https://www.marshall.edu/honors
honorscollege@marshall.edu
The Honors College allows eligible students in any undergraduate major at Marshall University to add value to their degree by joining the mission of honors education. Honors students pursue their degree in one of the other colleges and make the Honors College another academic home where they receive various forms of support that enhance their experiences at Marshall and add value to their degree. We offer students in the Honors College many benefits, including priority registration. We also believe that honors education should be defined by an expectation of honorable action.
Mission of the College
The Honors College at Marshall University provides an environment for innovative teaching and learning within an interdisciplinary curriculum motivated by creative, critical inquiry and respect for multiple thoughts, experiences, and identities. The Honors College collaborates with university and public partners to foster inclusive academic excellence in a diverse and supportive community of scholars dedicated to becoming socially conscious, responsible leaders and lifelong learners engaged in acquiring and applying knowledge for a greater good.
To this end, students participating in the Honors College will:
- Make connections while adapting and applying skills and learning among varied disciplines, domains of thinking, experiences, and situations.
- Outline divergent solutions to a problem, develop and explore potentially controversial proposals, and synthesize ideas or expertise to generate original plans and approaches.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of their work, reflect on strengths and weaknesses of their knowledge and skills in defined areas, and devise ways to make improvements.
- Produce cohesive oral, written, and visual communications that connect effectively with specific audiences.
- Appraise how cultural beliefs and practices affect inter-group communication, how specific approaches to global issues may affect communities differently, and how varying economic, religious, social, or geographical interests can result in conflict.
- Demonstrate principles of ethical citizenship and socially responsible leadership through collaborative partnerships.
- Evaluate how academic theories and public policy inform one another to support civic well-being.
Programs
University Honors Curriculum
The curriculum requires 24 credits equally divided across two distinct areas: “Core Honors” and “General Honors.” As many as 15 credits can be earned through fulfilling requirements in other curricular areas, e.g., General Education and those of a student’s major college.
Core Honors Requirements
A total of 12 credits, as seen below.
- Lower Division Seminars [6 credits]
- FYS 100H First Year Seminar-Honors – An honors section of a General Education course, which is required for all Marshall students.
- HON 200 Second Year Seminar – A second year seminar in Leadership, Ethics and Civic Engagement. This unique honors seminar is only offered in the spring semester and must be taken at the end of a student’s second year with the rest of their cohort.
- Upper Division Seminars & Experiential Learning [6 credits]
Students must obtain permission and reserve a seat to register for the courses below by arranging an advising appointment during Honors Advising the week before Priority Registration. At least one section of HON 480 Special Topics is required for all honors students, unless they are in a defined, alternative "pathway" to completing the college's requirements. This currently includes the Honors Incubator Pathway. Students may take HON 300 Honors Peer Mentors & Leaders, another HON 480 Special Topics, or two consecutive semesters of HON 490 TedxMarshallU Honors Interns to complete the upper-division Core Honors requirement.
- HON 300 Honors Peer Mentors & Leaders - A collaborative, experiential learning course focused on developing practical skills and assist in providing service to other honors students.
- HON 480 Special Topics – HON 480 is taken during a student’s third and/or fourth year after HON 200 is completed in their second year. Interdisciplinary, topical courses change each semester. See our website for details.
- HON 490 TedxMarshallU Honors Interns – A collaborative, experiential learning course requiring two semesters (Fall and Spring) designing, developing, and staging a TEDx event for a total of 3 earned credits. Requires a short application to the Faculty Mentor and TEDx licensee for Marshall.
General Honors Requirements
A total of 12 credits in any combination of the following.
- Departmental Honors-Designated Courses [H]. These courses are typically offered as General Education courses, e.g., ANT 201H Cultural Anthropol Honors (CT), by many academic departments and are restricted to enrollment by honors students. See a list of honors-designated sections on our website each semester at www.marshall.edu/honors/courses/.
- Additional Sections of HON 300, HON 480, or HON 490. Additional sections of these courses are counted as General Honors when not being applied to fulfill upper-division Core Honors credit requirements.
- Other Experiential Learning Courses and Co-Curricular Opportunities. These options require permission and/or form submission. No more than 6 credits waived for any reason (e.g., study abroad or incoming college credit waiver)
- HON 484 – The Honors Oracle News (a student-led newspaper)
- HON 489 – Worthwhile internships may be contracted for between 1-3 honors credits. The college also permits students to arrange to earn credit in the required honors curriculum for enrollment in a departmental internship course. The student must submit, receive approval, and fulfill an Honors Internship Contract in order to receive honors-designated academic credit. The Honors Internship allows students to complete some of their requirements in the Honors College through a rewarding co-curricular experience. Honors students must arrange for a designated On-Site Supervisor and a Faculty Mentor. At the end of the contracted period, the Honors Intern must submit a report and provide a presentation. The On-Site Supervisor must submit a comprehensive evaluation of the intern.
