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The Honors College curriculum provides students both the opportunity to experience more in-depth courses within their major and minor fields, and to explore other disciplines they might have an interest in. This culminates in a greater overall undergraduate experience.
Honors Designations
There are four Honors College graduation distinctions, University Honors Scholar, University Honors Research Scholar, Honors Scholar, and Honors Research Scholar. These are conferred at the time of graduation and printed on students’ diplomas and transcripts.
To earn the designation University Honors Scholar, students are required to complete a minimum of 30 hours of Honors College courses, including a minimum of:
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3 hours of Honors Participation Courses, AND
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6 hours of coursework identified as Signature Impact Experiences
Students must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.4 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.
To earn the designation Honors Scholar, students are required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of Honors College coursework, including a minimum of:
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3 hours of Honors Participation Courses
Students must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.2 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.
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To earn the designation Honors Scholar, students entering the Honors College with 60+ hours of college credits are required to complete a minimum of 7 hours of Honors coursework, including:
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3 hours of Honors Research/Honors Special Topics/Honors Apogee/Honors Thesis and 3 hours of Honors Thesis/Honors Apogee or 6 hours of graduate level courses in the major field of study at
the 6000 or 7000 level AND
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1 hour of an Honors Participation course
Students must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.2 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.
To earn the designation University Honors Research Scholar, students are required to complete a minimum of 30 hours of Honors College courses, including a minimum of:
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3 hours of Honors Participation Courses; 1 hour of which must be “Honors Lyceum: Research at Auburn”
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3 hours of Honors Research Methods
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6 hours of Honors Seminars
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6 hours of designated Honors Research Seminars
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6 hours of coursework identified as Signature Impact Experiences
Student must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.4 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.
To earn the designation Honors Research Scholar, students are required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of Honors College courses, including a minimum of:
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3 hours of Honors Participation Courses; 1 hour of which must be “Honors Lyceum: Research at Auburn”
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3 hours of Honors Research Methods
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6 hours of Honors Seminars
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6 hours of designated Honors Research Seminars
Students must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.2 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.
The Honors College curriculum is designed to give students flexibility with their choice of Honors courses in order to fulfill their diverse goals, needs, and interests. The Honors College offers students course work that fall into the following general areas:
Honors Course Types
Honors Academic Courses
Student can earn honors credit by taking the Honors version of their required University Core courses.
Example: Students can take Honors World Literature before 1600 as their required core literature course or Honors Calculus I as their required core math course.
*Please note that Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP, ACT/SAT, and dual-enrollment credits while accepted as Auburn credits will not be accepted as Honors College credits.*
Students may choose to complete the Honors version of major specific, departmental courses.
Example: Student who are required by their major, or minor, to take Organic Chemistry can opt to take the Honors version of Organic Chemistry or students who are majoring or minoring in a business based field can take Honors Principles of Accounting to fill a requirement while receiving honors credit.
*Please note that some courses have prerequisites.*
Honors Study and Travel, HONR 3087, is a course designed to inform students about a specific country abroad or a region within the United States. Students study the culture and history of the destination throughout the semester and then travel to that destination as the culminating experience for the course.
Example: Dr. Allen Furr, Professor Emeritus of Sociology taught a small group of honors student about the culture and history of India. Once the semester ended, the students took a trip to India (link to study and travel) to explore the subject matters they studied during the regular semester. This a great opportunity to study abroad if you want to go on a shorter trip or you have a curriculum that doesn’t allow you to be off campus for a whole semester.
Honors Seminars, HONR 3007, are taught in small discussion groups similar to graduate courses. Students are not required to have a background in the topic, only possess an interest in the material. Seminar topics vary and are announced each semester. These courses count towards graduation as elective hours.
Example: The Global Citizenship course focuses on students discovering the answer to “what does it mean to be a global citizen?”
Honors Research Seminars, HONR 3987, provide Honors students with a research experience under the close supervision of an Auburn faculty member. The course is designed to enable a faculty member to mentor a number of students who are working on collaborative research. Research Seminar course topics vary and are announced each semester.
Examples: Marine Research students enjoyed the opportunity to research in and out of the lab live coral reef organisms (sea anemones, shrimps, fishes) from the Caribbean Sea. During spring break, these
students take a trip to the Florida keys to conduct field surveys, and go on snorkeling trips to collect samples of the organizms they have been researching. The only prerequisite for this class is General Biology. Most students who take this class are not science based majors.
Human Genomics and Personalized Medicine, lead by one of Auburn’s Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology professors, is another popular research seminar. Students have the unique opportunity to learn more about the human genome. This course is great for any students who are pursuing in professional health degrees.
Honors Contracts enable students to earn credit by incorporating an Honors component within a regularly offered class. This is a great way to customize your Honors experience, form a relationship with your professors, and get the most out of your major or minor classes. Completion of the Honors Contract form with faculty member and department head approval is required and must be submitted by the 15th day of class. Courses that may be contracted include:
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A core course that cannot be taken as Honors due to a scheduling conflict or lack of an Honors version.
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A course required to complete the student's College Curriculum Model.
Learn more about how to contract a course with our contracting resource page. {link to contracting}
Honors Participation Courses
The Freshmen Exploration course introduces students to Auburn University and the Honors College. Each week, guest speakers present topics relevant to Honors students. Some of the topics discussed include Study Abroad, campus involvement, course registration, National Prestigious Scholarships, service learning, and more.
