Honors Pathways
There are four types of Honors degrees available to Honors students at EMU: University Honors, Transfer Honors, Departmental Honors, and Highest Honors. Honors students are, of course, subject to all EMU academic policies. The various Honors pathway distinctions include additional expectations that set Honors students’ experiences apart from those of their peers. For more information on the activities that meet the requirements listed, see the Student Handbook.
University Honors
University Honors is a great way for a student to get involved and introduced to EMU's campus and community.
Requirements
- 24 Honors credits (includes credits completed for Departmental Honors)
- Complete 30 hours of community service
- Complete 3 activities from 2 different CLIPS categories
- Attend 3 Star Lecture Series lectures in a single academic year (and submit a typed paper to The Honors College to receive credit for the lectures)
- Attend an Undergraduate Research/Creative Project Workshop (recommended during sophomore year)
- Maintain a 3.3 cumulative GPA
Transfer Honors
Bringing in a lot of credit to EMU? Students will be eligible to pursue Transfer Honors if they:
- (1) are admitted to EMU as a Transfer student with 55+ transfer hours;
- (2) are admitted to EMU as a FTIAC student with the completed Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) through college work during high school; or
- (3) are a FTIAC admit who completed a minimum of 60 hours in EMU’s Early College Alliance (ECA) program.
Requirements
- 18 Honors credits (includes credits completed for Departmental Honors)
- Complete 20 hours of community service
- Complete 2 activities from 2 different CLIPS categories
- Attend 3 Star Lecture Series lectures in a single academic year (and submit a typed paper to The Honors College to receive credit for the lectures)
- Attend an Undergraduate Research/Creative Project Workshop (recommended during sophomore year)
- Maintain a 3.3 cumulative GPA
Learn more about CLIPS Co-Curricular Requirements
Departmental Honors
Once students declare their major, they may pursue Departmental Honors, which leads to distinction in their major or minor.
Requirements
- Attend an Undergraduate Research/Creative Project Workshop (recommended during sophomore year)
- Meet with their Departmental Honors advisor
- Complete an Intent to Pursue Departmental Honors form [PDF] and submit it to The Honors College
- Complete 12-15 Honors credits within the major or minor (as designated on the Intent to Pursue Department Honors form)
- Submit a Senior Thesis Proposal [PDF] (must be submitted no later than the semester prior to graduation)
- Complete Senior Thesis or Creative Project (must be submitted no later than the first day of the month of graduation)
- Maintain a 3.2 cumulative GPA. Departments may award students with Departmental Honors with a 3.0-3.2 cumulative GPA at their discretion.
Be sure to meet with your Departmental Honors advisor for up-to-date information and other Departmental Honors requirements.
Highest Honors
Highest Honors marks the most distinctive recognition of academic excellence in The Honors College. Completion of Highest Honors demonstrates a commitment to community, international awareness, service, and research.
Requirements
- 30 Honors credits (includes credits completed for University or Departmental Honors)
- Complete 45 community service hours (including the 30 hours applied to University Honors)
- Attend an Undergraduate Research/Creative Project Workshop (recommended during sophomore year)
- Complete 5 activities from 3 different categories
- Submit a Senior Thesis Proposal [PDF] (must be submitted no later than the semester prior to graduation)
- Complete Senior Thesis or Creative Project (must be submitted no later than the first day of the month of graduation)
- Maintain a 3.7 cumulative GPA
Students admitted prior to Fall 2022
Students who enrolled in classes at EMU prior to fall 2022 have the option of completing the old co-curricular requirements and should check the 2021-2022 Student Handbook for more information on those previous requirements. Students who enroll in classes at EMU for the first time in fall 2022 must complete the requirements in the 2022-2023 Student Handbook.