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Honors Requirements and Tracks
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PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS for Good Standing in the Program

Grades: To count it toward Honors requirements, you must make a "C" or better in a lower-division honors class and at least a "B" in a colloquium. The overall GPA requirement to stay in the program is a 3.2 for freshmen, 3.3 for sophomores, 3.4 for juniors, and 3.5 for seniors. If it slips below that, you will have a one-semester grace period to raise your GPA.

Course and Contract Participation: Do some honors work every semester. We strongly recommend taking two honors classes each semester until you have your 18 lower-division hours. After that, take colloquia or do your contracts. If you have a semester without honors work, you keep full privileges for social events, early registration, etc. But after that you must enroll in an HP class or submit an HP contract to remain in the program.

 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

 

Graduating with Honors Program distinction takes a 3.5 GPA and completion of requirements in one of these tracks:

  • University Honors (30 semester hours)

  • General Honors (21 semester hours)

  • Departmental Honors (12 semester hours)

 

I. University Honors (30 semester hours)
This is the "four-year track," giving you honors work through all eight semesters of a bachelor's degree. With careful planning, University Honors can fit into a three-year degree. Transfers from honors programs at two-year colleges should consult the HP office about counting their honors credits toward ACU requirements.

 

A. Lower-Division University Honors requirements (18 hours out of 30)

Your 18 hours must cover at least three fields and include at least one semester (3 hours) of Honors Core (HCOR 221, 222, 223, 120). This usually comes out to six courses taken over two years. All fit into General Education requirements (University Core or Degree Core). They are not extra courses.

Options: Accumulate your 18 hours with any combination of these.

  • Honors Core courses (Honors Humanities, Honors Seminar in Social Sciences).You must take at least one. Honors Humanities counts as either history or sophomore literature in your degree requirements.

  • Honors sections of regular courses (Bible, chemistry, film, psychology, etc.)

  • Honors Team Contract in a regular course where no honors section is available (limit 6 hours)

  • Honors Program Service-Learning Earn 3 hours toward HP requirements with volunteer work, assigned readings, journaling, and online discussion. This is not degree credit, so there is no tuition charge. (The limit is 6 hours over 2 semesters at the Lower-Division level. But juniors or seniors may ask to continue a service project for honors credit if it fits the contract work or Capstone in their major.See the HP office for details.)

  • Credit by Examination (limit 6 hours). Earn three honors hours by testing out of two courses through CLEP, AP, etc. Earn six hours by testing out of four. (ACU counts a maximum of 30 hours' credit by examination, but additional credit looks good on your transcript.)

  • Study abroad (limit 12 hours total for all Lower-Division and Upper-Division honors work). Some travel grants are available. Earn honors credit with contract projects in Oxford, Montevideo, Hong Kong, or other exciting places through ACU or the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities. .

  • Philosophy courses taken outside your major or minor (limit 6 hours)

B. Upper-Division University Honors requirements (12 hours out of 30)

Your 12 hours includes 3 hours of Honors Program colloquia, 6 hours of honors contract work in junior or senior courses in your major, and 3 hours of credit for your Capstone Project in your major. (Credit may vary for the Capstone, depending on departmental approval. Thus your total hours shown on your transcript could be fewer than 12.)

Broadly speaking, your Capstone will take one of these forms: 

  • Set up an independent research project. With your department head's assistance, set up a supervisory committee. You may register it as a Guide Study for 1-3 hours' credit in your major or, with your department's approval, do it noncredit.
  • Use a departmental capstone project as the Honors Capstone.
  • Use a program capstone project (e.g., for McNair Scholars, Pope Fellowship) if its subject and method are appropriate for the major field.
  • Develop a research project as part of an internship into your Capstone. On this option, see departmental guidelines.

Please see the recommendations for your major. This is a list in progress. If your major is not yet linked, check back later or phone the appropriate department head.

 

II. General Honors (21 hours)

 

The requirements are the 18 hours of Lower-Division work plus 3 hours of colloquia. It's equivalent to University Honors except that it omits the contracts and Capstone in the major.

 

III. Departmental Honors (12 hours)

 

The requirements are the same as the Upper-Division requirements for University Honors.The same recommendations apply to each major. This is the most attractive option for transfers from two-year schools who want to distinguish themselves in the major but also take interdisciplinary courses with other bright people.