Curricular Information
Honors designated core courses will be capped at 15 students, with Honors Program students given first priority during registration. A non-Honors student may take an Honors designated core course if it is not fully enrolled and the student receives permission from the Director of the Honors Program in consultation with the instructor.
To remain a member of the Honors Program, an Honors student must complete one Honors core course by the end of his/her first year in the Honors Program, three Honors core courses by the end of his/her second year in the Honors Program, be enrolled in HON 310 during his/her junior year, and be working on the Honors Capstone Project during his/her senior year.
Transfer students and Ashland University students who enter the Honors Program after the 1st semester of their freshman year are not required to take HON 101. Students who begin the Honors Program with sophomore status at Ashland University (due to post-secondary, transfer, or Ashland University credits) will only be required to complete Honors designated core courses from 3 areas.
Course Number and Title
|
Hrs.
|
Prerequisites |
| HON 101 1st Year Honors Seminar |
3 |
Honors freshman |
| HON 310 Honors Capstone Prep. Seminar |
1 |
Honors: at least junior status |
| HON 390 Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar |
3 |
Honors: at least sophomore status |
| Honors Capstone Project |
6 |
HON 310; permission |
|
Honors Core Courses (Choose 4 Different Areas)
- Logic/Math
- Religion
- Communications
- Natural Sciences
- Humanities
- Aesthetics
- Historical Reasoning
- Social Sciences
|
12 |
Honors or permission |
| Honors Elective |
0-3 |
|
| Choose from the Following: |
|
|
- 2nd HON 390 Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar
|
3 |
Honors; at least sophomore status |
- Honors Core Course in a Fifth Area
|
3 |
Honors |
- Two 1-hour Honors Contract Courses in Major
|
2 |
Honors; at least sophomore status |
- Honors Study Abroad Experience
|
0 |
Honors; permission |
FIRST YEAR HONORS SEMINAR
Prerequisite: Enrollment in Honors Program
A course designed for students admitted to the Honors Program in their first year, satisfying the university IUL requirement. The course introduces students to the Honors Program and Ashland University through classes offered in seminar format, involving assigned readings, discussion, and written assignments. |
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HONORS CAPSTONE PREPARATION SEMINAR (1 Credit Hour)
Prerequisite: Enrollment in Honors Program; at least junior status
The process of preparing a capstone project, including selecting a topic, choosing mentors, preparing a bibliography, constructing a written prospectus, and outlining a timetable for completing the capstone project. This course is required for all juniors who plan to complete an Honors capstone project their senior year. The course may be taken by conference if there is a scheduling conflict. Graded S/U. |
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390 HONORS INTERDISCIPLINARY SEMINAR (3 Credit hours)
Prerequisite: Enrollment in Honors Program, at least sophomore status
A course devoted to various topics related to the Honors program mission of challenging the mind and participating in an intellectual community devoted to discussion and dialogue. Topics will be cross-disciplinary in nature, and the course may be team taught. Typically the course will be tied to a study abroad opportunity in the spring semesters of odd-numbered years. May be repeated once with a different topic. |
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HONORS CAPSTONE PROJECT (6 Total Credit Hours)
6 Total Credit Hours - usually split 3 credit hours in the fall semester and 3 credit hours in the spring semester of the senior year
Prerequisite: HON 310, permission
The Honors Capstone Project will officially begin in the Honors student's next to last semester, although it may start earlier if the student, faculty mentor, and Honors Director agree. The Honors Capstone Project will be completed in two semesters as two sections of Independent Study 498 in the student's major, and thus the student must complete an Independent Study Request Form from the Registrar's office prior to registration. For more information, see the Independent Study Program section of the Ashland University catalog. A written prospectus is required of all Honors students by the conclusion of HON 310, and this prospectus (approved by the professor of HON 310, the faculty mentor, and the Honors Director) should serve as a guide to the Capstone Project. The Honors Capstone Project will typically be completed in the Honors student's final semester, will be reviewed and approved by the faculty mentor, Honors Director, and an additional faculty reviewer of an appropriate academic department, and will be publicly presented to the Ashland University community. The Honors Capstone Project Handbook distributed in HON 310 should be consulted for the appropriate deadlines for completing the project, submitting the project to the faculty reviewer, submitting the project to the Honors Director, and presenting the project. |
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Honors Elective
| Honors students have four options for completing the Honors elective: taking a second HON 390, taking an Honors designated core course in a fifth area, completing two Honors Contract Courses, or completing an Honors Study Abroad experience. The latter two options are described in more detail below. |
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Honors Contract Course
| To fulfill the Honors elective requirement, an Honors student may add-on one credit to two upper level courses within his/her major by completing additional work beyond the normal requirements and expectations of the courses. The additional work should focus on inquiry, discovery, and critical thinking, important skills the student will need as he/she works on the Honors Capstone Project.
