Honors Program
The Honors Program is an interdisciplinary program of comparative culture studies which provides an alternative to part of the general education program for intellectually motivated and academically qualified students.
Program Benefits
- $4,500 Scholarship Per Year
- Priority Course Registration
- Accessible to ALL Majors
- Interdisciplinary Courses Offer a Variety of Unique and Interesting Class Topics
- Smaller Class Size Advantage (25 Student Limit)
- Intriguing Classes that Fulfill General Education Requirements
- Thesis Class with a Topic of Your Choice
Admission and Application Information
The Honors Program is open by competitive admission to academically superior students, usually defined as those who meet any one of the following qualifications: Top 20% of high school class, 1100+ combined SAT scores (on new 2016 version), or Verbal SAT score of 600+. Please note that these qualifications alone do not guarantee automatic admission to the Program. Students who have equivalent qualifications are also encouraged to apply. The program objectives aim for high academic standards of achievement.
We are currently welcoming applications for the entering freshman class of Fall 2023. To receive full consideration for admission, prospective students must complete both the regular undergraduate admissions process to CCSU and the supplementary Honors Program application. The Priority Honors Program Admission deadline is November 1. The Regular Honors Program Admission deadline is December 15. The standards for admission do not differ between the Priority and Regular Admission deadlines. Applications received after December 15 will be considered for possible placement on a wait list on a case by case rolling basis.
About Priority Admission
Applications received by November 1 will be considered for Priority Admission. Those who apply by the Priority Admission deadline are guaranteed to receive an admission decision to the Honors Program no later than December 15.
About Regular Admission
Applications received by December 15 will be considered for Regular Admission. Those who apply by the Regular Admission deadline are guaranteed to receive an admission decision to the Honors Program no later than January 31. After December 15, applications may be considered on a rolling basis. Qualified students may be placed on a wait list, as there are limited spots in the program.
Transfer Admission
Students who will have completed less than 36 credits upon entering the Honors Program, and who have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher at their current institution, are invited to apply. Transfer applications will be considered on a space-available basis. Students currently registered at CCSU are also eligible to apply, under the same constraints as transfer students.
Scholarship and GPA Requirements
Successful candidates will receive admission to the Program and a $4,500 scholarship for the 2023-2024 academic year, renewable for up to three additional years based on maintaining a 3.30 CCSU cumulative GPA, as well as a 3.30 GPA in Honors Program courses. Please note that this scholarship may be combined with other CCSU scholarships only to the extent allowed by University policy.
Please note that the Honors Program is designed primarily for entering first year students, and that the University Honors Program curriculum and scholarship are distinct from, and not connected to, the Computer Science BS Honors Program.
Cross-listed Courses:
With the approval of the Honors Director and appropriate Academic Dean, any CCSU course may be cross-listed with the appropriate HON course listed below. Honors students enrolled in cross-listed courses are required to do enhanced work as compared to their non-Honors classmates (as described by Honors Option below).
Honors Option:
On a case-by-case basis, students may request a that normal course receive H- designation. Such Honors Option courses require a written agreement between the student and full-time faculty member to incorporate Honors elements into a non-honors course. This should be thought of not as “extra” work but as an enhancement of or alternative to the assignments normally expected of students, as described by the Honors Program Curriculum Committee criteria (see appendix). The Honors work should account for a minimum of 20% of the overall course grade. Honors Options must be approved by the Honors Program Director. Courses are not required to satisfy a particular general education Study or Skill Area, but students must be aware they are responsible for making up any requirements.
Additional note:
Students must complete the university’s general education program. Courses beyond those in the Honors Program may be required to meet this requirement, depending on the student’s major (e.g., LIT, lab science, Skill Area 4). Students should work closely with their advisor(s) (including the Honors Program Director) to incorporate their Honors courses into their academic roadmap.
Requirements (24 Credits)
Core Courses ( 7 Credits )
HON 201 (1 Credit ) must be taken a minimum of four times (4 Credits total)
Honors Electives (12 Credits )
Students may also select any H-designated, or Honors Option courses, and may include additional credits of HON 201 beyond those applied to the core courses requirement.
Writing in the Discipline (2 Credits )
Students must complete a minimum of two credits of writing in the discipline. For majors that require a discipline-specific course, Honors students may use those credits (under the Honors Option defined below) to satisfy this requirement. Otherwise, students will take HON 315. Some programs may require more than the two credits listed here, but only 2 credits may be counted into the total 24 Honors credits.
Honors Capstone (3 Credits )
Students must complete 3 credits of a capstone project. For majors that require a capstone, Honors students may use those credits to satisfy this requirement (under the Honors Option defined below). Otherwise, students will take HON 431, HON 451, HON 455.
The Honors capstone represents the culmination of one’s Honors academic career. Depending on the student’s major and academic and professional plans, the capstone may consist of a traditional research thesis, a planned outreach project, or a creative product. The exact requirements (such as format or page length) are set by departments and Honors advisors, but a capstone must include an appropriate written component that will be submitted to the Honors Program and must include a presentation at URCAD at the conclusion of the work.
Some programs of study may require more than the 3 credits listed here, but only three credits may be counted towards the total 24 credits in Honors.
Total Credit Hours: 24