Every semester the Honors College offers Honors Lyceum classes on varying topics. Always in high demand, the Honors Lyceum provides Honors students with an open forum for discussion of current events, international affairs, and controversial issues. Subject matter for the course varies from semester to semester, but has recently focused on such issues as: world hunger, the reform of undergraduate education in the United States, service learning, faculty research on the Auburn campus, and cultural learning experiences.
Examples: Project Horseshoe Farms Tutoring is a remote tutoring program where honors students tutor middle schoolers from Greensboro, Alabama in math and reading via skype. The honors students are paired with the same middle schooler every week in an effort to make an impactful connection, all while helping the student with their academic pursuits.
Times on Tuesday is another honors lyceum for students interested in current events. Each week the students read the New York Times and come together for discussion on the week’s biggest topics.
During the semester students typically read two to three books and actively participate in class discussions.
These classes are typically taught by higher administers and faculty on campus who come from all disciplines of the University. The books read are hand-picked by the instructor and are usually more contemporary.
Students enrolled in the Forum course select a minimum of ten campus lectures, films, and performances from a pre-approved list to attend. The events span a wide range of subjects and students submit a reflective essay after each event attended.
This class is a great way for students to engage in the vast array of opportunities provided by the University and its partners while earning honors credit.
Honors Signature Impact Experiences
Students work with a departmental professor in their major or minor to complete a project of their choosing.
Typically, students will participate in honors research their junior or senior year. For majors that require research, you can take the honors version of research and meet both your requirement and receive honors credit.
Students work with a departmental professor in their major or minor to complete a project of their choosing and produce a written document or oral presentation.
Honors thesis is a wonderful option for any student who wants the experience of writing an undergraduate thesis. Writing a thesis benefits both students preparing to attend professional or graduate school, as well as those entering directly into the workforce.
Students work with a departmental professor in their major or minor to complete a project of their choosing. Honors Contract courses in the major field of study at the 4000-5000 level Students may contract courses in their major field of study by incorporating an Honors component within a regularly offered class.
This course is very similar to Honors Research. It gives students an opportunity to work one on one with a professor on a project that is interesting to them.
Students who meet the required pre-requisites may take graduate-level courses within their field of study. A maximum of twelve of these hours may count towards both the student’s undergraduate and graduate degrees at Auburn University. These graduate courses tend to be 6000 level courses that bridge undergraduate and graduate level courses.
Specialized Minor
The Honors Business minor will consist of the five 3-hour courses below. Four of the five courses must be taken at the honors level to successfully complete the minor. The minor is limited to students in the Honors College.
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ECON 2020/2027 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 hours
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ACCT 2110/2117 | Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 hours
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FINC 3610/3617 | Principles of Business Finance | 3 hours
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MNGT 3100/3107 | Principles of Management | 3 hours
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MKTG 3310/3317 | Principles of Marketing | 3 hours
The Honors College Business Minor is administered through Auburn University’s Raymond J. Harbert College of Business. Students interested in more information, or those who would like to declare as a
minor, must contact the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business directly.
Policies and Retention Criteria
A grade of “C” or better in Honors courses is required to earn Honors College credit.
In order to remain in good standing as a member of the Honors College, students must meet the following minimum criteria:
I. Students are required to maintain satisfactory progress in completing the requirements of the Honors curriculum. Satisfactory progress is defined by attaining the following minimums by the end of the specified academic year:
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First year: 7 Honor hours
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Second year: 14 Honor hours
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Third year: 21 Honors hours
II. First-year students must attain a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA and second, third, and fourth-year students must maintain a minimum of 3.2 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA. A student whose GPA falls below the minimum is give one semester to correct the deficiency or be suspended from the Honors College.
III. All first-year students in the Honors College must meet with an Honors Academic Advisor in both the fall and spring semesters and submit a Plan of Study prior to registration for spring courses. Any changes to the Plan of Study should be done at a meeting with an Honors College Advisor.
IV. Second, third, and fourth-year students must meet with an Honors Academic Advisor at least once a year to ensure retention and understanding of the program and to confirm progress being made toward the completion of the Honors requirements.
V. Students who do not successfully maintain good standing (Honors course progression, GPA, meeting at least once a year with their Honors advisor, and/or submission of the Plan of Study) will be suspended from the Honors College. Students may be reinstated upon attaining the minimum GPA and/or providing the Honors College with an updated Plan of Study for Honors courses. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the College when good standing has been attained.
VI. Any scholarships awarded by the Honors College are contingent upon maintaining membership in good standing in the Honors College. Suspension from the Honor College will result in a loss of Honors scholarship funding.
honors college fee
Honors College Fee
The Honors College fee supports the rigorous, individualized, and innovative experiences that have distinguished the Auburn University Honors College for more than forty years.
The Honors College fee supports the hiring of world-class instructors to teach the specialized honors courses that are the cornerstone of the elevated educational experience we offer to our more than 2,000 honors students. The costs associated with offering these smaller, hands-on learning opportunities are worth it. Our students take a much deeper dive into the course material than would be feasible with a large class. Furthermore, honors students at Auburn University form intellectual and social ties with the instructors and with their fellow honors students that can shape career trajectories and last a lifetime.
Honors students who are not currently enrolled in honors courses in a particular semester can take advantage of the range of student services that the fee also supports, including exclusive professional and career development training, individualized advising, and focused research opportunities. Engagement with our full offering of student services is attainable through either in-person or online workshops and events
