Honors Program in the Discipline

The College of Honors & Excellence is focused on educating the whole student, bridging the gap between curricular and extracurricular learning, and ensuring effective student transition and success at the university to create a diverse community of undergraduate scholars. We are the launch pad for most incoming freshmen enrolling at Southeastern including students in our selective Honors Program. We have units dedicated to serving returning and transfer students and supporting student learning.

Honors Program

The Honors Program at Southeastern is designed to prepare students to know and understand the most significant ideas, deeds, and events that have shaped our world and will shape the future; to have confidence in their abilities to think independently, write clearly, and speak effectively; and to be leaders in their communities and professions. It aims to prepare responsible individuals to be perpetual learners who realize their potential for a fully human, ethical, and prosperous life.

The Honors experience at Southeastern, as many of our alumni have testified, can make a profound difference in the value and effect of one’s undergraduate education by broadening perspectives on the world and strengthening credentials for graduate, law, and medical schools and careers in education, government, business, research, and the health fields.

The Program provides highly motivated students a strong foundation in education and career preparation. In small classes, students enjoy conditions for learning at the peak of their abilities. The Honors curriculum, characterized by comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the material in a learning community environment, facilitates discussion, debate and intellectual friendship among students and with their professors. Rounding out the benefits of Honors education at Southeastern are priority registration, travel opportunities, extracurricular events and lectures, Honors residential accommodations, membership in the Honors Student Association, Honors academic credit shown on the transcript, the opportunity to earn a Sophomore Honors Distinction Award and notation on the transcript, the opportunity to earn a Senior Honors Distinction Award and notation on the transcript, and the ability to participate in the Senior Thesis process to earn the Honors Diploma.

Admissions Requirements: A composite score of 24 or higher on the ACT and a minimum 3.0 high school GPA qualify an entering freshman to join; a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in 12 or more hours of university credit qualifies an advanced student to apply. Honors active status is not granted automatically but depends on the student applying to the Honors Program office, which serves as an advising center for students pursuing an Honors diploma. Each college may have special criteria for accepting students into its upper-division Honors curricula.

Staying in Honors: Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA to remain in the Honors Program. Freshman Honors Program students whose GPA at the end of their first semester is between 2.73 and 3.0 are allowed one probation semester in which they must establish a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA to continue in the Program. Students must also show progress toward the Honors Diploma each academic year. Membership in the Honors Program is a privilege. Violations of the Student Code of Conduct can result in removal from the Honors Program.

Recognition Requirements:

Sophomore Honors Distinction: Recognition includes a notation on the transcript and a certificate awarded after the end of the fourth regular semester in college (does not count advanced placement or dual enrollment semesters). To receive the recognition, students must formally apply with the Honors Office the semester after meeting the requirements below:

• Completion of 15 hours of 1000- and/or 2000-level Honors credits chosen from at least three disciplines by the end of the fourth regular college semester with no grade lower than a “B” in any Honors course used towards the distinction, and
• A minimum of 3.0 cumulative GPA.

Senior Honors Distinction: Students receiving this distinction will receive recognition at the Honors Recognition Ceremony and on their transcripts. Students working toward senior honors distinction are expected to indicate their intention to the Honors Director during the first semester of the junior year (sooner if pursuing early graduation) for additional information on requirements including the following:

• Completion of thesis readiness program in the junior year designed to expose students to the concept of the senior thesis and lay the groundwork for senior research later,
• Completion of nine hours of upper-level Honors coursework including at least three (3) hours of 3000- or 4000-level HONR credit, and
• A minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA.

Honors Diploma:

• Completion of 15 hours of 1000- and/or 2000-level Honors credits chosen from at least three disciplines;
• Completion of 9 hours of upper-level Honors coursework;
• Completion of a Senior Thesis following Senior Thesis guidelines, and
• A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA with ‘C’ grade or better in all Honors courses applied to the Honors Diploma.

