Laurel Rodgers, Honors Director
HLSB 349, (540) 665-5503

Mission Statement

The College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program fosters the continued intellectual and personal growth of students who excel academically and creatively by providing them with rigorous and engaging learning experiences within a cohesive multidisciplinary community.

Program Purpose

The Honors Program is designed to enhance and build on the general education and major requirements of a student’s chosen undergraduate degree while providing a supportive campus community of motivated and high-achieving students. Honors classes are tailored to help students develop advanced communication and critical thinking skills, life-long reflective practices, and the ability to use components of different disciplines to complete their goals. Students can participate in Honors courses both within their required General Education and major curricula. Opportunities will be provided for each student to reflect on their goals, as a student and as an adult, to determine the skills, tools and experiences needed to reach those goals. Students will also explore and reflect on their roles within the global, local, and academic community. Finally, students participating in the program will be tasked with assisting in the development of co-curricular events that will support their academic and social needs. Through this process, students will learn valuable leadership and organizational skills while also allowing the program to be flexible and adaptive to the needs of each cohort of Honors students.

Admissions Requirements

All incoming College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) freshmen are invited to apply to the CAS Honors Program. We particularly encourage incoming freshmen with a minimum grade point average of 3.6 on a 4.0 scale and a total SAT score of 1200 or ACT composite score of 25, to submit an Honors Program admissions application. Upon review of application materials, the Honors Council will invite students to complete an interview process. A select group of students will be invited to join the program based on their admissions essay, interview, letters of recommendation and prior academic performance.

College of Arts and Sciences students with outstanding academic performance (GPA of 3.5 or higher in courses completed at Shenandoah University) during their freshman year can apply for sophomore admission to the Honors Program. Qualified applicants will complete an application during their first spring semester and exceptional candidates will be invited to complete an interview process. A select group of students will be invited to join the program based on their program admissions essay, interview, letters of recommendation and academic performance at Shenandoah University.

Part–time students are eligible to apply to the Honors Program and, if accepted, will be allowed to progress at a slower pace than full-time students.  Part-time students are highly encouraged to meet with the Honors Director prior to applying to the program.

A student transferring to College of Arts and Sciences at Shenandoah University from a college with which an Honors Program transfer agreement has been established will be able to automatically transfer into the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program as long as that student has been accepted for admissions to Shenandoah University, has completed the Honors Program application and has completed all requirements of the transfer agreement.

Qualified students who transfer to the College of Arts and Sciences at Shenandoah University from an institution that does not have a transfer agreement with the University are welcome to apply to the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program, however they must first meet with the Honors Director to determine whether they will have enough time to complete the program prior to graduation. Admission to the Honors Program is at the discretion of the Honors Council.

To remain within the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program all students must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.5 at the end of each academic year. Students who fall below the 3.5 GPA will be allowed one probationary semester. Students who fail to demonstrate adequate progress toward the minimum GPA or completion of Honors course requirements will be removed from the program on recommendation of the Honors Director. All students must also maintain good academic and social standing as defined by the academic catalog; a single infraction may result in the removal from the program on the recommendation of the Honors Director.

Enrolling in Honors Courses

All undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences who have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 and have completed at least 15 credits at Shenandoah University, regardless of whether they have been accepted into the Honors Program, may take honors courses with the approval of the student’s academic advisor and the Honors Director.  Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis by approval from the Honors Director.

Completing the Honors Program

Upon graduation from the College of Arts and Sciences at Shenandoah University, students will be acknowledged for completing the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program if they have satisfied the following criteria by completing the Honors courses with a grade of a B- or better:

6 credits of Honors General Education courses
6 credits of Honors courses in a student’s declared major
3 credits of Honors seminars (HON 101, HON 201, HON 301)
15 credits total

Any Honors course that fulfills a student’s major requirement is eligible to count as an in major Honors course. However, a student cannot use a single course to fulfill both major and General Education honors requirements.

A maximum of two graduate or cross-listed undergraduate-graduate courses may be applied toward a student’s Honors degree.

Honors Program Completion Course Map

This course map is provided to help you plan your progress to completing the honors program course requirements.  Honors seminar courses should be completed in the year indicated, but the general education and major honors courses can be taken at alternative times.  Part time students and students who wish to graduate in less than three years should meet with the honors director in order to plan the best course map to meet their target graduation date. Students are responsible for consulting their academic advisor in order to determine whether prerequisites are required for the honors courses within their major.

Students entering as freshmen:

1st year

HON    101     Global Citizenship             1

     Gen ed honors course      3

                       Total                                  4

2nd year

HON    201    Serving your Community    1

                      Gen ed honors course        3

                      Total                                    4

3rd year

HON 301       What is Scholarship?          1

                      Major honors course           3

                      Total                                    4

4th year

                      Major honors course           3

                      Total                                     3

Students who enter their sophomore year:

1st year

Students not enrolled in the honors program may elect to take a general education honors course during the spring semester.

2nd year

HON    101    Global Citizenship              1

HON    201    Serving your Community    1

                      Gen ed honors course        3

                      Gen ed honors course        3

                      Total                                    8

3rd year

HON 301    What is Scholarship?             1

                   Major honors course              3

                   Total                                       4

4th year

                   Major honors course              3

                   Total                                       3