Home > Honors Program > Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Honors Program?
The Honors Program offers enriched courses and special activities designed for academically prepared and motivated students. Honors classes are small--on the average about 16 students per section--and uniquely interactive, guided by the conviction that the best education involves questioning as well as memorizing, evaluating as well as comprehending. The Honors Program is committed to fostering creative thinking and active learning.
How do I become eligible to join the Honors Program?
As an entering freshman, you should have a combined SAT score (Verbal and Math) of at least 1100 or an ACT composite score of 24 (Math 23, English 27), along with a high school grade point average of at least 3.00. If you are a transfer student from another college or university, or are currently enrolled at VSU, a grade point average of a 3.00 makes you eligible to apply for admission to the Honors Program.
How do I complete the Honors Program?
The Honors Program requires a minimum of seven Honors courses completed with a B or better, and an overall GPA of a 3.00. A two-credit gateway introductory seminar (Honors 1990) and a three-credit capstone seminar (Honors 3990) are part of the required courses. The remaining five courses may be chosen from a mix of Honors Core curriculum courses, other Honors seminars than the ones mentioned above, and Honors Option Credit (taking a non-Honors course for Honors credit). Upon completion, you receive an Honors Program Certificate, special notation on your transcript, and public recognition. Upon graduation from VSU, you receive a gold diploma seal, a gold honors cord to wear at graduation, and other forms of public recognition. Most importantly, future employers as well as graduate and professional schools will recognize your commitment to perseverance, academic excellence, and intellectual exploration.
What else is special about the Honors Program?
First off, the Honors Program offers you priority registration, which will make a big difference, especially in your first year on campus. Also, we offer you use of the Honors Center at the VSU Honors House. Here you will find comfortable study space, a lounge area, computers and printers, two seminar rooms, and the Honors Library. The VSU Honors House is open during normal business hours. The Honors Program also offers Honors housing, a thriving Honors Student Association for social and extra-curricular activities, and many events both on and off campus throughout the year. The Honors Program is an institutional member of the National Collegiate Honors Council, the Southern Regional Honors Council, and the Georgia Honors Council, which sponsor numerous research and activity opportunities, as well as exciting conferences in major cities throughout the United States.
Where will Honors Courses fit into my curriculum?
With the exception of the seminars, all Honors courses are Core Curriculum courses, counting just the same as a non-Honors Core course would in your college requirements. Every Honors course taken counts toward graduation (with the seminars counting as elective credit and possibly major credit).
Do I have to take all Honors Courses?
No, not at all. You are welcome to take one Honors course at a time to see how you like the Program. However, to make progress in the Program and to remain eligible for priority registration, you must take at least one Honors course a semester after you have been accepted. In general, most students will sign up for one Honors core course and the introductory Seminar (see below) in the Fall semester, and then will sign up for one or more Honors core courses in succeeding semesters.
What about my GPA?
Many students are worried that being in the Honors Program will hurt them, that the courses are harder and the grading standards more difficult. You will probably be expected to work more independently than in regular sections, and most honors classes emphasize understanding principles and ideas rather than merely accumulating facts. Given these qualities, it stands to reason that most students in the Honors Program maintain a "B" or better grade point average.
What are the Honors Seminars? (Honors 1990 & Honors 3990)
An Honors seminar is a special course that explores interdisciplinary topics not covered in traditional classes. In the past, seminar topics have included Myth and Ritual in Modern Society, The Question of Evil, Native American Religions, Cosmology, Contemporary Views of Man, Ecology, Geomythology, Issues in Civilization, Women in the Arts, The Role and Function of a University, The 1930's, Religion and Violence, and The Myth of the Frontier. You should take Honors 1990 in your freshman year, or when it is offered, HONS 2000, a symposium course geared toward a lecture series. HONS 1990 is always offered each semester. The Capstone seminar (Honors 3990) is generally taken after you have completed most or all of your other Honors courses.
What Honors Courses are offered?
We have a complete listing of all current available online Core Curriculum Honors courses.
How do I get more information?
Come by the VSU Honors House, located at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Oak Street. Or call the Honors Program director, Dr. Ofelia Nikolova, at 249-4894. You may also email the program director at ornikolova@valdosta.edu. You can also apply online to join the Honors Program.