Honors Program

The Honors Program at Franklin College offers an added opportunity for students seeking to do research and scholarship. The Program is especially suitable for students contemplating graduate study after Franklin. It is open to students who have shown academic excellence and completed at least one semester at Franklin College or another institution of higher learning. The Honors Program emphasizes interdisciplinary honors seminars, designated honors courses in the majors and/or areas, and a select group of honors tutorials in existing courses that will highlight the process of doing research. Students should be aware that these courses can be particularly challenging in terms of time and demands on both intellect and imagination. The senior year will culminate in an honors project or thesis in the student’s discipline of choice. Furthermore, the Honors Program also includes an optional service learning component.

Mission
The Honors Program at Franklin College offers interested students an opportunity to pursue cross-disciplinary research and scholarship while working closely with faculty and other highly qualified students. Through a series of interdisciplinary seminars and the pursuit of scholarly research in a field of academic interest, the Honors Program provides talented and highly motivated students with a chance to explore beyond the boundaries of their regular undergraduate curricula while giving back to the community through both service and the sharing of their knowledge, expertise, and experiences.

Requirements
Students may enter the Program after having completed at least one semester at Franklin College or another institution of higher learning. A minimum cumulative 3.3 GPA or higher and good disciplinary standing at the College are required for admission into the Program. Students must maintain the minimum admission criteria each semester to remain in the Program.

Students not in the Program may be allowed to register for individual honors seminars or courses, depending on available space, the approval of the academic advisor, and permission of the instructor.

To obtain the Honors Certificate, a student must complete a minimum total of
18 honor credit hours, to include:

A minimum of two Honors seminars (6 credits).

A year-long Honors capstone experience (3 credits).
To meet this requirement, students will register for the senior capstone projects in their majors (thesis, senior project, senior research project), which they will pursue for Honors credit.

An additional nine credit hours in other Honors seminars. (9 credits)
Designated Honors courses, Honors tutorials (Honors options) in regularly scheduled courses, or independent studies approved by the Honors coordinator and the appropriate Dean of the College.

In addition to fulfilling the strictly curricular component of the Honors Program, students are expected to attend the College Lecture Series, the Dean’s Roundtables, and other events sponsored by the College.