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The Honors Program offers superior students the opportunity to pursue a program of study that leads to recognition as a Augusta University Honors Program Graduate. Balancing breadth and depth, the Honors Program offers sections of core courses specifically designed for able and energetic learners, seminars that cross the boundaries of discipline and/or culture, the faculty and administrative support to produce an Honors thesis in the student’s academic field, and support for the students to present their research at appropriate academic or professional venues. The Honors Program is not a separate degree program but is designed to augment the course work required for a degree and to prepare capable students for graduate and professional schools and challenging career paths. In most cases, honors courses can be substituted for required credits. The Honors Program office is housed in the Quad Wall and can be reached at (706-729-2083) and (706-729-2452), and at honorsprogram@gru.edu.
The Honors Program is affiliated with the National Collegiate Honors Council, the Southern Regional Honors Council, and the Georgia Collegiate Honors Council, making available to interested students a variety of honors opportunities locally and nationwide.
Honors Program Classes
Honors classes differ in kind from other classes. They are usually smaller; they involve more interaction with the instructor; and they encourage independent work and collaboration among students and between students and professors. Professors in honors courses often see themselves more as facilitators than as instructors or lecturers, and, when possible, guide students to work with primary materials. Honors classes ask students to explore course work more actively and intensively, but students are not evaluated on a more demanding grading scale than in other courses, nor should they require more work than non-Honors sections.
Recognition
The diplomas and transcripts of graduating Honors students who complete all program requirements carry the designation of Honors Program Graduate. Honors graduates also receive an Honors stole and Honors cords to wear at graduation.
Program Requirements
To earn recognition as an Honors Program Graduate, a student accepted into the program must complete the requirements below and have an overall GPA of at least 3.3. Should the GPA drop below the required 3.3, the student will be allowed to continue in the program on probationary status as long as the GPA does not drop below 3.2. Students will not be allowed to begin work on a thesis prospectus (HONR 3999 ) or a thesis (HONR 4000 ) with a GPA below 3.3.
Freshman/Sophomore Requirement: 16 semester hours
- 16 hours of Honors sections of core courses
- Students must earn a grade of “C” or better to gain Honor credit for core coursework
Junior/Senior Requirement:
- - (3 semester hours)
- One upper division honors elective to be selected from the following: (3 semester hours)
- a second section of HONR 3900: Breaking Boundaries ,
- a departmental honors course (a departmentally approved independent study or a regular departmental offering with an additional honors component), or
- an approved honors alternative
The HONR 3999-4500 sequence (usually begun in the junior year and completed by the end of student’s final semester):
- –(1 semester hour)
- –(2-3 semester hours)
- –(1 semester hour).
Eligibility and Admissions
Students may seek entry into the Honors Program by submitting a completed online application to the Honors Program Director. Application forms are available on the Honors Program website at http://gru.edu/honors/.
Entering Freshmen who meet one of the following criteria are invited to join the Honors Program:
- A Combined SAT Math and Verbal score of 1200 or higher and a cumulative high school GPA of 3.3 or better
- A Combined SAT Math and Verbal score of 1100 or higher and a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or better
- An ACT score of 27 or higher and a cumulative high school GPA of 3.3 or better
- An ACT score of 24 or higher and a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or better
- A Freshman Index of 3000 or higher
Students Already Enrolled are invited to join the Honors Program if they have completed 9 semester hours of academic work, and have an overall GPA of 3.4
To be able to complete program requirements without taking several additional courses, students should seek acceptance into the program and begin taking honors courses early in their careers.
Transfer students who bring in an unadjusted 3.4 GPA on at least 9 semester hours of course work from another institution and have SAT or ACT scores at least equivalent to those required of entering honors freshmen will be eligible to apply for admission to the Honors Program.
Students transferring from another institution’s Honors Program, once admitted to the Honors Program, may count Honors Program hours completed at their previous institution(s) toward completing Honors Program requirements.
Students who have completed 9 or more semester hours at Augusta University with an unadjusted GPA of 3.4 may apply to join the Honors Program.
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