- Study Abroad – The Honors College developed an intensive 2-week study abroad program in partnership with the Dundalk Institute of Technology in Ireland offered annually. Honors students in the program may apply 6 credits earned at DkIT in the Cultural Landscapes Certificate to the Honors Curriculum, without any additional forms, including 3 credits toward the upper-division Core Honors. Other study abroad experiences may, in some instances, be substituted for up to six General Honors credits through an approved contract with the Honors College. See the Forms page for details: https://www.marshall.edu/honors/forms/.
- Honors Option Contract – An Honors Option can be arranged through a contract between the student, a Faculty Mentor, and the Honors College. This contract lays out the means to enhance a non-Honors course and to earn honors credit by fulfilling the terms of the contracted work. Students must demonstrate their need to use this option and seek permission in advance before submitting a proposal for review by the Dean. See the Forms page on the college’s website for details.
- College Credit Waiver for Incoming First-Year Students
- Students may submit an application as a first-semester student at Marshall to have 3-6 hours of General Honors credits waived if you have earned at least 15 hours of AP or DC college credit in high school. The waiver will not be entered as n “exception” in their DegreeWorks until their final semester. The form is on the college website's Forms page and is generally due before the end of their first semester at Marshall.
Additional opportunities for earning honors credits can be found on the college website.
Top Scholars Program
The Top Scholars Program at Marshall University unites several of the university’s most prestigious scholarships under one umbrella. Designed to attract and support exceptional students, Top Scholars is administered through the Honors College and offers unparalleled academic, co-curricular, and professional development experiences.
Top Scholars receive tailored mentorship, enriched learning opportunities, and coordinated access to competitive funding, international study, and undergraduate research. The initiative supports Marshall’s strategic goals for inclusive excellence, student achievement, and statewide impact.
Within the Top Scholars initiative, named scholar cohorts include:
- Yeager Scholars
The Yeager Scholars Program is named for United States Air Force Brigadier General Charles E. “Chuck’’ Yeager, a West Virginia native and the first person to break the sound barrier in his historic 1947 flight of the Bell-X-1 aircraft. Students in the program, known as Yeager Scholars, are provided a greatly enhanced educational experience at Marshall with opportunities to expand their intellectual abilities, develop their leadership potential, become effective communicators, and gain the skills and knowledge necessary to create successful careers. Yeager Scholars receive tuition, fees, room and board, a textbook allowance, a laptop, a stipend, and education-related study abroad expenses. The Yeager Scholar Program is housed within the Honors College, and Yeager Scholars are members of the college with distinct curricular and co-curricular requirements. The program is administered by the Director of the Society of Yeager Scholars together with the Dean of the Honors College and a Board of Directors. Each cohort of scholars must follow the policies and expectations outlined in their handbook, which is updated annually. For additional information, see https://www.marshall.edu/yeager.
- Hodges Scholars
Funded by the Virgil and Irene Hodges Memorial Scholarship, Hodges Scholars are West Virginia residents who demonstrate financial need and academic excellence. Recipients must maintain full-time status and good standing within the Honors College. The scholarship is renewable for up to four years.
- Hedrick Scholars
The Hedrick Scholarship is awarded to West Virginia residents, with priority given to graduates from Cabell, Logan, Putnam, and Wayne counties. Applicants must have a minimum 28 ACT or 1310 SAT score and an unweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher. Up to three awards are granted annually, and recipients may also be eligible for additional scholarships such as the West Virginia Promise Scholarship.
- 1837 Scholars
Named in honor of Marshall University's founding year, the 1837 Scholars program recognizes students who exemplify the university's core values of academic excellence, leadership, and community engagement. This scholarship celebrates the institution's rich history and commitment to nurturing future leaders.
Top Scholars are members of the Honors College and follow distinct pathways depending on their cohort. Admission is competitive and varies by program.
Admission Requirements
Incoming First-Year Students
Incoming first-year students who have been accepted to Marshall University have two pathways to admission to the Honors College.
