Information for Students
Detailed information about the expectations and requirements for members of the Honors College are contained in the Student Handbooks. All of the forms used by the college are gathered on the forms page. Below you will find some quick links to specific student resources.
Honors Academic Credit
Honors credit can be earned in two ways:
- Each fall and winter semester the Honors College offers a schedule of Honors Sections. These courses are restricted to members of the Honors College. To earn honors credit in an honors section, students must receive a grade of B- or better.
- Students pursuing departmental honors and those who would like to do honors work in courses that are not offered in honors sections can negotiate an Honors Contract with a faculty member teaching a regular section. Honors contracts must be submitted to the Honors Office by the deadlines listed on the form. Honors contracts should be designed to take enhance the course material by enabling greater attention to the methodological and theoretical aspects of the subject. Contracts should not simply call for more work. Examples of previous contracts can be found in the student handbook.
Advising
The Honors Office requires advising for students in the first semester, and encourages students to take advantage of honors advising any time thereafter. Honors advising is focused on the honors requirements for University Honors, primarily courses that fulfill general education requirements. Contact the Honors Office for an advising appointment at any time.
Students pursuing Departmental Honors should contact the Departmental Honors Advisor in the major or minor where they are pursuing honors.
Community Service
All students pursuing University Honors distinction are required to document 40 hours of community service prior to graduation. Community service must be pre-approved by the Honors College by submitting the Community Service Agreement Form.
The Honors Experience
Honors Experiences are co-curricular activities that broaden the educational experience by encouraging involvement in cultural, intellectual events and activities that promote civic engagement. An Honors Experience usually indicates a semester-long commitment. University Honors students are required to complete two Honors Experiences, one from each category as follows:
- Honors College Community-Based Intellectual and Cultural Activities
Examples:
- Serving on the Honors College Newsletter staff
- Attending the Star Lecture Series (three lectures)
- Attending the annual Honors trip to Stratford
- Leadership and Civic Engagements Activities
Examples:
- Serving as a student representative on a campus committee
- Serving as an elected officer in a student organization
- Organizing a campaign for community action (Environmental awareness, voter registration drive, etc.)
Download the Honors Experience form .
Departmental Honors Workshops
Students pursuing departmental honors are required to attend the following two hour-long workshops:
- Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities
This workshop is designed for students beginning the process that will lead to the completion of the Senior Thesis/Project (usually in the Junior year)
- Honors Senior Thesis Workshop
This workshop covers the nuts and bolts of completing and processing the Senior Thesis/Project (usually taken in the semester prior to the planned thesis completion)
Workshops will be announced on the Honors email list and included on the Honors calendar.
Senior Honors Thesis/Project
The Senior Honors Thesis/Project is the culminating academic experience for students graduating with Departmental Honors. All Departmental Honors students must complete a Senior Honors Thesis. Complete guidelines for the thesis project are available in the Student Handbook. View recently completed Honors Theses.
Here are some additional resources:
- Senior Thesis Proposal form (doc file)
- Senior Thesis Award Application (doc file)
- Thesis Signature Page (pdf file)