ICS Honors Program

Please be sure you have reviewed the program details and eligibility requirements listed below before applying. You are eligible to apply if you complete the following conditions by the end of the spring or summer quarter in the year you apply.

Before you apply:

• Reach out to faculty for the 2 Faculty References requirement
  References must be from the School of ICS
• Draft a one-page statement about yourself and your intellectual achievements, accomplishments and goals (minimum 500 words). You may wish to indicate any research projects (e.g. CS 199, INF 199, or STATS 199) in which you have been actively involved.

Step 1: Submit the ICS Honors Program Application

• Include the names of your 2 faculty references and your personal statement

Deadline for students to submit: Friday, May 22, 2026.
Late submissions will NOT be accepted

Step 2: Send the Faculty References form to your 2 references
Deadline for references to submit: Friday, May 29, 2026.

Decisions will be sent out via email after Spring grades are released. If you are admitted into the program, your decision email will contain an authorization code to enroll in ICS H197 in the Fall.

Please note: Time conflicts will not be approved. Please take into consideration class times for H197s when building your spring schedule.

Can I apply if I am currently enrolled in the required courses?
Yes, but we will check your final grade in those courses at the end of the quarter

Can I replace ICS 31-32 with ICS 32A?
Yes, ICS 32A can be used to replace ICS 31-32 for the admissions requirements.

I have AP credit and/or transfer credit for some of the required courses. Can I use this credit to be eligible for the ICSHP?
Both AP and transfer credit can be used to fulfill the ICSHP application requirements. AP credit will not be factored into your GPA, but transfer credit will be factored.

Who should I ask for a faculty reference?
Faculty references should be professors who know you well and can speak about your work ethic. They can be faculty members who you have worked with in the past or whose course you have done well in. It is also recommended to have a backup in case one of your faculty is unable to serve as a reference.

If I am in the Campuswide Honors Collegium, am I required to submit faculty references?
No, CHC students are not required to submit faculty references.

When will decisions be sent out?
Decisions will be made around mid-July. Please check your UCI email for updates.

Steps to Complete the ICSHP

The requirements to complete the ICS Honors Program are as follows:

1. Take ICS H197 Honors Seminar each quarter
   ICS H197 will be offered for 2 units in the Fall and 1 unit for Winter and Spring
2. Find a Faculty Advisor to oversee your research
   Submit an Initial Plan once you find a faculty advisor and decide on a topic for your research project.
3. Take 2 quarters of Honors Research (H198) with your Faculty Advisor
4. Submit a thesis

Note: There may be other assignments such as check-ins during your participation in the program.

Taking ICS H197 Honors Seminar

What is ICS H197?
ICS H197 provides an opportunity for the Bren School’s undergraduate honors students to learn about the research taking place in the school and to begin to get involved with this research. The main purpose of this course is to help you learn what sort of research is being conducted, and how to get involved in research.

Several types of meetings are planned for this seminar, including the following:

• Overview of the program
• How to start research
• Periodic progress check ins
• Faculty presentations
• Graduate school tips

How can I enroll in ICS H197?
Students admitted into the ICS Honors Program will be emailed an authorization code along with their notice of admission. Enrollment in ICS H197 is mandatory for students admitted to the ICSHP as it is a program requirement.

Please note that ICS H197 is only available to students admitted into the ICS Honors Program.

How many units of ICS H197 should I take?
Admitted students should take 2 units of ICS H197 during the Fall, and 1 unit during the Winter and Spring quarters.

To complete the honors program, you must take at least two consecutive quarters of independent, supervised work (CS H198 or INF H198) with your faculty advisor. You are responsible for making contact with faculty members to discuss their research and for finding a faculty advisor.

Finding a Faculty Advisor
You can watch this video to learn some tips for finding a faculty advisor!

Submitting an Initial Plan
Once you have found a faculty advisor, you will be required to submit an Initial Plan. The Initial Plan allows the ICSHP staff to keep track of your progress and serves as an agreement between you and your advisor. See the “Resources” section below for the Initial Plan form.

How can I enroll in an H198 course?
Once you have found a faculty advisor, please reach out to them for an authorization code. You will enter this code into WebReg to enroll.

Will I get credit for taking H198?
Please check the policy for your major below:

• The following majors can count completion of two CS H198s, INF H198s or STATS H198s as one upper-division elective: BIM, DS, SE
• Informatics majors can count completion of two CS H198s, INF H198s or STATS H198s as two upper-division electives
• Computer Game Science (CGS) majors can count completion of two CS H198s, INF H198s or STATS H198s as one upper-division elective towards the A-C category
• Computer Science (CS) majors can count completion of two CS H198s, INF H198s or STATS H198s as one upper-division elective that double counts as a project course
• Game Design and Interactive Media (GDIM) majors can count completion of two CS H198s, INF H198s or STATS H198s as one open elective course
• Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) majors will need to submit an undergraduate student petition to have their ICSHP completion reviewed for major credit

Approved majors can submit a degreeworks update form (found on our Petitions page) to request credit.

What if I do not find a faculty advisor before the end of Fall?
If you do not find a faculty advisor by the end of Fall, we will give you extra time to find one. Each quarter, you will be required to submit a faculty contact form (see Forms page for instructions) so we can keep track of your progress and find ways in which we can best support you.

