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Support and Resources

Honors program

The Herd has your back.

We’re invested in keeping honors students empowered. Looking for a space to study with your friends? Check out the Honors Center. Looking to get even more involved with our program, the university, and the communities around us? Consider joining the Honors Student Organization. As an honors student, you’ll have plenty of opportunities and resources available to you. 

Students in the honors suite grab some cookies.
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Students studying together
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Honors Center

Your home away from home.

The Honors Center offers a quiet, private place to work. You can make use of the computer lab and even attend campus events hosted in our student lounge. Need a study room for a group project? Contact us to get started by reserving your time slot. We’re open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Scholarships

Financial barriers won’t stand in your way.

The Honors Program will help you discover ways—in addition to university scholarships—to help enhance your education. Note: These funding opportunities do not cover any tuition or fees.

Here are some of the educational opportunities we can help with: 

  • Conference travel
  • Internships
  • Research or creative-endeavor assistantships and support
  • Study abroad
  • Teaching assistantships
  • Travel funding

This scholarship—up to $1,000—is intended to support students in attending professional conferences. On your application, provide the following information:

  • Information about the conference and your role in the conferenc.
  • A statement about why attending this conference is significant for your intellectual development, academic progress, or future research goals
  • A budget specifying expected sources of funding
  • Letters of support from faculty mentors

You will be expected to show that you have applied for travel funding from the Office of Sponsored Programs and the Division of Enrollment Management and the Student Experience. You will receive priority if you are presenting your honors-work research at a conference. Submit your application and have your mentors send letters of support directly to Farah Combs, honors program director, at [email protected].

This scholarship promotes closer collaboration between faculty and honors students in research or creative endeavors. It will provide up to $1,000 to compensate you for time engaged in research or creative endeavors under the direction of a faculty mentor. 

For this scholarship, you must have the following information on your application: 

  • A project description
  • An explanation of your responsibilities and how this project will contribute to your intellectual development, academic progress, or future research goals
  • A budget specifying expected sources of funding
  • A letter of support from the faculty mentor

An important criterion in evaluating these applications is whether your participation goes above and beyond fulfilling the research needs of the faculty member.

This scholarship—up to $1,000—is intended to support independent student-designed research or creative endeavors as part of an honors independent study, summer project, or the honors project. It can pay for equipment, research expenses, travel, or any other reasonable research expenses. 

To apply for this scholarship, you must have the following information: 

  • A description of the project that includes a timeline for completion
  • A budget specifying expected sources of funding
  • A letter of support from all faculty mentors

This scholarship—up to $1,000—is intended to help students take part in our Study Abroad Program. You will need the following information to apply for this application: 

  • Copies of the appropriate forms from the study abroad office
  • A personal statement about your goals for this study-abroad trip (e.g., Why do you want to go to this particular country or university? What are you hoping to achieve? How will it help with future academic, professional, or personal plans?)
  • A budget specifying expected sources of funding
  • Letters of support from any faculty mentors

If you are planning to apply for this scholarship, please contact the Honors Program and discuss your plans before you submit your application. Submit your application and have your mentors send letters of support to Farah Combs, honors program director, at [email protected].

This scholarship—up to $1,000—offers you the opportunity to work with a faculty mentor and serve as a teaching assistant in nonhonors courses.

To apply for this scholarship, you must submit the following information: 

  • The name of the course for which you will be a teaching assistant and your relevant qualifications
  • An explanation of your responsibilities and how this project will contribute to your intellectual development, academic progress, or future research goals
  • A budget specifying expected sources of funding 
  • A letter of support from the faculty mentor

If you are looking for conference or research-travel funds, consider applying through the Division of Enrollment Management and the Student Experience. You must submit your travel-funding request electronically, no later than the first day of the month prior to the month of the trip’s departure date. If you are interested in conference travel or studying abroad, check with the Honors Program about travel-related scholarships.

Information about additional student-research opportunities can be found at the Office of Sponsored Programs, where you can learn about getting support for your undergraduate summer research or funding your undergraduate conference travel.

Students in a communication classroom.

Honors Project

It all leads you here.

The honors project is an exciting culmination to your college journey. Learn everything you need to know about the project, from generating ideas to submitting proposals to finding mentors to presenting your research at the Honors Showcase.

FAQ

Find the answers you need.

You have questions, we have answers. Take a look at some of the most frequently asked questioned we get from students to find the answer you’re looking for. Can’t find what you need? Reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help.

If you are an incoming freshman, you have to meet one of the following criteria: be in the top 10 percent of your graduating high school class, have a 1200 or higher on the SAT or a 27 or higher on the ACT, or a 7 IELTS or an 87 TOEFL (for international students). If you are a current Purdue Fort Wayne student, you must have taken at least 12 credit hours and have a cumulative GPA of 3.3.

Yes. After you have completed 9 credit hours of honors courses, you will receive a pin that can be worn at graduation. Once you have completed the program, you will receive a medal and a certificate at graduation along with honors notation on your transcript.

No. Having honors in your major will be listed on your diploma for that major. The Honors Program is a separate certificate.

You don’t need to take a certain number of credits each semester, but it is a great idea to spread your honors courses throughout your time at Purdue Fort Wayne. The goal is to complete 18 honors credits by the time you graduate.

The goal is to incorporate the Honors Program into your plan of study. Many of the honors courses are general education courses that are required for every major. You can also H-Option a course that you already have to take and receive honors credit.

An H-Option is a contract between a student and the professor of a nonhonors course. The contract alters the course to provide the student with honors credit for the class.

A variety of things could be done for the honors project. The project could be an extension of the senior or capstone project or undergraduate honors thesis that is required for most majors. A project could also be the continuation of one of the your H-Options. The topic of the project should be something that sparks your interest.

Yes.

The cords from a nationally affiliated honor society with a chapter at Purdue Fort Wayne can be worn at graduation.

Students walking on campus

Honors Student Organization 

Get involved, give back, and make a difference.

Get further involved with campus activities and Honors Program activism with the Honors Student Group. Our departmental student organization encourages academic excellence and community involvement. We volunteer on and off campus, as well as take part in university-wide volunteering efforts. We also host holiday parties for students to socialize, relax, and have fun. 

Join us to build lifelong friendships and become a part of an inclusive support system for honors students. Membership is open to all honors students and honors-eligible students. There are no dues to be a part of our organization. We have meetings once a month. 

Being a member of our organization will give you the chance to get active in our communities. Our members take part in campus events, such as the Don Wars student organization competition, and often volunteer at the FRIENDS of the University Pantry. We’re helping give back to communities outside campus by volunteering for the BIG Event and the Great American Cleanup.