HONORS PROGRAM

Connie K. Hood, Director
Rita Barnes, Associate Director

The Honors Program is designed to provide special learning opportunities for academically superior students, thereby motivating the gifted student to achieve his or her full academic potential. Enrollment in Honors classes is limited, and emphasis is placed on individual initiative and development. The Honors faculty are among the University's finest.

HONORS SECTIONS

Honors sections of regularly offered courses are provided in a number of academic areas, particularly in basic courses usually required of freshmen and sophomores. Although their content is essentially the same as that of regular sections, Honors sections provide more intensive presentations and greater opportunities for individual performance. An Honors section is compatible with regular sections of the same course to the extent that a student who is not fully benefiting from the Honors experience may take a regular section of the same sequence the following semester. Similarly, a student who shows high ability in a regular section may, if space is available, enroll in the Honors section of the same sequence the following semester.

Section number 800 designates honors sections in the Schedule of Classes. Full members of the Honors Program are given priority in registering for all Honors courses. Under special circumstances an Honors student may take a regular section as an Honors contract course.

These Honors courses are often available:

LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION

High school students with a composite ACT score of 26 or higher who have applied for admission to the University are invited to apply for full membership in the Honors Program. Transfer students with an ACT of 26 or higher and a college QPA of 3.5 should talk to the Honors director about transferring into the Honors Program. Out-of-state students with an ACT or equivalent SAT score of 26 or higher and a high school grade point average of 3.5 may be eligible for the Honors Academic Scholarship that waives out-of-state tuition fees. Students already enrolled at Tennessee Tech who have completed twelve semester hours of college course work with a cumulative quality point average of 3.5 or better may be invited to apply for full membership in the Honors Program.

Full Membership. To be accepted for full membership, a student must demonstrate the ability and willingness to meet the requirements for graduation in cursu honorum. At the end of the first semester in the Honors Program, a student must have at least a cumulative 3.1 average. After the first semester, full members must maintain a cumulative 3.5 grade point average.

Associate Membership. A full member whose QPA falls below 3.5 for any semester after the first semester but not lower than 3.1 may continue participation as an associate member, taking Honors courses and participating in the Associated Scholars Guild.

Affiliate Membership. Any student who is not a full or associate member but is taking an Honors course is an affiliate member. In general, an incoming freshman must have a composite ACT score of at least 26, and a previously enrolled student must have a cumulative QPA of at least 3.0 in order to enroll in an Honors course. However, exceptions may be made in individual cases, upon recommendation of the course instructor. Affiliate members may continue to be active in the Associated Scholars Guild.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

A full member of the Honors Program may graduate in cursu honorum by completing the following requirements in addition to all relevant university, college, and departmental requirements:

1. Completion of Honors 1010.
2. Completion of at least 15 semester hours in Honors courses in at least three different disciplines.
3. Completion of two Honors colloquia (Honors 4010) or one colloquium and one directed studies (Honors 4020).
4. A minimum cumulative quality point average of 3.5.

A student graduating in cursu honorum will wear a gold stole and be given special recognition at the commencement ceremony and will have the notation "in cursu honorum" on the diploma and transcript.