Honors Program Requirements

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Course Sequence

For the Honors Program, students are expected to complete at least one honors designated course each academic year and at least two short-term courses resulting in at least 15 credits of honors course work for those admitted to the program as first year students.

Honors students would participate in shared courses each year, so they get to know each other across the many disciplines that will be represented. These include:

1. Honors Research & Writing: for honors students only. It meets a requirement for all first-year students.
2. Honors Perspectives: for honors students only. It would be a course that meets a requirement for all second-year students.
3. Depth credit added to a course in the major to meet the honors requirement for junior students. The depth credit is to be initiated by the student who would present what they intend to do for their depth credit project to the professor of the course. The faculty member is not responsible to plan a depth credit.
4. Honors Seminars: a short, one-credit course organized around a big question or interdisciplinary approach. Students take at least two of these seminars during their four years in the program. Examples of these seminars include:
  - Leadership Seminar with the GC President: Students will participate in this course during their second year in the program. Students will focus on leadership development using a guided book study.
  - Special topic: Faculty-designed experience including travel, completion of a group service project or other interdisciplinary topic. It would be offered during fall or spring break.
5. Honors Capstone: Designated capstone for honors students, which includes common integrative reading in philosophy with discussion visits by the president and other outside guests to address the learning outcomes. Registration limited to juniors and seniors. Note that the Honors Research and Writing course and/or the Honors Perspectives course would be waived for students joining the program in their sophomore year or junior year, after review of their transcript by the Honors Director and the Honors Advisory Board.

Other requirements of the program:

1. Document leadership experience for at least 2 semesters on or off campus with the Honors Director. Examples of leadership could include serving as an officer of an on-campus club, leading an off-campus club or service group, or serving as a teaching assistant or peer mentor on campus.
2. Complete a research or scholarly project with faculty supervision either via Maple Scholars, Hickory Scholars, Honors synthesis project (disciplinary capstone), or Research Experiences for Undergraduates (National Science Foundation program). Honors students will present their research at the annual Academic Symposium on campus in their junior or senior year.
3. Successful academic completion (GPA of 3.6 or better) will be acknowledged on the official GC transcript and at graduation. If a student falls below a 3.6 GPA while in the program, they will be given one semester to raise the GPA back to 3.6 before they exit the program.

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Honors Program Home Eligibility