ETAMU Honors College: 

Build skills. Earn distinction. Make an impact.

Through Honors, you will complete real-world, interdisciplinary pathways that help you connect your passions to purpose—graduating with evidence of not only what you know, but what you can do and the impact you can make in the fields and communities that matter most to you.

The Honors College is home to the University Honors Program, a distinctive, interdisciplinary program for highly motivated students seeking to go beyond the traditional college experience. Open to students in any major, Honors is a comprehensive, guided experience that spans disciplines and emphasizes the application of knowledge in real-world contexts, as well as the development of cross-cutting skills aligned with students’ personal and professional goals.

Students engage in enriched coursework, collaborative and community-based learning, mentored undergraduate research, and creative problem-solving. As members of the Honors College, they gain access to renowned faculty, award-winning staff, and unique experiences that contribute to the development of a standout career portfolio. This portfolio demonstrates advanced skills in critical thinking and problem-solving, communication, leadership, and innovation—skills highly valued by employers and prestigious graduate programs.

The Honors curriculum follows a developmental progression—Introduce, Practice, Perfect, Perform—culminating in a capstone experience in which students publicly demonstrate their learning through research, creative work, or applied projects. This culminating “performance” provides clear evidence of students’ abilities and prepares them for competitive careers and graduate opportunities.

Completion of the Honors Program requires 9 HC credit hours and 6 to 9 additional credit hours in Honors-approved experiences, depending on the student's track.  Honors graduates leave with a portfolio of meaningful work, demonstrated competencies, and a record of achievement that sets them apart and prepares them for what’s next. 

Requirements

1. Honors Foundation Course (3 sch; in-person modality):
   HC 200 First Year Experience: Honors by Design (First-Time First-Year) or LIBS 300 (current/transfer).  This course launches students into the Honors College by centering one essential question: how do you design a university experience that works for you? Through investigative inquiry and reflective practice, students develop the mindset of an empowered learner — one who approaches honors not as a checklist to complete but as a journey to intentionally shape. Students are introduced to the Connect, Create, and Contribute framework, begin building an ePortfolio that will grow throughout their honors career, and develop the community and university navigation skills foundational to a successful first year.
    
2. Honors Inquiry and Leadership (3 sch; in-person modality with online option):  
   HC 350 Leading with Inquiry.  HC 350 is an integrative Honors seminar that empowers students to take ownership of their learning—naming what they care about, investigating the complex problems that matter to them, and designing a capstone pathway that connects their academic interests, professional aspirations, and capacity for meaningful contribution.
   
   Through experiential and project-based learning, students practice the core Honors values of Connect, Create, and Contribute; explore leadership theories; analyze complex community challenges; and engage in interdisciplinary research grounded in both global frameworks and local contexts. Emphasis is placed on inquiry-driven learning, ethical reasoning, and professional readiness as students develop the skills necessary for independent undergraduate research and applied leadership.
    
3. Honors Capstone Experience (HC 490, 495, 497, or course in the major; 3 sch, can be repeated for a total of 6 sch)
   A culminating project of the Honors pathway, the capstone is where students demonstrate their abilities through a substantial project—such as research, creative work, or a community- or industry-based initiative. Students present their work in public or professional contexts, providing clear evidence of their skills in critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving, and preparing them for careers or graduate study. Courses may take place within a student’s major or be documented in HC 497
    
4. HC 401: Honors Capstone Showcase and Visioning of the Future (1 sch, P/F; hybrid modality)
   Taken during the semester prior to graduation, this culminating Honors course guides students through the development of a professional ePortfolio that synthesizes their academic, co-curricular, and experiential learning. Through structured reflection, students examine the connections among their Honors coursework, leadership experiences, undergraduate research, community engagement, internships, study away programs, and other transformative learning opportunities, considering how these experiences have shaped their personal, academic, and professional development.
   
   Particular emphasis is placed on helping students identify, articulate, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they have developed throughout their college experience and how these competencies prepare them for success after graduation.
   
   Successful completion of the course requires a public demonstration of learning through an ePortfolio showcase or poster presentation at an approved venue. Community members, alumni, employers, and industry partners are invited to participate in the event and serve as co-educators, providing students with an opportunity to communicate their Honors and East Texas A&M experiences, showcase their accomplishments, and articulate not only what they know, but what they can do and how those experiences have informed their future goals.
    
5. Honors Depth (6-9  SCH)
   Level 3 and above or Honors-designated courses (Major/Core/Co-curricular via the Transformative Learning Taxonomy, Honors by Contract, or by traditional course designation application)
    
6. Honors Engagement:  500 Honors engagement points/semester
   Embedded activities to include:
   • Participation in a Civil Discourse event (workshop or guest speaker): Required
   • Attending Honors College meetings once a semester: Required
   • Service as an Honors Peer Mentor: By application
7. GPA Requirement  

• Minimum grade of B in Honors coursework
• 3.3 cumulative GPA at graduation

Students can graduate with High or Highest Honors in the following ways:

• Completion of multiple capstone experiences 

• Recommendation from thesis advisor after public demonstration or defense