Honours Programme

Application and selection for the Honours Programme is done in two steps. If you are applying for honours, you first apply for the Orientation Course. This course consists of four evenings in period 5. During the Orientation Course you will find out whether the Honours Programme suits you and whether you want to join the Honours Programme in your second and third year of your BSc degree. The Honours Programme begins with a mandatory kick-off week on Texel. 

During the Honours Impact Project, students produce in interdisciplinary teams of 5-7 students a self-defined product under a theme related to the mission of Wageningen University. The themes are brought forward by an expert supervisor. The project runs throughout BSc2 and BSc3. Students should demonstrate their competences to define, persist and finish a long term, self-managed group project and integrate their disciplinary knowledge in a challenging, multidisciplinary research project with a final product that contributes to science and society. 

During the Art of Living sessions, students are encouraged to learn more about themselves, always in relation to their environment. This creates a community where students can learn from each other, dare to make mistakes, and receive professional feedback that supports their personal growth. Furthermore, students can choose from several creative and professional workshops.

The leadership track offers masterclasses and various assignments. In addition, students spend a day shadowing a leader of their choice. During this fieldwork, various questions can be explored, such as: How and why do different situations require different leadership styles? What is authentic leadership? Can anyone be a leader? What can we learn from past successes and failures? 

Deep Dive Assignment are carried out in the students’ own field of study. Students can approach a coordinator of a course they want to learn more about and agree upon an extra assignment to carry out. The extra assignment in the course can come in many shapes. The challenge is contained in the novelty: supervisor and student get off the beaten track and may have to deal with obstacles that were not foreseen when the assignment was defined. This allows the student to deal with imponderables and the teacher to explore new avenues in teaching. Often a deep dive assignment leads to educational innovations. 

During the first weeks of the academic year, there are information sessions, and students can apply for the Honours Programme. Selected students begin the Honours Programme with a mandatory kick-off weekend at the end of September.  

During the Honours Impact Project, students produce in interdisciplinary teams of 6 -8 students a self-defined product under a theme related to the life sciences research themes from WUR and supervised by scientists from both Wageningen University and Wageningen Research. This gives students the opportunity to look behind the scenes of research that take place at Wageningen University and their research institutes, and to contribute to academic and societal impact. The set-up of the HIP is such that students have substantial room to make their own choices regarding how to shape their learning experience. This forces students to make choices, take responsibility, and explore their strengths, weaknesses, and ambitions. 

The Art of Living and the Leadership Labs prepare students for personal and professional leadership in a complex and diverse society that is affected by changes, challenges, and wicked problems. The focus is on ‘how do I want to live’, ‘what are my values’ and ‘what inspires me’? As a student here and now, as a professional in the future and also as a resident in this world. To strengthen the capabilities of honours students, students learn how to create personal and professional value and how to make impact in science and in society. 

The Strategic Agenda of Wageningen University states: “our ambition is to increase our contribution to finding and realising solutions for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations within the Wageningen domain: contributing to ending hunger, ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture, climate change mitigation, protection of biodiversity and sustainable use of ecosystems on land and at sea.”

Students and the honours team jointly define issues that can contribute to support the Sustainable Development Goals. To this end, guest speakers are invited, excursions will be organized, and collaboration takes place with relevant expert and societal organizations.