The Path to the Honors Diploma

To earn the University Honors Diploma, a student must successfully complete the following requirements:

1. Required Honors Freshman and Sophomore Coursework (15 hours)
   • 15 hours of freshman and/or sophomore Honors credit chosen from at least three academic disciplines.
2. Upper-level Honors Coursework (9 hours) chosen from any combination of the following:
   • 3000- or 4000-level HONR course(s)
   • 3000- or 4000-level H course(s) in the major
   • 3000- or 4000-level H-option of course(s) in the major
   • Up to 3 hours of university-sponsored Study Abroad
3. Senior Thesis
   • Thesis criteria available from the Honors Office, include a significant research or creative endeavor and an oral presentation of the project
   • Students enroll in HONR 3007  (1 hour) the semester they will complete and present the senior thesis

Honors Courses

Required Honors Freshman and Sophomore Coursework: The foundation of the Honors experience takes place in the freshman and sophomore years when students work to complete at least 15 hours of Honors 1000- and/or 2000-level Honors coursework chosen from at least three academic disciplines. This shared academic experience helps to create a vital academic community among Honors students. They share their ideas beyond the classroom, whether over coffee or in the dorm, and extend their intellectual friendships from semester to semester. Students are encouraged to take Honors courses beyond the 15-hour minimum to satisfy additional General Education and Major requirements as appropriate.

Upper-level HONR Courses: These courses offer students an opportunity to study topics outside the standard curriculum. The courses are designed to deepen a student’s knowledge about particular intellectual issues and to demonstrate the interconnectedness of academic disciplines. Topics are considered from the perspectives of the pure and applied sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, the arts and humanities, and business and finance.

H-Courses in the Major: Many programs have coursework specifically designated for juniors and seniors in their majors. Students should consult the schedule of classes, the catalog, and the major department for additional information.

Honors Options: By completing an Honors Option contract (H-Option) in a course, a student may earn Honors credit in a regular class. The student must contract with the professor to complete additional and/or more-in-depth assignments. Upon completion, the student earns Honors credit that can be used to partially satisfy the requirements for the Honors Diploma. Typically, no more than 6-hours of 1000-/2000-level credit earned through the H option process may be used toward the Honors Diploma. Contact the Honors Office for more information on the H-Option process.

Senior Thesis

The Honors diploma requires a senior thesis be done in the college in which a student majors. Under the direction of a faculty member from their major, each Honors student pursuing the Honors diploma selects a topic in the major, plans and completes a research project or creative endeavor, and presents the results in the form of a senior thesis. Credit for a senior thesis is approved by the Director of the Honors Program and overseen by enrollment in HONR 3007  (1 hour). If a college or department does not designate a particular numbered course in which to do the senior thesis project, its students may select an appropriate 3000-4000-level course in the student’s major.

Honors Research Scholars and Honors Creative Scholars

Honors Research Scholars or Honors Creative Scholars will complete a research/creative experience of at least two-semesters under the supervision of a faculty mentor in their discipline. The research/creative experience should culminate in a written thesis, publication, or other scholarly/creative product. The objective of the program is to involve highly motivated undergraduate students in an in-depth research/creative project that simulates the “graduate student” experience, to expose the student to the discipline appropriate academic research and publication environment or creative process, and to introduce the student to the scholarly/creative community.

Eligibility:

• Students must have completed at least 30 hours of undergraduate work.
• Have at least two semesters remaining before graduation.
• Have at least a 3.0 GPA.
• Have identified a faculty member who is willing to mentor the student in their research/creative experience.
• Submit an application for the Honors Research or Creative Scholars program to the Honors Office.

Once accepted into the program, students must:

• Actively participate in an independent research/creative project under the guidance of their faculty mentor. The research/creative experience should last at least two semesters and must consist of work not required for the undergraduate degree.
• Produce an undergraduate thesis, refereed publication, exhibit, performance, or other scholarly product approved by the faculty mentor with the Honors Office. Students are strongly encouraged to submit written work for publication in an appropriate academic journal.
• Publicly present their results to the campus community at a department forum or public symposium such as the annual College Honors Convocations.

Interested students should contact the Honors Office by email for more details: honors@southeastern.edu