Honors Program

If you are interested in additional academic challenges, the Honors Program in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences (CFANS) is a great option to pursue. Designed to promote and recognize outstanding achievement, the Honors Program provides you with the chance to go beyond the borders of your ESPM degree program. As a student in the CFANS Honors Program, you'll have the opportunity to explore new ideas in small honors courses, gain experience conducting high-quality research, live in Scholars House in Bailey Residence Hall, attend honors colloquia on current issues, receive special honors advising, and participate in a diverse honors community.

Students have the opportunity to participate in honors at the lower (freshman/sophomore) and upper (junior/senior) division levels. In the lower division honors program , students participate in honors courses and honors colloquia focusing on current issues in their chosen field of study. Honors students who successfully complete the lower division honors program requirements are recognized by a certificate of completion and designation on their student transcript.

The heart of the upper division honors program is the completion of an honors project, supervised by a faculty mentor. Students also participate in an honors seminar designed to expose them to science topics in their field. You must complete the upper division program if you want to graduate with Latin honors ( summa cum laude , magna cum laude , cum laude ). If you do not participate in upper division honors, you are still eligible to receive the University's "Distinction" and "High Distinction" designation on your transcript, which is based on your overall GPA.

Entrance Requirements

You can enter the Honors Program as a freshman, transfer, or current student. Incoming freshmen typically have an ACT score of 28 or higher, or rank in the upper 10 percent of their high school graduating class. Acceptance to the Honors Program as a freshman is based on your admissions application to the University; there is no separate application.

Transfer and current students entering the program usually have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. For those applying to the lower division program, a combination of the Honors Program Application, high school, and college coursework will be used. Students who successfully complete the lower division program and have a solid college record can be considered for automatic admission to the upper division program. For students seeking direct admission to the upper division program, the decision will be based upon the Honors Program Application and college record.