The Honors College at East Texas A&M University offers high achieving, motivated students an interdisciplinary liberal arts experience within the context of a large regional research institution. Honors College students benefit from smaller class sizes, faculty mentors, and opportunities to explore enduring questions that transcend the boundaries of any one discipline. The Honors College curriculum emphasizes high-impact experiential learning that connects classroom knowledge to real-world contexts and to students’ personal and professional goals. Through bridging the possibilities of technology with the core values of the humanistic tradition, the Honors College develops socially mobile graduates known for building meaningful connections with others, grappling with complex problems to develop innovative solutions, and for making impactful contributions to their civil, professional, and educational communities. The Honors College accepts incoming freshmen as well as current and transfer students. Honors pathways are available for all majors, allowing students to satisfy general education requirements, complete major requirements, and prepare for post-graduation success while earning distinction for their unique contributions to ETAMU. Honors College students are eligible for competitive Honors funding, dedicated Honors housing, and special Honors seminars. They are required to complete a set number of Honors designated courses and co-curricular experiences, as well as a culminating capstone experience where they gain in-depth understanding of challenging material through hands-on learning and real-world application while working alongside faculty experts. 

Admission Requirements

Students may join the Honors College as part of a first-time, first-semester freshmen cohort. See the special requirements outlined below. In addition, pathways are available for returning students and transfer students who have:

● Been admitted to East Texas A&M University as a full-time student at the time of application

● An Institutional GPA of a 3.3 GPA (ETAMU GPA requirement waived for incoming recipients of merit-based awards)

● > 60 credits of coursework remaining before graduation. 

Honors Scholars and First-Year Cohort Learning Community

All admitted students are members of the Honors College Scholars program. First-time full-time freshmen enter the Scholars program as part of a cohort-based learning community. Application to the Scholars program as a first-time, full-time student requires submission of high school transcripts, reflective essays, and optional supplemental documentation. Incoming freshmen Scholars are required to live in Honors housing for their first year, and will engage in on- and off-campus experiential opportunities. Those within the commutable area of 50 miles (one hour drive) may apply for a waiver to the on-campus housing requirement through their myLeo portal.

Honors College Funding Programs

Honors Fellowship Program

In addition to the Scholars program, the College offers a limited number of renewable, merit-based Honors College Fellowships to students entering as first-time freshmen, returning students and transfer students:

● Honors Fellows entering as first-time full-time freshmen receive awards of up to $2000 per semester, renewable for up to 8 semesters.

● Honors Fellows entering as sophomores, juniors, or as transfer students receive renewable awards of up to $1000/semester.

Fellows must be enrolled full-time beginning the first semester awarded and for the duration of the award period, maintain a 3.3 institutional GPA, and be actively working towards their first undergraduate degree at East Texas A&M.

Fellowships are stackable with other financial aid and scholarships.

Honors Student Transformative Learning Award Program (STLA) 

The STLA program provides one-time merit-based funding up to $1500 to support Honors students as they pursue transformative experiences relevant to their personal and professional goals, such as undergraduate research and creative inquiry, internships and other work-based learning, community engaged projects, study away experiences, and projects of their own design. Selection is based on:

● Completeness of application

● Clarity of the proposal

● Thoroughness and preciseness of the budget justification, and

● Letter of recommendation/support of a faculty, staff, or community mentor who has agreed to supervise the experience

Applications are accepted twice a year through the online portal accessible through the Honors website. Honors students in their last semester of study are not eligible to apply. 

Maintaining Active Status and Good Academic Standing 

Upon admission, Honors College Scholars are required to make steady progress toward and maintain a 3.3 institutional GPA. Honors College Scholars must achieve a 3.3 GPA by the beginning of their third long semester to continue in the program. 

Upon admission, Honors College Fellows are required to maintain a minimum 3.3 cumulative GPA. 

