Honors Program Academic Requirements

Entering the Program

First-year entering students are invited to join the Heidelberg Honors Program if they have ACT scores of 27 or SAT combined scores of 1820. Candidates for the program must rank in the upper 10 percent of their high school graduating class or have a high school GPA of 3.5 (A=4.0).

Students who do not meet these criteria upon enrolling at Heidelberg may apply for admission to the Honors Program if they have earned a 3.5 GPA after 15 semester hours but prior to the completion of 56 semester hours.

Transfer students are also invited to participate in the Honors Program provided they meet the high school entry criteria noted above, have at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA from an accredited college or university and can complete the full program in an appropriate time frame.

Continuing in the Program

To remain in the Honors Program, a student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher and must complete one or more honors seminars each year. A student who does not bring her or his GPA back to 3.3 may appeal to the Dean of the Honors Program for an additional semester to improve her or his GPA.

Exiting the Program

If a student is dismissed from the Honors Program prior to completing 56 semester hours, he/she will return to the General Education Requirements. After 56 semester hours, if a student is dismissed, he/she will complete the honors requirements minus HNR 455 (Senior Honors Project), HNR 307 (Service Learning) and the honors portfolio.

Withdrawal from the Program

If a student withdraws from the Honors Program prior to completing 56 semester hours, he/she will go back to the General Education Requirements. After 56 semester hours, if a student withdraws, he/she will complete the honors requirements minus HNR 455 (Senior Honors Project), HNR 307 (Service Learning) and the honors portfolio. A student must withdraw from the Honors Program in writing to the Honors Committee.

Graduation Requirement

To graduate from the Honors Program with an honors diploma, a student must have successfully completed a recognized major, the Junior Written and Oral and Capstone requirements within the major, COR 100, the HPE requirements and FYE 100. In addition, a student must complete the introductory honors seminar, the four thematic honors seminars, the service-learning requirement, the senior honors project, the honors portfolio and a program of support courses, if applicable, while earning a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3.

Summary of Requirements

I. Seminars
     To contemplate “The Life of the Mind” as it is reflected by four intellectual personae: the scholar, the scientist, the artist and the citizen.
II. Support Courses
     To explore challenges and opportunities in many areas of Heidelberg.
III. Service Learning
     To develop the habit of service – a human habit.
IV. Senior Honors Project
     To individualize and deepen a student's understanding of a topic of compelling interest in the major.
V. Portfolio
     To encourage students to preserve their best work, to shape their educations and to assess their own growth