Program Requirements

Prior to graduation, honors students complete the following requirements:

1.0 Foundation Year seminars: 7 credits

                          Honors First-Year Seminar 4 credits

                          Honors Writing for College 3 credits

1.1 Selection of one of the four Honors Seminars: 3 credits

                           Honors Seminar in Philosophical & Moral Foundations 3 credits

                           Honors Seminar in Scientific & Quantitative Analysis 3 credits

                           Honors Seminar in Expression & Creativity 3 credits

                           Honors Seminar in Individual & Society 3 credits

1.2 Selection of one of the four Honors Civic & Service Learning Seminars: 3 credits

                           Honors Seminar in Philosophical & Moral Foundations 3 credits

                           Honors Seminar in Scientific & Quantitative Analysis 3 credits

                           Honors Seminar in Expression & Creativity 3 credits

                           Honors Seminar in Individual & Society 3 credits

1.3 Honors-by-Contract requirement: 1 credit

                           Honors-by-Contract 1 credit

1.4 Research requirements: 4 credits

                           Honors Thesis Project 3 credits

                           Honors Senior Seminar 1 credits

Total Credit Requirements: 18 cr

Full Coursework Description

The Honors Program is designed to be sequential. Honors students are encouraged to take Foundation Year courses during their first semester or first year on campus. The two Honors seminars and the Honors-by-Contract course have been designed to be taken during the sophomore and junior years. The Honors Thesis Project and Honors Senior Seminar have been designed to be taken during the senior year.

If you are not required to take Honors Writing for College, in lieu of this 3-credit hour seminar, the Honors student will be required to take an additional Honors seminar. Similarly, if a student enters the program after taking either non-Honors sections of First-Year Seminar, Writing for College or both, they will be required to take an Honor seminar in place of each non-Honors course. In other words, in order to successfully complete the Honors Program, a student must complete 18 credit hours of Honors work.

Once admitted to the Program, a student must maintain a cumulative 3.500 GPA. If a student’s GPA drops below 3.500, the student will be allowed to continue in the Program in a probationary fashion for one semester. If the cumulative GPA continues to fall below the 3.500 requirement after one semester, the student will be dismissed from the Program. There is no reinstatement after an official dismissal from the Honors Program.

In order to remain an Honors Program Student in Good Standing, and maintain all the rights and privileges that the Honors Program affords (including priority registration) you must take at least one Honors course (this includes the Honors-by-Contract) per academic year. The program is designed to allow you to take at least two semesters off (for study abroad, internships, student teaching, an especially heavy major course load, etc.). However, it is important that you show steady progress toward the completion of the Program. If, based on the four-year plan, a student requires special permission to take an academic year off from the Program, they will need permission from the Honors Director.

You can, of course, take two Honors courses in one semester or take more than the required number of Honors seminars. As an Honors student, you have access to these courses at all times. For instance, if you wish to take more Honors seminars than you need to fulfill your Pathway because you find that each semester there are courses that count, you are welcome to do so. We, of course, hope you enjoy your Honors seminar experiences so much you can’t wait to take more!