The ICS Honors Faculty Advisor is also available to assist you with finding a faculty advisor.

Thesis requirements and structure

At the end of your second quarter of independent study with your faculty advisor, you should prepare a paper describing the project and the results. The format for your thesis may vary depending on your project, but you can find a sample format on the Campuswide Honors Collegium website.

You can also find examples of previous ICSHP theses on our Sample Thesis Database.

NOTE: Students in the Campus Honors Collegium (CHC) should keep in contact with CHC counselors about requirements for completion, as they may differ from ICSHP requirements.

How to Submit Your Thesis

Once you have completed your thesis, you will need to submit it to the ICS Undergraduate Student Affairs Office along with the Final Project Form.

Here are the steps to submit your Final Project Form:

• Step 1: Download the Final Project Form on our website and fill out the student portion.
• Step 2: Have your Faculty Advisor electronically sign the Final Project Form.
  Note: You don’t need to worry about the Honors Program Advisor signature. We will reach out to them on your behalf.
• Step 3: Once the form is completed, please submit it through the Final Project Form Submission Google Form along with your thesis.

Deadline: The normal submission deadline is June 30. If you need more time to complete the paperwork, please make arrangements with the ICS UGSAO office well in advance.

After You Submit Your Thesis

After you submit your thesis, we will forward it to the ICS Honors Program Advisor for review. We will contact you once we receive an update. Please note that this process may take a few weeks.

Once the paper is approved by your faculty advisor and the form is signed by both the faculty and the program advisors, you are considered to have successfully completed the ICSHP. If you have any questions about this process, don’t hesitate to discuss them with the program advisor or a UGSAO staff member.

How can I request major credit for my 2 H198 courses?

Computer Science and Engineering students will need to submit an undergraduate student petition to have their ICSHP completion reviewed for major requirements. In your petition, please include a summary of your research project for review.

All other ICS majors can submit a degreeworks update form found on our petitions page.

ICSHP & Graduation

Completion of the ICS Honors Program will be noted on students’ official transcripts. We will send a list of graduating seniors to the Registrar at the end of each quarter.

Students will also be given a cord to wear at the commencement ceremony. Instructions for pick up will be provided via email to graduating seniors.

Initial Plan for the Honors Project

Students need to submit an Initial Plan once they have found a Faculty Advisor.

Here are the steps to submit your Initial Plan:

• Step 1: Download the Initial Plan Form and fill out the student portion.
• Step 2: Have your Faculty Advisor electronically sign the Initial Plan Form.
• Step 3: Once the form is completed, please submit it through the Initial Plan Submission Google Form.

Final Project Form & Thesis

Once you have completed your thesis, you will need to submit it to the ICS Undergraduate Student Affairs Office along with the Final Project Form.

Here are the steps to submit your Final Project Form:

• Step 1: Download the Final Project Form on our website and fill out the student portion.
• Step 2: Have your Faculty Advisor electronically sign the Final Project Form.
  Note: You don’t need to worry about the Honors Program Advisor signature. We will reach out to them on your behalf.
• Step 3: Once the form is completed, please submit it through the Final Project Form Submission Google Form along with your thesis.

Once you have submitted your thesis, we will forward it to the ICS Honors Program Advisor for review. We will contact you once we have received an update. Please note that this process may take a few weeks.

View thesis samples from past Honors Program cohorts.

Division of Career Pathways
The Division of Career Pathways offers many resources on their website in addition to graduate school fairs and drop-in sessions/appointments with their Career Counselors. To schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor, please log in to your Handshake account and click on Appointments under Career Center.

Graduate & Postdoctoral Scholar Resource Center
The Graduate & Postdoctoral Scholar Resource Center holds weekly 20 minute appointments to address undergraduate questions about graduate school. This support includes exploring graduate school options, navigating the application process, understanding funding options, and building research experience. Schedule your appointment through the GPSRC website.

UCI Resources for applying to the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

Student Outreach and Retention Center (SOAR) Graduate Access Preparation Program (GAPP)
The SOAR Graduate Access Preparation program (GAPP) is focused on demystifying the graduate school process for historically underrepresented, undocumented, low-income, and other underserved populations to increase enrollment, retention, and graduation rates in graduate programs. To learn more about this program, please visit the SOAR website.

Are you interested in applying to a graduate program at UCI?
To get more information about ICS graduate programs, please visit our website and contact the appropriate counselor for the program you are interested in.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) assists undergraduate students from ANY academic discipline to find research and creative on-campus opportunities with UCI faculty, or off-campus opportunities with industrial partners, national labs, and other universities. They also provide grants to support UCI faculty-mentored undergraduate research projects and creative activities during the academic year and summer.

Campuswide Honors Collegium
The Campuswide Honors Collegium is a community of motivated learners dedicated to scholastic excellence and personal growth that is supported by the resources of a major research university. The unique opportunities provided by the Campuswide Honors Collegium for students to learn and engage with other talented and motivated students and with faculty in a supportive, learning community help students get the most out of their education and achieve ambitious goals.

Studying and Doing Research Abroad
Participating in research abroad is another possibility for undergraduate students. Please reach out to the UCI Study Abroad Center to learn more about these programs. You can also see ICS Study Abroad policies on our website.