Honors college graduates will successfully complete at least 22 hours of honors credit
- May include a maximum of 12 hours of contract courses and undergraduate privilege courses combined.
- Must include the capstone project: HON 4000 (one credit hour) and 4500 (three credit-hours).
Types of Honors College Credit
Honors Seminars: Courses unique to the honors curriculum that offer students an enriched learning experience. Listed with an HON prefix (for example HON 1010-900: Contemporary Public Issues), they are specialized honors experiences which also fulfill general education requirements.
Discipline-Specific Honors Courses: Designated honors sections of courses that are offered university-wide and fulfill general education requirements. Courses carry a -900 (or higher) section number (for example PHI 1000-900: Introduction to Philosophy).
Contract Courses: Traditional university courses that are tailored to meet honors requirements by requiring work that is above and beyond the normal expectations of the course. Contract courses require an “honors contract” to be developed, describing the honors component which will be added to the course. To learn more about contract courses and to submit a proposal, click here.
Capstone Project Courses: The senior project course sequence, HON 4000 (one credit hour) and HON 4500 (three credit hours), is typically the final honors requirement prior to graduation. Students plan and complete the project over the course of two terms with the support of a faculty mentor and the Honors College senior project coordinator.
Course Equivalencies: Any equivalencies or substitutions for honors credit will be determined by the dean of the Maynor Honors College and require the completion and approval of an Honors Course Equivalency Proposal.
- Graduate School Courses: Courses taken through the UNCP Graduate School's Undergraduate Privilege Program. Student must have completed 75 hours of undergraduate course work (24 at UNCP) to be eligible. Please see the above link for more information.
- Study Abroad Courses: Study abroad courses may be equivalent to HON 3000: Cultures in Contact.
- Honors Transfer Credit: Transfer students who have completed honors coursework at an accredited institution of higher education may apply for equivalency.
Progress Toward Honors College Graduation
Our goal in the Honors College is to support students in their academic goals and to provide them with opportunities and resources to thrive. Students can expect yearly status reports in their progress toward Honors College graduation and may request an update at any time.
Good Standing:
Students are expected to successfully complete a minimum of one honors course every academic year until 18 hours of honors credit (I.e. all coursework except the capstone project) are completed. Requests for a waiver can be made to the Dean of the Honors College.
Students are expected to meet GPA benchmarks at the end of each year of membership in the Honors College as noted below.
- End of First Year: 3.0 Cumulative GPA
- End of Second Year: 3.25 Cumulative GPA
- End of Third Year and Above: 3.4 Cumulative GPA
- At Graduation: 3.4 Cumulative GPA
Progress Notice:
Students who fall below the above GPA benchmarks or who do not complete any Honors College coursework at the end of any academic year will receive a Progress Notice. Students will continue to enjoy Honors College membership and all associated benefits and will receive support from the Honors College staff. An individual plan may be developed in order to meet the needs of each student and to support progress towards Honors College graduation. Students who meet both the GPA and curricular benchmarks at (or before) the end of the following academic year, or who meet the goals set in the individual plan, will retain Good Standing status and the Progress Notice will be removed.
Membership Suspension:
Students who do not meet the GPA or curricular benchmarks for two consecutive academic years or who fail to meet the goals of their individual plan following a progress notice will no longer be active members of the Honors College. This will affect any future financial or academic benefits associated with the Honors College. However, academic standing in the University is not affected and Honors College coursework completed will continue to count towards their degree. Former members of the Honors College remain important to our community, and are very much welcome at Honors College events and activities and to continue living in Honors College housing if desired.
