Honors Contracts
Many students in the Honors Program choose to do an honors contract, an agreement to carry out an independent study project designed in consultation with the instructor, in any course they choose. Students enjoy this option because it allows them to individualize virtually any course and become better acquainted with UMKC faculty members. If you complete an honors contract in a particular class, you cannot obtain more honors credit for the class through an Honors Discussion Group.
How to contract for Honors credit
- Think of a project you want to do for a course you are enrolled in.
- This project should extend and supplement the learning goals of the course. For example, you may wish to write a paper, carry out research, conduct an experiment, make an oral presentation, engage in a community service project or organize a tutorial group.
- Any undergraduate course at UMKC in which you are currently enrolled for a letter grade may serve as the basis of an Honors Contract, subject to the approval of the faculty member teaching the course. Physical Education courses are ineligible for honors contracts.
- Approach the professor (PDF) with your idea and discuss the added work to be completed under the Honors Contract.
- Fill out the Honors Contract form via Kuali Forms. After completing your portion, the digital form will get routed to your professor for their digital signature. Once both the student and professor sections are completed, the digital form is routed to the Honors Office Team for processing!
- Contracts are due within the first four weeks of the semester. The Spring 2026 deadline for contract submissions are as follows:
- All full-semester courses and first 8-week session courses - Contracts due Friday February 13th, 2026 at 11:59PM
- 2nd 8-week session - Contracts due Friday, April 10th, 2026 at 11:59PM.
The Honors Program is in the process of going digital! For the Spring 2026 semester, we will accept Contracts submitted digitally, through Kuali, as well as the previous method of PDFs delivered via email. Starting in Summer 2026, Kuali forms will be the only form of submission accepted. If you have questions about this process, please email honors@umkc.edu.
Honors Contract Completion Forms
- When you have completed the work needed to fulfill the Honors Contract, fill out the digital completion form, via Kuali Forms . Once completed, the form will route to your professor for their signature, and then is routed to the Honors office team for processing!
- Completion forms are due no later than the Tuesday following final exam week. The Spring 2026 deadline for completion form submissions is Tuesday, May 19th 2026, 11:59PM
- The Honors Program is in the process of going digital! For the Spring 2026 semester, we will accept Completion Forms submitted digitally, through Kuali, as well as the previous method of PDFs delivered via email. Starting in Summer 2026, Kuali forms will be the only form of submission accepted. If you have questions about this process, please email honors@umkc.edu.
- Summer Honors contracts are due the first Tuesday in August.
- A course grade of B or higher is needed for honors credit to be awarded.
- If the student requests an extension of the deadline, they must email the Honors Director with the said request before the end of the semester.