Honors College

Requirements for the Honors College Degree

General Honors College Degree Requirements

Honors students must complete 24 hours of Honors credit out of the 120 minimum credits required for graduating with an undergraduate degree.

  • General Education Component:  Honors sections of "The Human Experience: Who Am I? (HMXP102H) and "Critical Reading, Thinking and Writing" (CRTW201H) for a total of 6 credit hours must be completed.
  • Cultural Component:  One Honors symposium must be completed (1 credit hour).
  • Course Work Component:  Completion of 12 credit hours of Honors coursework with a minimum of 6 hours in the major.
  • Independent Study Component: A senior project, such as a thesis or curated performance, must be completed in the major.  This requirement includes HONR 449H, a 1-hour preparatory course to be taken the semester before the final project is completed and HONR 451H, the Honors Thesis Symposium (1 credit hour), which will be taken while the student is completing their final project.  Students will also receive 3 credit hours for completing their final project under the supervision of their project director. These three courses for the Independent Study Component total 5 hours.
  • Service Learning Component:  A service learning project and 4-5 page reflection essay must be completed (0-3 credit hours).

Honors Program Fall Advising Checklist (pdf - 154 KB)

Honors Program Spring Advising Checklist (pdf - 146 KB)

Requirements for the Honors College Degree with International Experience

  • In addition to the regular Honors College Degree requirements,  students must complete an extended experience in a learning environment outside the U.S.

Distinguishing features of Winthrop's Honors College courses

  • Symposia which bring together talented students and exceptional teachers in a small group setting.
  • Interdisciplinary learning which often bridges seemingly disparate areas of study.
  • Instructional alternatives such as team-teaching, guest lectures, or visits to sites or events associated with the subject of study.

Honors Courses - Categories

  • Honors sections of regular courses are designed to provide Honors students with the richest possible undergraduate experience, typically focusing on class discussions and more in-depth, substantively rich assignments. 
  • Special topics HONR courses are available for fulfilling general education requirements including the areas of Natural Sciences, Humanities and Arts, Global Issues, Social Sciences, and Historical Issues.
  • Contracted honors courses allow students to earn honors credit in subjects for which no formal honors courses are available. Any course is eligible, provided the student contracts with the professor to do work of sufficient sophistication, either in place of, or in addition to, the regular requirements of the course. A written agreement must be drawn up within the first three weeks of the semester and approved by the Honors College Director.
  • All Honors students are required to complete an Honors Culminating Project. Students are required to take a preparatory seminar (HONR 449H) at least one semester prior to the semester in which they complete the project. They are also required to complete the appropriate three-credit course, overseen by their Project Director, in order to earn credit for their project. They are also, while completing their project, required to take a one-credit final project seminar (HONR 451H), which provides students additional support in completing their final project. Honors students are required to present their culminating Honors projects in approporiate public forums, including Winthrop's Annual SOURCE conference.