Honors Program Requirements


Academic Work

The Duns Scotus honors fellows curriculum consists of:

  • separate honors courses with service learning
  • contracts to do honors work in non-honors courses
  • seminars with service learning
  • presentation of a research project
  • submission of quality work to a journal or conference and thesis/capstone completion.

During the freshman and sophomore years, most Duns Scotus honors fellows:

  • will take honors sections of three classes: Core I, Core II and Core III
  • complete at least one contracted honors course (3 credit-hours or more, usually in general education). Nursing students will replace Core III with a contract.

During the junior and senior years, Duns Scotus honors fellows will need to complete:

  • three upper-level courses (9 credit-hours or more) in their major discipline.
  • a research component/project in one of the major contract courses that fulfills honors criteria, is approved by the Honors Council and is presented in an honors seminar.
  • three one-credit hour interdisciplinary honors seminars
  • an honors thesis or capstone project that is approved by the Honors Council and is of sufficient quality to be submitted to an undergraduate academic journal or for presentation at an academic conference.


Other Requirements

The Faculty Honors Council sets the guidelines for honors theses, which may be interdisciplinary, but academic departments set requirements for completion of the thesis.

Cultural/Social Experiences – The Duns Scotus Program sponsors at least six cultural events a year–three in each semester. At least two of these events are off-campus, and include either local or long distance trips. Fellows and Scholars are required to attend at least three events a year, one of which must be off-campus.

Good Standing – In order to remain in good standing in the program, a student must maintain an overall 3.25GPA. If the GPA falls below 3.25, the student will remain in the program on a probationary status and will have one semester to bring the GPA back up to the required level. If the GPA is not improved after one semester, or if it falls below 3.25 a second time, the student will not be permitted to continue in the program.

In order to remain in the program and graduate with honors a student must complete the sequence of courses, seminars, cultural experiences and service learning as outlined above.