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 GPA

All students must maintain a ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ GPA of 3.2 or higher. 

A GPA below 3.2 for a semester or more may result in probation. A GPA below 2.75 for a semester or more may result in being dropped from Honors.

First-Year Experience

All Honors freshmen take IDH 1923 Colloquium in the fall of their first year in college. 

Colloquium is Honors signature first year course and offers sections with different interdisciplinary themes that explore big ideas ranging from nation to innovation to revolution.  Colloquium is designed both to prepare students for success in college and to get them engaged in experiential learning, including opportunities for service-learning, undergraduate research, and targeted internships that develop leadership, collaborative, and professional skills that open doors for students in their majors and beyond. 

Honors Foundations

Students who have not yet completed their AA degree when they matriculate to ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ will complete some of their General Education and major pre-req requirements by taking Honors sections. 

Honors sections of Gen Ed are no more difficult and share the same essential course content as non-Honors sections, but smaller class sizes in Honors mean richer discussions, more mentoring, and opportunities for high-impact experiences that take learning beyond the textbook and outside the classroom walls.   

In the spring of their first year, students who have not yet completed their AA will take a special Honors section of the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ General Education requirement ENC 1143 Writing with Evidence and Style.

Students entering ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ with less than 15 hours of college credit will take at least 15 hours of Honors Foundation courses, including IDH 1923 and ENC 1143.  Students entering ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ with 15-30 credit hours will take at least 12 hours of Honors Foundation courses, including IDH 1923 and ENC 1143.  Students entering with more than 30 credit hours will take IDH 1923 and ENC 1143 but may still take any additional Honors courses needed to satisfy General Education and program pre-req requirements.     

Symposium

All Honors students must meet the College’s annual co-curricular experiential requirements by pursuing their interests, staying active outside of class, and sharing their activities through Symposium.    

Honors students are expected to be leaders and doers.  That expectation is not just based on the idea that Honors students provide models and examples for their peers; it’s based on the reality that your success also depends on learning and growing outside of the classroom.  We develop real-world emotional intelligence, collaboration and leadership skills, professional acumen, and confidence by attending campus workshops and events, joining or leading a club, traveling for study abroad, doing research in a lab, presenting a research poster at a conference, volunteering in the community, or completing an internship, among many other activities.  Just about every self-improving or civic-minded thing you do each year outside of the classroom counts toward Honors co-curricular expectations, even holding down a job to pay the bills while going to school.  The main requirement of Symposium is to report your co-curricular activities each year so that Honors faculty and staff can recognize and reward your achievements and connect you with the right opportunities to advance your educational and professional goals.  

Capstone

All Honors students must complete an Honors Capstone no sooner than two years before graduation.

What is a capstone project? Most majors already require one. It is simply one of your most impactful, important academic achievements, usually research, a project, or an internship in your major or even a study abroad experience related to your program of study that you complete during your last year or two in college. The capstone builds your résumé for grad school or a career by demonstrating your ability to do original and professional work, setting you apart from other candidates.   Students will develop Honors capstones in consultation with Honors staff and their major program faculty. 

Honors in the Major

To graduate with Honors in the Major, students must also complete upper-level Honors coursework and other requirements specified by their program of study.

The Hicks Honors College’s upper-level program is known as Honors in the Major.  Honors in the Major offers students a second distinction on their transcripts at graduation, in addition to the benefits of career mentoring and experiential learning opportunities designed to get students out of the classroom and into the lab or internship, gaining the crucial professional experience that builds bridges to a career or grad school.  Honors in the Major is awarded based on meeting the upper-level GPA, the co-curricular experiential, and the capstone requirements specified by your major.  These co-curricular and capstone requirements are not additional requirements; they simply help you to identify the ideal Honors co-curricular and capstone experiences based on your major and goals.