Urban Education: (Re) Defined

The University Honors Program centrally engages Portland State's motto, "Let Knowledge Serve the City." University Honors builds on Portland State’s institutional commitment to community engagement, internationalization, and its location in downtown Portland.

Oregon's Only Urban Honors Program

"Urban Honors" introduces students to critical skills in reading, writing and research through the lens of the urban environment.  The program serves high-achieving, academically-motivated students by providing an engaged and challenging educational experience using the city of Portland as a laboratory for sustainable, urban living. We provide a strong liberal arts experience emphasizing problem solving and interdisciplinary collaboration. Our core curriculum is appropriate for students in majors from English to Engineering. We use the urban landscape as a tool for professional and scholarly development.

The Honors Program attracts top-tier students from Oregon and from out-of-state, students who are eager to be a part of the Portland experience. Students have the opportunity to work one-on-one with faculty on applied research projects, to network through internships and to take advantage of the resources of a large urban institution in the space of an intimate program. Students who participate in this unique and challenging curricular experience will graduate with University Honors in their chosen field. First-generation college students and students of diverse backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply to the program.