Honors Degree Requirements (preceding Fall 2025)

Requirements for the Honors Program Degree - before 2025

If you are a member of an Honors College cohort that started your journey during the 2024-2025 academic year or before, your honors degree requirements are summarized below. 

 

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. If you need to contract a course for honors credit, start here.
  • 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)

 

Honors Courses - Categories

  • Honors sections of regular courses are designed to provide you with the richest possible undergraduate experience, typically featuring engaging class discussions and more in-depth, substantively rich assignments.
  • Special topics HONR courses offer exciting opportunities to fulfill your general education requirements across Natural Sciences, Humanities and Arts, Global Issues, Social Sciences, and Historical Issues.
  • Contracted honors courses give you the flexibility to earn honors credit in subjects where formal honors courses aren't available. You can work with any professor to design sophisticated coursework that either replaces or supplements regular course requirements. The 'contract' is an agreement between you and your professor that outlines the value-added components that you will engage in to earn honors credit.  Start the contract process here. 
  • As an Honors student, you'll have the opportunity to complete a meaningful Honors Culminating Project that showcases your academic growth. To support your success, you'll take a preparatory seminar (HONR 449H) at least one semester before beginning your project. You'll then work closely with your Project Director through a three-credit course to develop your project, while also participating in a supportive one-credit final project seminar (HONR 451H) that provides additional guidance and peer connection. You'll have the chance to share your accomplishments by presenting your project at public forums, including Winthrop's prestigious Annual SOURCE conference.