Incoming First-year Students: To join the Honors Program, students must have a minimum high school GPA of 3.5 and are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores. Students who do not meet this criteria may apply for conditional admission, which is decided by the Honors Program Director.
Transfer Students and Current USI Students: To join the Honors Program, students must have completed at least 15 college credits with a GPA of 3.4 or higher. Dual credit courses and grades do not count toward this credit minimum.
We encourage students to join during their first or second year. Students who join later can still participate but may find it harder to complete all required Honors courses on time.
To graduate as a University Honors Scholar, students must:
Recognition for University Honors Scholars includes:
Honors work means a different kind of learning, not just more work. It encourages broader, deeper, and more complex exploration. Honors projects are student-driven and faculty-supported, helping students take leadership in their education.
Typical Honors projects may include:
Stand-Alone Honors Courses
These courses are open only to Honors students. They feature small class sizes, challenging coursework, and strong interaction with classmates and faculty.
Cross-Listed Honors Courses
These courses appear twice in the schedule, once as a regular section and once as an Honors section. Honors students have reserved seats but share the class with non-Honors students. Honors students complete an additional component designed by the faculty. No Honors contract is required. Students earning a B or above will receive Honors credit unless the faculty reports otherwise.
Contract Courses
Most USI courses can be taken for Honors credit by adding an Honors component. The student and faculty agree on a project and complete an Honors contract form. The component should require 15 to 30 extra hours and deepen the student’s understanding. Creative projects are encouraged, such as:
Deadlines for Contract Forms (submit to Honors Program office, OC 1070):
At semester’s end, faculty submit grades for the course and the Honors component. Students must earn a B or above in both to receive Honors credit.
Students must write contracts for courses they are currently taking. They may withdraw from the Honors contract without dropping the course after notifying both faculty and the Honors Program.
Students must complete at least one Honors course each academic year to stay in good standing. If a student has finished all Honors courses except the Capstone, they may wait until junior or senior year to complete it. Once students complete all 7 Honors courses, no additional Honors courses are required.
To graduate as a University Honors Scholar, students must complete at least 4 Honors courses before their final semester. They cannot try to finish more than 3 Honors courses during their last semester.
Updated Capstone Guidelines (For students entering Fall 2018 or later)
Capstone Project
Capstone Presentation
Capstone Timeline
To stay engaged, students must earn three activity points each semester.
Points can be earned by attending:
The Honors Program Director will announce approved events via the listserv. Students can request approval for other events by emailing the Director.
At Honors Student Assembly events, students sign in to receive points. For other approved events, students must email a thoughtful paragraph about what they learned.
Points do not carry over between semesters unless approved in advance.
If a student misses their points one semester, they must make up the missed points plus one extra the next semester to remain in good standing.
Students studying abroad are exempt. Students joining mid-semester will have a prorated points requirement.
GPA Honors Alert:
Students whose cumulative GPA falls below the Honors Program minimum will be placed on Honors Alert.
Students on Honors Alert have one semester to raise their GPA above the minimum. If they do not, they will be dismissed from the Honors Program at the end of that semester.
Points Honors Alert:
Students who do not earn three activity points in a semester will be placed on Honors Alert. During the next semester, they must earn the required points plus one extra to regain good standing. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the program.
Summer Sessions:
Summer sessions do not count as a semester for Honors Alert purposes unless the student takes a full semester’s worth of credits. For example, a student placed on Honors Alert after spring has until the end of fall semester to improve their GPA, even if they take summer classes.
Academic Integrity:
Students in the Honors Program should commit themselves to responsibility, honesty, and integrity in their academic work. If a student violates USI’s Academic Integrity policy as found in section 5.0 of the Student Rights and Responsibilities: A Code of Student Behavior, they may be removed from the Honors Program. The Honors Program Director will be notified after a student is found in violation of the policy. After the first offense, the Director will meet one on one with the student to discuss the situation. Depending on the severity of the incident, the circumstances, and the student’s behavior, the Director may decide to remove the student from the Honors Program at that point. The Director may also decide to work with the student and offer them another chance to perform their academic work with integrity. If a student violates the policy again, they will be removed from the Honors Program.
The USI Academic Integrity policy includes issues of cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and interference. USI students should make particularly sure to obey the policies of USI and their professors regarding use of AI generative tools.
The Honors Faculty Council (HFC) includes the Honors Program Director, two faculty representatives from each of the four colleges—the College of Liberal Arts, College of Nursing and Health Professions, the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education, and the Romain College of Business—one representative from University Division, and three student representatives from the Honors Student Council, typically the President, Vice-President, and Secretary. The Honors Program Director serves as the chair of the HFC. Other members of the campus community may be invited as ex-officio representatives when needed.
Faculty and staff representatives to the HFC typically serve two-year terms and are selected by the Deans of the Colleges and the Assistant Vice President for Student Success. Student representatives serve during their elected term in the Honors Student Council. The HFC meets at least twice a semester and may meet as often as monthly.
All major changes to the Honors Program must be discussed and approved by the HFC.
The Honors Program Director has the ability to make exceptions to all policies based on exceptional circumstances. Students who wish to discuss an exception with the Director should email to make an appointment. If students wish to appeal the Director’s decision, they should contact the Office of the Provost.
Contact us for more information at 812-464-1833 or honorsprogram@usi.edu.