The Honors College

Requirements

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Graduation Requirements 

  • For current Programs of Study for the Honors College use the ONLINE BULLETIN.

All incoming 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. The Honors College seeks high‐achieving, high‐potential, and highly motivated students eager and ready to embark on educational odysseys full of specially designed educational, co‐curricular, and community‐based experiences that will help them develop intellectually, personally, and professionally at the highest possible levels, and prepare them for success in post‐baccalaureate opportunities:  graduate school, professional school, and employment.

The Honors College offers its students special opportunities to broaden, enrich, and deepen their academic experiences in interdisciplinary Honors courses through the Honors College (HON seminars) and through the more than 35 academic departments across the university that also offer Honors courses and programs. Most lower‐division Honors courses help students fulfill general education requirements or departmental curriculum requirements. Honors courses are frequently conducted as student‐centered small‐group seminars in which students take the lead discussing readings, exchanging ideas, debating, engaging in experiential and service learning, and sharing results of their individual study and research. The emphasis in Honors courses is on independent, creative, and critical work and thinking, with a great deal of active student participation and involvement. Honors College students have access to special Honors College facilities, including classrooms and study rooms, and Honors College experiences and programs, such as Honors College residential living opportunities. Honors College students also have the unique support of Honors College academic mentors and advisors.

Application to the Honors College requires completion of a separate Honors College application essay and submission of at least two letters of recommendation, preferably from teachers or professors. Admission to the Honors College is based primarily on the quality and success of a student’s application essays, including the Common App essay, the Honors College essay, and (if applicable) the scholarship essays; on the student’s letters of recommendation; and on the student’s academic and co‐curricular life and record.  

Students in the Honors College can pursue one of two tracks depending upon their accumulated academic credits: full University Honors, or Upper‐Division University Honors.

University Honors

The full University Honors program is intended for first‐year students with fewer than 45 earned college credits, students transferring from other institutions who were previously pursuing Honors at those institutions, and current Appalachian students with 45 or fewer credits.

In order to graduate with “University Honors,” students must meet the following criteria, earning a minimum of 24 Honors credits:  

  1. Complete at least 9 semester hours of interdisciplinary University Honors courses, including one section each of HON 1515, HON 2515, and HON 3515;  
  2. Complete at least 3 semester hours of Honors coursework in the major;
  3. Complete 9 additional semester hours of Honors courses from any area;
  4. Fulfill the Honors College International Education requirement; and
  5. 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

Incoming Appalachian students with between 45 and 70 earned college credits, both first‐year and transfer students, may apply to pursue the accelerated Upper‐Division University Honors program. This program is intended for entering students with significant earned college credit who plan to study full‐ time at Appalachian for two to three years.

In order to graduate with “Upper‐Division University Honors,” students must meet the following criteria, earning a minimum of 15 Honors credits:  

  1. Complete at least 9 semester hours of interdisciplinary University Honors courses chosen from HON 2515 and HON 3515, including at least one section of HON 3515;
  2. Complete 3 additional semester hours of Honors coursework in any area;
  3. Fulfill the Honors College International Education Requirement; and  
  4. 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

This catalog reflects fall and spring semester offerings. Honors courses and contracts are typically not offered in the summer terms (except for travel courses). (For an explanation of the prefixes used in the following courses, see the listing of Course Prefixes.) Students are advised to check the Honors College website at www.honors.appstate.edu  for more information on courses and instructors.

Students also may 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. 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 www.honors.appstate.edu.

Graduate‐level courses taken by undergraduate Honors students automatically count as Honors courses without additional paperwork.

Courses

 

Coursework for The Honors College graduates includes the following components:

NOTE only grades of B or higher count for Honors courses (HON seminars and departmental/.41x courses) and B+ or higher for honors contracts.

  • 9 Hours in University Honors, one of each of the following courses (HON 1515, HON 2515, HON 3515); students must take one course that fulfills two of the three disciplinary areas - Arts & Humanities, Social Science, Science (one course may fulfill two areas).
  • 9 additional hours of Honors course work (for example, World Civilization, Honors General Psychology, Sophomore Honors Literature)
    *Any upper division course not taught as an Honors course may be contracted for Honors Credit. For more information about Honors Contracts, click here.
  • At least 3 hours of Honors credits in the major department (departments may choose which courses will fulfill this requirement in their areas)
  • At least 3 hours credit for the Honors College Thesis/Project (either HON 4010 or college/departmental 4510), a capstone experience which must be examined and approved by the student's thesis committee. Students are expected to present a thesis defense as part of this experience.  For more information about the Honors College Thesis/Project click here.

International Education Requirement (students may complete this with ONE of the following options):

Honors College COVID-related Academic Policies

  • App State approved semester or summer study abroad experience
  • Honors College course with a study abroad component
  • App State sponsored service-learning abroad experience or research abroad experience
  • App State Overseas Education Programs course (App State faculty-led programs)
  • HON 3515 "International Education: Bringing the World Home" course
  • HON 3500 Independent Study connected to non-credit travel experience arranged with approval of the Honors College Dean
  • Alternative experience arranged with approval of the Honors College Dean

Progression Requirements to Remain in Honors

Students must take a minimum of one Honors course every two semesters. Students who have two sequential semesters with no Honors courses are unlikely to be able to complete the University Honors requirements. Requests for a waiver of this requirement must be made in writing to the Honors College Dean.

Honors students are also expected to maintain high academic standards. To remain in good standing with the Honors College, students must maintain GPA requirements as noted above.

Discontinuing/Removal from the Honors College

A student may request to be uncoded as an Honors College student at any time. Click here if you are currently an Honors student and would like to request removal from the Honors College.

 

Click here for information on Graduating with Latin Honors Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, or Summa Cum Laude.