Advising Information

The purpose of this document is to put some of the essential information you will need to successfully complete the Honors program into a single, easily accessible place. Because of your unique talents and resulting involvement in the Honors program, double majors, minors, study abroad, etc., you may have questions about specific situations that are not answered here.  Feel free to contact the Honors Program director, Dr. Richard White, either by e-mail, by phone at 5994 or 2017, or in person at ASC 157 or Quad 451.

Requirements for participation

1. To be invited into the program as an incoming student, you must have scored a 30 or higher composite on the ACT and have a GPA of 3.8 (out of 4) or higher in high school.
2. If you would like to participate but didn’t meet the criteria or initially declined the invitation, you may ask one of your faculty members (usually your symposium professor) to nominate you for a place in the program. A letter stating why you are a good candidate for the Honors program is sufficient. Send this, along with your request, to the Honors Program director who will make a decision on your participation.
3. You may not begin the program after the sophomore year.
4. Although associated with the Honors Program, the Honors Thesis is actually separate from Honors. Many students who complete the Honors Thesis are part of the Honors Program, but each year about ¼ of the students doing an Honors thesis are not part of the program. If you would like to know more about the Honors Thesis, please visit the Thesis web site or contact Dr. Richard White.
5. First-year Honors students need to achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 by the end of their first year to remain in the program. Sophomores must achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 each semester to remain in good standing. Juniors and seniors must maintain a 3.4 cumulative GPA to remain in good standing.

Graduation Requirements

1. If you began the program as a first-year student and do not study abroad:
   To graduate with All College Honors you must have at least 32 credits in honors courses. Of the 32, at least 12 must be in 300 level or higher courses.
2. If you began as a second year student or participate in a study abroad program:
   To graduate with All College Honors you must have at least 28 credits in Honors courses. Of the 28, at least 8 must be in 300 level or higher courses.
3. Thesis Option:
   The requirements are as outlined above, however, one of the upper division courses can be replaced by Honr 398, Senior Thesis. Enrollment in Honr 396, Thesis Proposal, for either 0 or 1 credit is also required as part of participation in the Senior Thesis. Successful completion of the thesis will result in the annotation of All College Honors with Thesis (grade of AB or B) or All College Honors with Departmental Distinction (grade of A or H) on both your transcript and Commencement Program.

Course Requirements

You may complete the credit requirements for the program in many different ways:

1. Disciplinary Core courses:
   These courses fulfill Core Curriculum requirements in Fine Arts, Math, Humanities, Social Sciences, the Natural Sciences, First-Year Symposium, and Senior Seminar. At registration you will find these courses under the Honors section. Descriptions of the courses vary and are in the New Course Description section of the schedule.
2. Honors Reading Groups, Individual Learning Projects, and Honors Options:
   These courses are offered at the request of students. Instructions for creation of these courses are available under Honors Opportunities. Generally, a student (or group of students) would approach a faculty member with a topic they would like to pursue. The faculty member and students agree on content and requirements for the study. The appropriate forms are submitted to the Honors Program director for action. The number of Honors Option courses is normally limited to two.
3. Senior Thesis:
   The Senior thesis is a chance for you to work in a one-on-one relationship with a faculty member to develop a scholarly or creative project. Honors 396, Thesis Proposal, will guide you through the development of an idea and plan to accomplish the project. For more information please visit the Senior Thesis web site or contact Dr. Richard White.