Honors Program

Mission Statement

The Eastern Honors Program offers exceptionally capable students the challenge and opportunity to enhance their academic talents and careers. Through its curriculum of enriched studies, the Honors Program emphasizes four goals: to recognize excellence in scholarship, to reward distinguished achievement, to direct intellectual curiosity toward continued accomplishment, and to equip students with the tools to succeed in honors programs at receiving institutions.

Successful completion of the Eastern Honors Program entitles graduates to have their diplomas so noted by the designation “Honors Program Graduate”. This designation will also be noted on the official student transcripts. All Honors students are expected to earn and maintain active membership in Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges.

Eligibility Requirements for Honors “Gold”

Students who are identified as high school seniors, enrolling in Eastern in the fall semester.

Students may be accepted in the Honors Program if they fulfill at least two of the following requirements; however, the ACT composite score must be one of those two criteria. Honors students must interview with the Honors Program Director.

Composite score of 25 on the ACT or a total of 1140 on the SAT. (ACT must not be below 24)
High school grade point average of at least 3.7 (on a 4.0 scale) or ranking in the top 10 percent of their graduating class.
Grade point average of at least 3.5 on college course work attempted.
Exceptional talents or abilities demonstrated through portfolios, projects, papers, awards, auditions, etc.

Eligibility Requirements for Honors “Blue”

Students who are identified after they are enrolled and attending college classes.

Students may be accepted into the Honors Program after they have been attending college classes if they fulfill the following requirements and interview with the Honors Program Director.

Grade Point Average of 3.5 in all college courses.
Two letter of recommendation from college instructors.
Exceptional talents or abilities demonstrated through portfolios, projects, papers awards, auditions, etc.
Willingness to take six hours of Honors Humanities and two Honors Seminars.

Honors Program Graduation Requirements

Honors Program students must complete 12 hours of Honors course work, maintain a 3.5 overall grade point average with 3.0 grade point average in Honors classes and demonstrate writing proficiency to graduate with Honors.

Honors “Blue” must complete 8 hours of Honors course work, maintain a 3.5 G.P.A. with a 3.0 G.P.A. in Honors classes and demonstrate writing proficiency to graduate with Honors.

Scholarship Opportunity

$2000 scholarships available through the Honors Program (Tuition waivers start at $1500/year; Room waivers start at $500/year)

Honors Program Curriculum

A minimum of 12 Honors credits are required for incoming college freshmen, Honors “Gold.” A minimum of 8 Honors credits are required for students identified after they have been taking classes on campus, Honors “Blue.”

Honors students are required to take three (two for Honors “Blue”) Honors seminars.
HNRS 1221/2221 – Honors Seminar (a one hour seminar which is offered each semester)

All Honor students are required to successfully complete six hours of Honors Humanities which will fulfill the Humanities requirement for all majors.

HUMAN 2233: World Literature I (offered in the fall semesters)
HUMAN 2513: The Arts & Humanities and Social/Political Change (offered in the spring semesters)

Honors “Gold” students will complete one other Honors course from the general education curriculum.