www.honors.appstate.edu
Appalachian State University students interested in pursuing an Honors education both in and out of the classroom are encouraged to apply to join the Honors College. See https://www.honors.appstate.edu to learn more about the application process for incoming, continuing, and transfer students. The Honors College is dedicated to supporting highly-motivated and highly-engaged students. As part of the Honors College, students have unique opportunities to enhance their academic experiences through interdisciplinary Honors courses and seminars. These courses, offered by the Honors College and over 35 academic departments, often fulfill general education or departmental requirements. Conducted as small-group seminars, they emphasize student-led discussions, debates, experiential learning, and research. The focus is on independent, creative, and critical thinking with active student participation. Honors College students also benefit from dedicated facilities, residential living opportunities, and committed Honors academic mentors and advisors. By participating in the Honors community, students prepare for advanced academic pursuits, career success, leadership roles, community involvement, and personal growth.
University Honors
This interdisciplinary Honors program is designed for students entering the Honors College with fewer than 45 earned college credits, typically requiring 3-4 years in residence to complete.students This interdisciplinary Honors program is designed for students entering the Honors College with fewer than 45 earned college credits, typically requiring 3-4 years in residence to complete. Students entering the Honors College with 45 or more earned college credits should consider the Honors College Upper Division University Honors Program and/or Departmental Honors within their major.
In order to graduate with “University Honors,” students must meet the following criteria, earning a minimum of 24 Honors credits:
- Complete 9 semester hours of interdisciplinary Honors College seminars, including one section at each of the first-year, sophomore, and junior levels (HON 1515, HON 251X, and HON 351X);
- Complete 3 semester hours of Honors coursework in the major;
- Complete 9 additional semester hours of Honors coursework in any area (e.g. Honors sections of courses in General Education or the minor, additional Honors courses in the major, or additional Honors College seminars);
- Fulfill the Honors College International Education requirement; and
- Complete an Honors Thesis/Project (3 semester hours minimum), to be examined (defended) and approved by both an advisor in the student’s thesis/project area and a second reader from a different department than the director.
Students must earn a minimum grade of “B” (3.0 grade points) in all Honors coursework taken to fulfill Honors requirements, and must maintain both a cumulative and an Honors course GPA of 3.45.
Upper-Division University Honors
This interdisciplinary Honors program is designed for students entering the Honors College with between 45 and 70 earned college credits, typically requiring 2-3 years in residence to complete. Students entering the Honors College with fewer than 45 earned college credits should consider the Honors College University Honors Program and students entering with more than 70 earned college credits should consider Departmental Honors within their major.
In order to graduate with “Upper‐Division University Honors,” students must meet the following criteria, earning a minimum of 15 Honors credits:
- Complete 9 semester hours of interdisciplinary Honors College seminars, including one section at each of the sophomore and junior levels (HON 251X and HON 351X) and one additional Honors College seminar at any level (HON 1515, HON 251X, or HON 351X);
- Complete 3 additional semester hours of Honors coursework in any area. For example, Honors sections of courses in General Education, the minor, the major, or additional Honors College seminars;
- Fulfill the Honors College International Education Requirement; and
- Complete an Honors Thesis/Project (3 semester hours minimum), to be examined (defended) and approved by both an advisor in the student’s thesis/project area and a second reader from a different department than the director.
Students must earn a minimum grade of “B” (3.0 grade points) in all Honors coursework taken to fulfill Honors requirements, and must maintain both a cumulative and an Honors course GPA of 3.45.
Departmental Honors
More than 35 academic departments across campus also offer departmental, program, or college Honors, intended primarily for students who wish to do Honors in their majors. Current Honors program options are listed here: https://honors.appstate.edu/academics/departmental-honors/programs-directors. Department‐specific requirements for admission, coursework, and the Honors thesis or project are listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin under that department or college.
Students may pursue more than one departmental Honors program at a time; the requirements for each must be met independently. Students may also pursue both University and their departmental/program/college Honors simultaneously. In this case, the departmental/program/college Honors thesis will count for both programs as long as the student has at least one committee member from a second academic department.
Courses
instructors. Honors College seminars focus on a variety of topics and may be repeated for credit when content is not duplicated. The Honors College website, www.honors.appstate.edu, contains additional information on specific semester course topics and instructors.
Students may also enter into an Honors contract with an instructor to transform a standard curriculum course at the 3000‐ or 4000‐level into an Honors course and earn Honors credit, counting at most two such contracts towards their University Honors or Upper Division University Honors graduation requirements. The student must earn a grade of ‘B’ (3.0 grade points) or better and complete the work required of the contract to receive Honors credit for the course. Copies of the guidelines and Honors contract application materials may be found at the Honors College website.
Graduate‐level courses taken by undergraduate Honors students automatically count as Honors courses without additional paperwork.
