Honors Program
- Department Office: BA 221
- Phone Number: 507-537-7141
- Website: https://www.smsu.edu/academics/programs/honors/
The Honors Program at Southwest Minnesota State University offers qualified students from all disciplines enhanced opportunities to develop leadership skills, engaged critical thinking, and global consciousness. The Honors Program supports an undergraduate education through a rigorous and challenging curriculum with a focus on the individual student’s potential talents, interests, and abilities. Honors Program students are encouraged to design an academic plan that creates innovative experiences, exploration of diversity, interdisciplinary connections, and contributions to the community.
The Honors Program offers two pathways: the Traditional Pathway and the Transfer Pathway. The Traditional Pathway provides qualified students with an alternative to the university’s Liberal Education Program (LEP). In place of the standard LEP, honors students, in consultation with the Honors Program Director and a review board of faculty members from diverse disciplines, design their own course of study in the liberal arts—one that is more challenging and directly suited to their individual academic needs. Traditional Pathway students are also required to take Introduction to Honors, Honors Seminar, and core courses from three different categories. Core courses chosen must be from more than one discipline. Additionally, each student is required to complete an hour-long senior dialogue with selected faculty members.
The Transfer Pathway is an option for transfer students. (Talk to the Honors Program Director to determine which pathway is most appropriate for your situation.) Transfer Pathway students are required to complete the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, a senior dialogue, Honors Seminar, and core courses from three different categories. Core courses chosen must be from more than one discipline. Students who choose this pathway may not double-count core courses for the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.
Once admitted to the Honors Program, students will be required to maintain an overall 3.4 cumulative grade point average. Students successfully completing the Honors Program with an overall cumulative grade point average of 3.4 or above will graduate from the Honors Program, and being an Honors Program graduate will be noted on their transcripts and at Commencement. Students who do not maintain the required academic standards for the Honors Program will not graduate from the Honors Program, but will graduate if all other Southwest Minnesota State University requirements for graduation have been met.
For more information about the program, including application information, please see www.SMSU.edu/academics/programs/honors/.
This course introduces students to the SMSU Honors Program. Subjects covered include the requirements and responsibilities of being an honors student, an introduction to university life and campus resources, the history and goals of liberal education, and assessments of student capacities concerning those goals. The main objective will be to assist students to design an Honors Program Proposal, but there will also be formal discussions of topical issues, written assignments, guest faculty visits, off-campus visits, and a careful reading of several central texts.
A study of more advanced topics in honors not normally provided as part of the curriculum.
Students will discover new knowledge by completing and presenting an approved undergraduate research, scholarly, or creative project and reflecting on the experience.Prerequisites: Admission into the Honors Program on the Experiential Pathway
Students will engage with the campus or community by participating in an approved volunteer opportunity or internship and reflecting on the experience.Prerequisites: Admission into the Honors Program on the Experiential Pathway
Students will lead by taking on an approved leadership role in a campus or community club or organization and reflecting on the experience. Prerequisites: Admission into the Honors Program on the Experiential Pathway
A course to be designed by the student in conjunction with his/her advisor and approved by the Honors Review Board as partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Honors Program.
Students will be selected after an application process and will work with close supervision by the Director of the Honors Program. They will lead discussions, plan and conduct tours and/or trips, and arrange for class visits by faculty (and others) who might make presentations to the Introduction to Honors Course.
A study of more advanced topics in honors not normally provided as part of the curriculum.
A senior interdisciplinary seminar for honors students as partial fulfillment of the Honors Program.
To provide honors credit for workshops in the area.