Accelerated Honors Program

Up to date information regarding the Honors Programs, including admission and advising information can be found here: Honors College.

The Accelerated Honors Program (minimum 19 credit hours) is designed for students who enter the Honors College with 30 or more completed credit hours. The program includes a primary emphasis upon the completion of major requirements and the production of a final distinction project in six or fewer semesters.

Accelerated Honors Core Curriculum

Completion of One of the Following:

First-time new in college students, regardless of class standing, must complete UHC 110 - Freshman Honors Seminar .

Transfer students and current MSU students admitted to the Honors College after completing GEP 101 - First-Year Foundations must complete one General Honors course or one Honors Experiential Learning Experience.

General Honors Course

Honors students must take one Honors-coded courses (HONR) throughout their career at Missouri State University. These classes can also fulfill General Education requirements. Honors sections are offered within each of the box requirements for General Education curriculum.

Experiential Learning Experience*

UHC 300 Honors Service-Learning

UHC 350 Honors Study Abroad

UHC 396 Honors Independent Study

UHC 398 Honors Undergraduate Research

UHC 399 Honors Internship/Apprenticeship

Students are only required to do one, but are welcome to do more! The experiences range from 1 credit-3 credit hours.

*To complete an Experiential Learning Experience, students must fill out the appropriate form and turn it into the Honors College within the first week of the semester in which they wish to complete the component. Find the forms on the Honor College’s Worksheets and Forms page.

Distinction in the Major (minimum 12 credits)

Students may opt into continuing their honors studies within their major through distinction in major. It is a self-designed program focused on their interests within their major culminating in a final distinction project.

UHC 396 and UHC 398

Students choose combinations of UHC 396: Honors Independent Study and UHC 398: Honors Undergraduate Research that best fit their needs for their honors research experiences. Honors research experiences are commonly attached to a course the student will being taking the same semester as the research experience. In terms of credit hours, if students take a 3-credit hour course and attach the 1 credit hour UHC 396: Honors Independent Study, that adds up to 4 hours of honors credit going towards completing distinction in major.

UHC 410 and UHC 499

The Honors Distinction project is a 3-4 credit hours course focused on completing a capstone project based on the student’s interests. Honors students consult with a faculty member of their choice from their major department to complete this project. This is an opportunity to create specialization within a student’s interests that may not be regularly taught at Missouri State. The Honors Distinction Project must be submitted to the Honors College by the final day of classes prior to a student’s graduation. Students may repeat UHC 499 for up to eight hours in order to complete their project.

Distinction Proposal

Students must complete a distinction project proposal under the guidance of a faculty member in their major department. The proposal must be approved by the academic unit leader for the major and by the Director of the Honors College before a student may register for honors course sections. Distinction proposals must be approved prior to the beginning of a student’s senior year.

Additional Requirements and Regulations

GPA Requirement

In order to remain in good standing in the program, a student must maintain a 3.25 cumulative institutional GPA or higher.

Full-Time Student Status

In order to remain in good standing in the program, a student must enroll in 12 or more credit hours per semester.

Progress Review

The Director of the Honors College will review the academic progress of all students at the end of each semester. Students who do not achieve the required 3.25 cumulative institutional GPA will be given one semester to achieve that level, provided it is mathematically possible.

Students who cannot achieve a 3.25 cumulative institutional GPA or who fail to reach a 3.25 for two consecutive semesters will be ineligible to continue in the program. Students who are removed from the program may apply for readmission after one semester if their academic performance satisfies program requirements. Students who are removed from the program a second time are not eligible for readmission.

Earned Credential

Students who complete all Accelerated Honors Program requirements and earn a final institutional GPA of 3.25 or higher are eligible to graduate from the Honors College after they satisfy all other University degree requirements.

Final transcripts and diplomas will include the notation “Bachelor of _______ (with possible grade point honors such as cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude) in the Honors College with Distinction in ______.”