An Honors student wishing to enroll in an Honors Contract Course must fill out a contract, in consultation with the course instructor, describing in detail the additional work or project that will be tied to the academic content of the course. The contract must be signed by the student and the course instructor, and should be submitted to the Honors Director when the student registers for classes. The contract must be submitted no later than the end of the first week of classes.
The Honors portion of an Honors Contract Course will be evaluated satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) by the course instructor. The course to which the Honors Contract is attached will be graded according to the course criteria. Acknowledgement of Honors Contract courses will be indicated on the student's transcript.
To print a copy of the Honors Add-On Contract: Honors Add On Contract Course Application |
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Honors Study Abroad Experience
| An Honors student participating in a Study Abroad Experience with an academic component related to the Honors Program mission statement may submit a petition requesting a waiver of the Honors elective. This petition must be approved prior to the beginning of the Study Abroad Experience and will be reviewed by the Honors Advisory Committee. At the request of this committee, the Honors Program Director may require a student to complete additional work beyond the normal expectations of the Study Abroad Experience in order to waive the Honors Elective. In particular, Study Abroad Experiences connected directly to Ashland University courses will almost always require a student to complete additional work. The student must submit a Course Substitution and Waiver Form signed by his/her advisor and the Honors Program Director upon completion of the Study Abroad Experience to the Registrar's office. No Honors Program academic credit will be awarded for this experience, although the student may receive academic credit from the university.
To print a copy of the Study Abroad Petition: Honors Study Abroad Petition
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Continuation/Graduation Requirements
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In order to remain in the Honors Program, students must maintain an overall GPA at Ashland University of at least 3.3 during their freshmen year, 3.4 during their sophomore year, and 3.5 during their junior and senior years. If the GPA drops below this standard, the student will be placed on probationary status if he/she can meet the standard by the end of the subsequent semester; otherwise, the student will be dismissed from the Honors Program. A student on probationary status who does not raise his/her cumulative GPA to meet the standard by the end of the subsequent semester will be dismissed from the Honors Program. Students who are dismissed from the Honors Program may reapply to the Honors Program if they raise their overall GPA to a 3.5. Students must meet the 3.5 standard at the time of graduation.
An Honors course taken with an S/U option will not count towards fulfilling Honors program curricular requirements (except for HON 310). Note an Honors class taken with an S/U option will count towards completing a category of the core curriculum, but it will not count as one of the required Honors designated core courses.
Additionally, Honors students are required to attend 4 events each year - the Honors Retreat, the Fall Honors Lecture, the Spring Honors Lecture, and the Academic Honors Convocation. Failure to attend these events may result in dismissal from the Honors Program.
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Recognition and Achievement Award
| The academic transcript of each Honors graduate bears an acknowledgement of work completed in the Honors Program. The Howard O. Rowe Faculty Honors Scholarship is awarded annually to the graduating student whose Honors thesis is considered to be the best among his/her peers. |
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