Honors Provisional Admittance and Probationary Status 

Honors Scholars entering ETAMU with an institutional GPA of less than 3.3 are accorded provisional admittance. As noted above, Honors Scholars must achieve a 3.3 institutional GPA by the beginning of their third long semester. 

In cases where a Fellows’ cumulative GPA falls to between 3.0 and 3.29, they are assigned Honors probationary status for one semester and are required to complete an Academic Recovery Plan. Fellows must achieve a 3.3 GPA at the end of the semester to retain their Fellowship. If a Fellow does not achieve a 3.3 GPA, they will be accorded provisional status as an Honors Scholar.

A 3.3 GPA is required to graduate with Honors distinction.

Honors Suspension

An Honors College student’s status and financial award (if applicable) may be suspended for the following reasons: 

● GPA drops below the 3.0

● Lack of progress to the required 3.3 threshold after the provisional period 

In cases where a Fellow has lost their fellowship, the student may re-apply for a fellowship in the next application cycle. 

Requirements for Graduation with Honors Distinction 

Honors requirements for graduation are determined based on the number of credits earned at the time of matriculation in the Honors College and the Honors College requirements specific to the student’s catalog year. Students must have at least 60 credit hours remaining upon entry to the Honors pathway and must achieve a 3.3 or higher GPA the semester prior to graduation. Students seeking graduation with High Honors and Highest Honors have additional requirements.

The table below contains a sample illustration of required Honors curricula. Actual courses taken may vary.

*Can be taken in either Fall or Spring semester

First Year
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
18 < 24 Honors SCH Required		18 < 24 Honors SCH Required
CID 2301	3	LIBS 300	3
	3		3
Second Year
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
18 < 24 Honors SCH Required		18 < 24 Honors SCH Required
Approved Honors Experience	3	Approved Honors Experience	3
	3		3
Third Year
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
18 < 24 Honors SCH Required		18 < 24 Honors SCH Required
Approved Honors Experience	3	Approved Honors Experience	3
12 < 18 Honors SCH Required		12 < 18 Honors SCH Required
LIBS 300	3	Approved Honors Experience	3
	6		6
Fourth Year
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
18 < 24 Honors SCH Required		18 < 24 Honors SCH Required
LIBS 400 (or approved substitution)	3	Capstone	3
12 < 18 Honors SCH Required		12 < 18 Honors SCH Required
LIBS 400 (or approved substitution)	3	Capstone	3
	6		6
Total Hours: 36

Service Requirements

In addition to course requirements, Honors College Scholars and Fellows are also required to give back to the University, local, or county area through a minimum number of service hours depending on the student’s Honors pathway and goals. The procedure for logging service hours is published annually on the Honors website.

Culminating Experience

All pathways to Honors distinction culminate with a capstone experience, which can be fulfilled through:

Course-Based Experiences

Course based experiences are learning activities that are integrated directly into a specific academic course, allowing students to gain practical experience and apply theoretical knowledge through hands-on projects, research, or simulations within the structured curriculum of that course. These experiences are typically overseen by a faculty mentor to guide the student’s learning. Examples of course-based experiences are research or creative projects (commonly referred to as a thesis), internships, study abroad or study away, and project-based learning, among others. A public display of accumulated knowledge is required to receive credit, which will occur in the senior year.

Co-Curricular Experiences

Co-curricular experiences occur outside of the traditional classroom to supplement the student’s learning experience. Co-curricular experiences enhance students’ competency in critical thinking, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, and self-development, among others. Examples of co-curricular experiences are participation in Student Government Association, leadership in the Student Honors Council, community-engaged learning, and more. Students can apply for a co-curricular experience to count as their culminating experience. A public display of accumulated knowledge is required.

Recognition

Honors graduates receive recognition for their academic and service excellence at a reception prior to graduation, and they receive special recognition at the graduation ceremony itself. In addition, the level of honors a student earns (i.e., Honors, High Honors, Highest Honors) is noted on the graduate's diploma and transcript.

For additional information, visit the Honors Web Page at https://www.tamuc.edu/honors-college/.

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