University Honors Program

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Mission Statement

The Honors Program is an immersive program designed for motivated and high-achieving students. The program is designed as a holistic and cohesive undergraduate experience, beginning with engaging, integrative, and stimulating seminars taught by specially selected faculty from across the university, and culminating in the junior or senior year with an interdisciplinary seminar or independent thesis project. The Honors Program shares the I.S. framework and goals, and offers students a cohesive and uniquely Honors experience. The program is committed to the shared premise of I.S., that learning should serve and shape one’s chosen responsibilities in and to the world. The Honors Program at Otterbein University seeks to immerse students in challenging and rigorous material, inspire practices of independent inquiry and curiosity, and create a community of research and creative work.

The Theme: A Community of Scholars

The explicit theme, “A Community of Scholars”, offers Honors students cohesion in coursework through both the thesis or non-thesis tracks of the program. Throughout their coursework, students will be attentive to the diverse methods of research and writing across the disciplines. They will familiarize themselves with the potential of interdisciplinary research and develop a deeper understanding of the creative values of intellectual freedom and civic responsibility in research and creative work. Finally, they will acquire an understanding of what it means to belong to a community of scholarly inquiry. Courses will foreground the Honors Community of Scholars by asking students to reflect on questions such as:

What does it mean to be a student in your particular discipline? How does your discipline relate to the larger university culture?
How does your work in your field relate to, intersect with, and/or challenge the work of other disciplines?
What specific questions, methods, and research strategies are unique or particular to your field? What makes your field unique and also necessary to the university? What makes your field crucial in the world outside the academy?
What are the research or creative aims and responsibilities of your field, and how do those aims respond to and benefit the broader community?
How can I be a responsive and responsible member of a community of inquiry?

HNRS Program Requirements

Honors offers two tracks - with a thesis and non-thesis option:

Honors Without Thesis:

FYSH - 3 credit hours
HNRS 1500 - The Critical Spirit - Writing Intensive
9 credits from the following 5 courses:
HNRS 3000 - Honors Integrative Seminar

Total Credit Hours: 18

Honors with Thesis:

FYSH - 3 credit hours
HNRS 1500 - The Critical Spirit - Writing Intensive
9 hours from the following 5 courses:
HNRS 3500 - Junior Honors Project Seminar - Writing Intensive
HNRS 4000 - Honors Thesis Project Practicum
(SYE credit)

Total Credit Hours: 21

Notes:

Incoming freshmen with credit for INST 1500 will receive credit for HNRS 1500.
If a student is not able to complete four HNRS 200x (due to scheduling conflicts, transfer credit, registration in cross-listed courses in I.S., or other factors), the requirement may be altered with program director permission.
All Honors students completing either track with have “Honors” designated on the transcript.

Program Eligibility

ACT scores of 27 or above and in top 10% of graduating high school class OR 3.8 GPA.
SAT scores of 1220 or above and in top 10% of graduating high school class OR 3.8 GPA.

Entering freshmen who do not meet the above criteria may request entrance into the program based on partial qualifications and recommendations. Make requests to Admissions office. Current students with a 3.5 GPA may be recommended for admission to the program by a faculty member. Submit recommendations by end of freshman year via program director. Students must maintain a 3.5 GPA and good academic standing to continue in the Honors program (subject to director discretion).

Registration

Students selected to participate in the Honors program enroll in selected HNRS-prefix courses that are designated for Honors students only. These courses substitute for INST requirements (as listed above). Honors students are eligible to register for classes one day early each semester

Residence Life

Honors students are eligible to live in the Honors residence, Mayne Hall, but this is not required. The Honors community gives students the opportunity to engage with other Honors students and participate in special activities planned just for Honors students.

Participation in the Honors Program will be recognized permanently in two ways: Honors courses will be noted on academic transcript record via the HNRS prefix so that potential employers or graduate school admission committees will recognize that level of work completed, and “With Honors” will be noted on the diploma. The Honors designation will also be included in the commencement program and announced as the diploma is presented.

The Honors Program is directed by Dr. Karen Steigman, Department of English. Contact: ksteigman@otterbein.edu or 614-823-1087.

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University Honors Program