Honors College
The Honors College at Columbus State University provides an innovatively delivered curriculum that challenges academically talented students to individualize their degree programs. Educational programming is available to students admitted to the Honors College as undergraduates completing the Honors Program of Study and as dual enrollment students in the Honors Academy. In the Honors College students engage in co-curricular learning experiences that include broad, cross-disciplinary perspectives and opportunities for undergraduate research and creative endeavors. Experiences typically include:
- Lower division courses with enhanced activities including field trips, debates, guest speakers, team-based learning, and innovative assignments.
- Enrichment seminars giving students access to professors outside their academic departments who share their expertise in creative, unique, and low stress environments.
- Upper division contracts designed by students and mentored by faculty to delve deeper into each student's discipline and focus on individual, long-term career goals
- Study abroad coursework to gain international perspectives
Almost all honors experiences fulfill requirements in a student's major and are structured to allow students to achieve their personal goals for graduate school or careers. Those admitted to the Honors College have access to priority registration and specialized honors advising to assist them with planning their semester courses and to mentor honors scholarship and grant applications that help fund co-curricular experiences.
Admission
Admission requirements for entering honors freshmen are:
- Combined SAT Math and Critical Reading score of at least 1200 with a minimum of 550 on each subsection or an ACT composite score of 26
- A high school academic GPA of 3.50 or higher
- No College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) deficiencies (based on state of Georgia requirements) preventing regular admission to Columbus State University
Admission requirements for transfer or undergraduate students enrolled at Columbus State Univeristy are:
- Completion of a minimum of 15 semester hours earned that are applicable to a degree program
- An overall cumulative grade point average of 3.4 or higher in courses that are applicable to a university degree program.
Admissions requirements for dual enrollment in the Honors Academy:
- Combined SAT Math and Critical Reading score of at least 1100 with a minimum of 500 on each subsection or an ACT composite score of 24
- A high school academic GPA of 3.50 or higher
The Fall Admissions Deadline to the Honors College is on September 1st each year. Current CSU and transfer students may also apply for spring admission by February 1st each year. Those admitted to the Honors College are eligible to apply for merit based scholarships and grants, but scholarships are not guaranteed. Contact the Honors College at 706-507-8776 or review our website, honors.columbusstate.edu, for current application information.
Undergraduate Curriculum
Undergraduates may earn the Honors Seal on their diploma if they complete 26 credit hours at the honors level in addition to co-curricular honors enrichment seminars. Credit hour requirements typically fulfill academic program requirements within a student's major, but are taken at the honors level. Minimum credit hour requirements include:
- Honors Freshman Seminar, ITDS 1779H Scholarship Across the Disciplines (2 credit hours)
- Lower division courses designated as Honors (6-12* credit hours)
- Upper division Honors Contracts (6-12* credit hours)
- Cross Disciplinary Honors Seminar, HONS 3555 Great Conversations (3 credit hours)
- An Honors Senior Capstone Sequence (3 credit hours)
Non-Credit Hour Enrichment Requirements:
- 3 sections of HONS 3000: Honors Enrichment Seminars
- One of the following off-campus enrichment seminars:
HONS 3010: Global Perspectives (in conjunction with any Study Abroad course)
or HONS 3020: Service Learning
*All students must take a minimum of 18 credit hours of lower or upper division courses in addition to ITDS 1779H, HONS 3555, and the senior capstone sequence. Lower division courses offered at the honors level may be taken by students who have a minimum grade point average of 3.0, if space is available. All honors seminars are restricted to those admitted to the Honors College and are limited to 18 students.
Honors Academy
The Honors Academy offers specialized advising and priority registration for all dual enrollment students admitted to the Honors College. Academy students are encouraged, but not required, to take lower division courses at the honors level. All honors courses are clearly designated on academic transcripts to enhance admission applications to Columbus State University and other institutions of higher education, and position students for merit-based tuition and study abroad scholarships offered to undergraduates through the Honors College.