Honors College Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are there fees associated with being a member of The Honors College? Expand dropdown
    There are no additional costs for being a member of The Honors College or for taking Honors courses. In fact, The Honors College awards many special fellowships and grants to support undergraduate research, study abroad, senior thesis, and conference travel.
  • When should I apply to The Honors College? Expand dropdown
    The Honors College accepts applications on a roll-in basis and students can apply at any time during their college experience. Students typically need more than a year to complete at least one type of Honors, however, and depending on their research, maybe more. However, it is best for a student to apply as soon as they can so that they have more types of Honors they can pursue.
  • When applying to The Honors College, who should write my letter of recommendation? Expand dropdown
    Various individuals would be appropriate; however, individuals who can best represent who you are academically and professionally. Specifically, we like to hear about your classroom experiences, and therefore, teachers and/or professors frequently provide letters. However, supervisors, community members, and advisors are other examples who provide recommendation letters too. We discourage individuals who only know you personally, such as family members, friends, and friends of the family unless they taught and/or supervised you.
  • When will I be notified of my acceptance into The Honors College? Expand dropdown
    Students can expect up to two weeks after all of their materials have been received (personal essay and letters of recommendation, if applicable).
  • What are my requirements? Expand dropdown
    To see a list of the requirements for the three different types of Honors, visit the Types of Honors page. You can also refer to the Honors Student Handbooks for your year of entrance for more information on requirements.
  • What is an Honors Contract? Expand dropdown
    Students can earn Honors credit in a regular non-Honors class through an Honors contract. Usually, this involves performing some additional challenging classwork designed to enrich the experience in the course. The Honors Contract project may be a research paper, class presentation, lecture, lab experiment, special set of readings, or even a series of discussions with the instructor- anything that will enable a student to examine an aspect of the course in greater depth. While the contract is arranged with the instructor in the course, it is subject to the approval of the Departmental Honors Advisor.
  • What is the process for completing an Honors Contract? Expand dropdown

    To complete an Honors contract, fill out the Honors Contract - Submission Form. A completed Honors contract form must be submitted to The Honors College. Such forms can also be obtained from the Honors office, or picked up from the Departmental Honors Advisor. It requires a brief description of your project and needs approval signatures from the project supervisor and the Departmental Honors Advisor (and in some cases the Honors College Director). It is the student's responsibility to fill out the form completely, to obtain all the appropriate signatures, and to turn the form into the Honors College office.


    You must arrange all Honors contract credits early in the semester in which you expect to earn the credit. The due date for Honors contracts is October 15th for the Fall semester, February 15th for the Winter, and by the end of the first week of classes for Summer sessions A and B.

    Please refer to the Honors Student Handbooks for more information on Honors contracts.

  • Do I have to take an Honors course every semester? Expand dropdown
    We require that students earn Honors credit on a regular basis in order to assist them in completing their Honors requirements. If for two consecutive semesters no Honors credit is earned, Honors membership will be discontinued at the end of the second semester. Honors students tend to do especially well in Honors sections, so consider taking as many of your classes through Honors as can be accommodated into your academic program. For more information on maintaining Honors membership, see the Honors Student Handbooks for your specific year of entrance.
  • Are Honors courses more difficult? Expand dropdown
    Honors Courses at EMU aren't designed to be "more difficult" than other courses. Rather, they're capped at 25 which provides an opportunity for them to be discussion-based, helping to create a sense of community between students and the faculty teaching the courses. These discussion-based courses create more opportunities for students to get help when they may have questions about a concept. Because they have only 20 students, a lot of our students have reported that they get to know their instructors and feel comfortable contacting them when they do have questions or concerns. In this sense, Honors courses aren't "more difficult" but create a collaborative, interactive, engaging learning community similar to some high school honors or AP courses and tailored to the learning needs of Honors students.
  • How often should I see an advisor? Expand dropdown

    You should meet regularly with your Honors College advisor for your general education and honors requirements. You should meet regularly with your departmental advisors also, in order to build an effective advising relationship. Advising appointments are an opportunity for you to plan for the next semester and to ensure that you are complying with your degree requirements. You should also seek out your advisors for any other questions you may have, because they are a great resource.


    You can meet with your advisor anytime during the semester. Remember that during peak times (like registration), advisors will be very busy, so it is a good idea to plan ahead and schedule an appointment early on.

  • How do I schedule an appointment with an Honors advisor? Expand dropdown
    You can schedule an appointment easily and conveniently through our online portal.
  • When are scholarship applications due? Expand dropdown

    For a list of scholarships and their due dates, see the Scholarships and Awards page.

  • How do I track my Honors requirements? Expand dropdown
    When you were initially admitted into the Honors College, you attended an Honors Orientation. At this session you learned about the Honors requirements and received various check-sheets to make tracking your progress easy. As you complete different requirements, be sure to check them off on your list. Periodically, meet with an Honors College advisor and bring your sheet with you to verify your progress.
  • How can I be involved with The Honors College as an alumni? Expand dropdown
    If you would like to stay involved with The Honors College as an alum, you can connect with us through our Alumni Mentor Program, and events such as our Soaring to Success Panel. We typically send our alumni 4 to 6 emails a year with updates and reminders. These emails will have all upcoming events and opportunities included. We also send out a quarterly newsletter which features both students and alumni. If you would like to be featured in the newsletter or have any questions about our Honors alumni programming, please email [email protected].
  • Who can I contact for any other general questions that were not listed? Expand dropdown

    Email the Honors College staff at [email protected].

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