Director:  Shirley Shultz Myers, Ph.D. 
Contact: Geoffrey Whitebread
IK Jordan Student Academic Center (JSAC)  1226

TTY: 202-651-5550
Voice: 202-651-5550

Interested in Honors?

The Honors Program is a two-tier program, offering students a choice over which path (or both) is best suited for their needs.  We offer General Studies Honors (where students work towards Honors during their first two years) and Capstone Honors (where students work towards an Honors degree during their last two years).

Admissions Criteria

Students are admitted to either the General Studies Honors or Capstone Honors. Students who are seeking to graduate with full University Honors may choose to complete both General Studies and Capstone Honors. Transfer and current second or third year students typically enter the University Capstone Honors program, but they may take Honors General Studies courses as well. The Honors Program takes a holistic view of the admissions process. We do not base our admissions process solely on a student's scores on an achievement test and/or their G.P.A. However, students are automatically considered for Honors if they have an ACT score of 24 or above, an SAT score of 1200 or above, and a 3.5 G.P.A. Students may also be considered for admission to the Honors Program on a math specialty track. These applications and admissions are reviewed on an individual basis. Again, we fully recognize that such scores cannot be an adequate mechanism for making decisions on admissions, and we encourage anyone who is interested to apply.

Admissions Procedures:  How do I get in?

The admissions process is designed to be as simple for the student as possible. There are 5 basic steps a student needs to take to complete the admissions process:

1. Contact Geoff Whitebread to express interest and learn more information.

2. Submit your transcripts and test scores to the University.

3. Interview with the Honors Program through AOL Instant Messenger or through videophone (VP).

4.Complete the Honors summer reading and participate in an online discussion about the summer reading.

5. Attend the Honors Retreat before regular New Student Orientation begins.

*Admission is provisional throughout the first semester; full acceptance status is contingent on performance on the summer reading, participation in the Honors Retreat, and performance in first semester Honors courses.

A Bit More Information . . .

The interview gives us a chance to know students better. During the interview, we will ask questions geared towards measuring a potential students' intellectual curiosity, their academic ability, and their motivation for course work. We will also ask questions to help us get to know students better. The interviews, in most cases, will be conducted through AOL Instant Messenger. This is a medium that is accessible to the vast majority of our students. The interview will last from 45 minutes to 1 hour.

The Summer Reading online discussion forum is designed to help the program gauge the students critical thinking and analytical writing skills. This provides us with important information regarding where you are as students. It also provides us with an opportunity to start connecting and building a community before students arrive on campus. The books for the Summer Reading are selected by the instructors of the Honors courses that students will take in the fall. The texts are then woven into the semester's work to provide a more in-depth and exciting learning experience.

The Honors Retreat is an annual event for the Honors Program. During the Honors Retreat, the Honors faculty and staff take students to a location off-campus for two-to-three days of fun, games, lectures, and discussions. These retreats are a formative experience for incoming Honors students and are critical to the continuing development of the Honors community.