Graduation Requirements
honors program
THE START
Honors Classes & H-OPTIONS
An H-Option provides a pathway to earn honors credit within a standard, non-honors course through a formalized agreement between you and your professor. By collaborating to include advanced coursework—such as an in-depth research paper or an additional project that factors into your final grade—you can elevate the class to an honors level.
How the Process Works:
Initiate the Request: Wait until the first week of classes has concluded, then ask your professor if they are willing to sponsor an H-Option and determine the additional academic requirements.
Request the Contract: Once you have your professor's approval, contact the Honors Program Director to obtain the official H-Option contract.
Secure Signatures: The document requires signatures from the student, the professor, the department chair, and the Honors Director.
Finalize: The completed contract is routed to the Office of the Registrar. Your honors credit will be officially attributed to your transcript once final grades are processed.
To begin, please contact the Honors Program Director.
the next step
The Honors Project
Serving as the capstone educational experience of the Honors Program, this project is the final requirement to earn your honors certificate and medal.
This is an opportunity to engage in advanced scholarship at the undergraduate level. Working closely with a faculty mentor, you will explore a self-selected topic in depth, better preparing yourself intellectually for graduate school or your future career.
We encourage you to push your potential by merging your personal interests with your academic pursuits, even if it means crossing academic disciplines. Past projects have been highly diverse, including an analysis of post-genocide states, a critique of classical films, and the development of a farm inventory web app.
Getting Started:
Discuss your idea: Contact the Honors Program Director, Farah Combs, at [email protected].
Submit your proposal: Fill out the Honors Project Proposal Form [here].
To successfully graduate with Honors, you must meet the following academic milestones by your final semester:
Complete a minimum of 18 Honors credit hours across at least two different academic disciplines.
Earn at least 3 Honors credits directly within your major.
Complete at least 3 Honors credits at the 300-level or higher.
Maintain a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA and a 3.5 Honors GPA.
Complete the Honors Project (this may overlap with your major's capstone or senior project).
Your final project can be a traditional written thesis or a creative endeavor, such as a film, performance, or web application. Regardless of the format, it must reflect substantial undergraduate-level scholarship, clear conceptualization, logical organization, and accurate language use.
The project involves two mandatory components, which are collectively evaluated by your faculty mentor, an Honors Program Council liaison, and the Honors Program director.
Written Component Assessment Criteria
Quality of the central question or objective
Strength of the methodology and approach
Depth of interpretation regarding the results
Quality of the conclusions and academic discussion
Appropriate use of academic literature
Oral Presentation Assessment Criteria
Clarity of the objective, methods, and results
Breadth and depth of the topic treatment
Demonstrated knowledge of the subject matter
Ability to effectively answer audience questions
Overall organization and clarity of the presentation
Because your project requires approval from the Honors Program Council, we strongly recommend beginning this process at least one full semester before you intend to present.
Phase 1: Planning and Proposal
Select a research topic or creative question and secure a faculty mentor to guide your process.
Determine with your mentor whether the project will be completed for course credit.
Outline your goals, methodology, and timeline with your mentor to write your formal proposal.
Request that your mentor write and complete the official mentor’s statement.
Submit the Project Proposal Form, your written proposal, and the mentor’s statement to the Honors Program for an official requirement audit.
Phase 2: Committee Alignment
Wait for the Honors director to assign a Council liaison, who will join your mentor to form your official evaluation committee.
Take the initiative to schedule a planning meeting with your evaluation committee.
Use this meeting to establish communication methods, committee roles, evaluation criteria, and a workflow for reviewing your drafts.
Phase 3: Execution and Presentation
Conduct your research, write your initial draft, and begin planning your presentation.
Submit a polished draft to your committee and incorporate their feedback.
Contact the Honors Program at least 15 days in advance to schedule your oral presentation (must occur during the academic year).
Provide the final written project to your committee at least two full business days prior to your presentation date.
Deliver your oral presentation at the Honors Showcase.
Make any necessary amendments requested by the committee post-presentation and resubmit by the assigned deadline.
Await written notification regarding the Council’s final decision.
As a mentor, you serve as an undergraduate thesis director. Because of your subject-matter expertise, your views hold significant weight with the Council during the evaluation process.
Phase 1: Project Initiation
Guide the student in selecting a viable topic, defining goals, outlining methods, and deciding if the project will be taken for credit.
Write the mentor’s statement explaining why the project merits Honors credit, outlining its unique challenges, and providing grading criteria (if taken for credit).
Approve the student's proposal packet before they submit it (due no later than the fourth week of the presentation semester).
Note that Honors projects cannot be presented during the summer term.
Phase 2: Committee Collaboration
Help facilitate the initial alignment meeting between the student, yourself, and the assigned Honors Program Council liaison.
Collaborate with the liaison to define evaluation criteria, communication methods, and the draft review timeline.
Phase 3: Evaluation and Completion
Provide ongoing guidance as the student researches and drafts the project.
Review and approve the written draft before it is submitted to the Council.
Evaluate the final written copy prior to attending the oral presentation.
Attend the student's oral presentation.
Confer with the evaluation committee after the presentation to recommend that the project be accepted, rejected, or amended.
Support the student through any required amendments until the Council issues its final written decision to you and the student.
You can initiate your proposal digitally or download the necessary PDF documents to manage your project workflow.
The Honors Project Proposal Form should be filled out online, please click here to get started.
THe ONES before us
Past Honors Projects
What If You Don't Meet the Requirements?
Earning honors credits typically does not extend your graduation timeline, as these credits can be applied directly toward your major, minor, or certificate.
If you are interested in joining the Honors Program but do not currently meet the standard eligibility criteria, please schedule an appointment with the Program Director, Farah Combs. Together, you can discuss alternative pathways and outline the steps needed to become eligible.