Admission by Invitation
Incoming first-year students who have been admitted to Marshall University and have a composite ACT score of at least 26 (composite 1230 SAT or higher) and a high school GPA of 3.5 or greater are invited in their myMU accounts to join the Honors College. There is no separate application for admission to the college via this pathway to admission. The stated test scores and GPA must be reported to the university and the invitation accepted by the eligible student before the deadline, typically May 1.
Admission by Holistic Review
Students admitted to Marshall who do not have at least the minimum test score that would lead to an automatic invitation from the Honors College but do have a 3.5 or greater high school GPA may apply for admission to the Honors College. Students seeking holistic review complete a separate application to the Honors College available on the college’s website under Admissions. Applications for Holistic Review for admission in the Fall semester will be reviewed on a rolling basis, typically through April 15 each year.
Current, Transfer and Late-Admitted Students
All requests for admission (Admission by Invitation pathway) or applications for admission (Admission by Holistic Review pathway) must be made before the end of the 7th week of the semester before the earliest registration period.
Fall Semester
Admission by Invitation
Current students admitted to Marshall to begin their degree requirements in the Fall semester who are NOT classified as transfer students (students who began their baccalaureate degree elsewhere before coming to Marshall) and who have not yet earned a GPA at Marshall but have at least a 3.5 high school GPA and at least a 26 ACT or 1230 SAT composite score, can request to be considered for a late “Admission by Invitation,” which does not require an application. This pathway to admission is only available in the Fall semester for current students.
Admission by Holistic Review
Current students (continuing at Marshall from an earlier semester) and qualified transfer students (students who began their baccalaureate degree elsewhere before coming to Marshall) with at least a 3.5 college GPA (earned at Marshall for current students) in at least 12 completed credit hours, who will have no more than 30 earned credits at the end of the Fall semester, may petition for admission by requesting to apply to the college. At the time of application, current and transfer students may request a waiver of up to 6 credits of General Honors toward completion of the required Honors curriculum.
Spring Semester
Admission by Invitation for Late-Admitted, Spring Semester Students
Students admitted to Marshall to begin their degree requirements in the Spring semester who are NOT classified as transfer students (students who began their baccalaureate degree elsewhere before coming to Marshall) and who have not yet earned a GPA at Marshall but have at least a 3.5 high school GPA and at least a 26 ACT or 1230 SAT composite score, can request to be considered for late “Admission by Invitation,” which does not require an application. This pathway to admission is only available in the Spring semester for late-admitted students.
Admission by Holistic Review
Current students (continuing at Marshall from an earlier semester), incoming students admitted late (to start in Spring semester), and qualified transfer students (students who began their baccalaureate degree elsewhere before coming to Marshall) with at least a 3.5 college GPA (earned at Marshall for current students) in at least 12 completed credit hours, who will have no more than 30 earned credit-hours at the end of the Spring semester, may petition for admission by requesting to apply to the college. At the time of application, both current and transfer students may request a waiver of up to 6 hours of general Honors credits toward completion of the required Honors curriculum.
Academic Policies
To remain in good academic standing in the Honors College, a student must:
- be enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program at Marshall University
- complete 6 honors credits within the first 2 semesters in the Honors College
- register for HON 200 in the Spring of their second year at Marshall.
Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.30. Students who fall below this level are given a semester of academic probation. Those who return their GPA to 3.30 or higher at that semester’s end will be reinstated to good standing in the Honors College.
First-year students who achieve an overall GPA between 2.70 and 2.99 in their first semester will automatically be placed on Honors Academic Probation for up to two semesters. This policy aims to provide students with the opportunity to access support services to improve their academic performance. The goal is for students on probation to achieve an overall GPA of at least 3.30 by the end of their probationary period.
Students who fail to meet these standards may be dismissed from the Honors College and forfeit any future Honors College benefits. Exceptions to any of these standards must be approved by the Dean upon a student's submission of the Honors College Exception Request form.
To receive honors credit, students must earn a C or better in a course.
Additional policies are outlined in the Honors College Policy Handbook on the college’s website.
Graduation with University Honors
Students who wish to graduate from the Honors College must complete 24 credits of honors experiences as described in the University Honors Curriculum. For students successfully fulfilling the requirements, their official transcript will state that they have graduated with University Honors through the Honors College. These students are also awarded an Honors Medallion at either the Winter Honors Medallion Ceremony or the Elisabeth Gibson Drinko Honors Convocation, depending on the semester of their graduation. The Honors College does not issue “honors cords.” Based solely on GPA, eligible undergraduate students should inquire with the Office of the Registrar prior to Commencement to pick up academic honor cords and tassels.
