General Education Requirements for Honors

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The University Honors Program is a community of highly motivated and academically adventurous students and faculty members dedicated to working together to attain new levels of achievement. By engaging the broad intellectual heritage of, and the social competencies cultivated within, the liberal arts tradition–both through deep discussions of classic texts and abiding issues, as well as independently designed research projects–the program promotes the value of excellence, bringing Friends students into diverse conversations about ideas and their world.

The program consists of taking at least three required Honors courses, which can be either discussion-based Honors Seminars or Honors sections of general education courses, and which shall be taken through the student’s first three years at Friends, and also completing an Honors Senior Project, which generally is designed and completed over both semesters of the student’s senior year. Some different procedures may be followed by transfer students or those in exceptional circumstances.

Students admitted to the University Honors program must have a cumulative 3.5 GPA from high school or their previous college or university, have scored 27 on the ACT, and have completed a University Honors application which will be reviewed by the Director of the University Honors and the Honors Admissions Committee. Some different standards may be applied to transfer students or those in exceptional circumstances. Students admitted to the program will receive the University Honors Academic Scholarship, which will last throughout their time at Friends, so long as progress through the program continues and a 3.5 GPA is maintained. Students who graduate with University Honors will be recognized as such in the graduation program.

General Education Goal 1: Intellectual and Practical Skills (2 credit hours)

Two semesters of Introduction to Honors (HNRS 110 and HNRS 111) are required of first year students accepted to the University Honors Program. One semester of Introduction to Honors (HNRS 111) is required for all transfer students who transfer in 28 or more credit hours and are accepted to the University Honors Program.

Substitutions of one or two semesters of Friends Experience (GNST 110 and GNST 111) will be accepted for advanced or transfer students who are approved to pursue University honors after having completed their Friends Experience requirements. The HNRS 110 and 111 sequence will, like GNST 110 and 111, satisfy the Intellectual and Practical Skills general education requirement (Goal 1).

HNRS 110 - Introduction to Honors I 2 Credit Hours
HNRS 111 - Introduction to Honors II 1 Credit Hours

General Education Goals 2-8:

All general education requirements in Goals 2-8 for undergraduate students will be the same for students admitted to the University Honors Program.

See General Education Requirements .

Additional Honors Program Requirements:

HNRS 310 - Honors Seminar 3 Credit Hours (6 credit hours)
Two semesters (totaling 6 credit hours) of Honors Seminar (HNRS 310) must be completed prior to the student taking Honors Senior Project (HNRS 410). Exceptions to this schedule, but not the credit requirements, may be made at the discretion of the Director of the Honors Program.
HNRS 410 - Honors Senior Project 3 Credit Hours (3 credit hours or 1.5 + 1.5)
An Honors Senior Project, the product of a 3-credit hours research-based course, must be completed during the student’s senior year, either as a single semester class (for 3 credit hours) or as a two-semester sequence (for 1.5 credit hours each semester). Exceptions to this schedule may be made a the discretion of the Director of the Honors Program