects or a creative piece for creative writing projects.
    • No need for revisions. You may attach any previous seminar-style paper (critical) or writing sample (creative) that you would like to share to give a sense of your writing (whole or an excerpt.)
  • Be prepared to provide a shortlist of three possible faculty mentors in your field.
    • See faculty listings on the departmental website for interests, or consider listing any faculty member you’ve had a good experience with in the past so that the honors program can best support you in establishing a thesis advisor.
  • During spring 2026, read at least one Highest Honors thesis (past theses here)
  • If you were unable to attend our honors info session in April, please view the recording and slides here prior to submitting your application.
  • Acceptance notifications and 191H assignments for students admitted to the program will arrive in early June.

Honors Course of Study

  • Fall 2026: 191H
    • The department will enroll students admitted to the program in English 191H for spring 2026; students may not enroll themselves.
    • When selecting other Fall courses, departmental honors applicants should plan for English 191H to take place on:
      • Tuesdays, 3 pm – 5:50 pm for critical research projects.
      • Wednesdays, 12 noon – 2:50 pm for creative writing projects.
    • For students pursuing an academic research project, this course will be a research practicum designed to train them in archival, library, and Internet research skills, as well as apprise them of current methodological and theoretical issues in the field of literary studies.
    • For students pursuing a creative research project, this course will be a seminar to help them better understand the writing process (especially their own process), train them in library skills for creative writers, and help them situate their writing in the contemporary literary landscape.
    • Course requirements, Academic: a thesis proposal, short essays and oral presentations, a final 10-page paper related to the student’s research interests, and an annotated bibliography
    • Course requirements, Creative: a thesis proposal, weekly writings in the student’s genre, short essays, an annotated bibliography, and a book review.
    • Please note: English 191H qualifies for English major Elective credit. It DOES NOT qualify for senior seminar credit, and departmental honors students should plan to complete a senior seminar that is separate from the departmental honors curriculum.
  • Fall 2026 and Winter 2027: 198A and B
    • All Honors students write a thesis under the direction of a thesis advisor (198A and 198B) in the fall 2026 and winter 2027 terms.
    • You will select an advisor by the end of Spring 2026, with the help of the honors program director.

Please direct question to the English Undergraduate Advising Office or contact the program director, Professor Danny Snelson, at dsnelson@humnet.ucla.edu.

Submit your 2026-2027 Department Honors Application!