What are the eligibility requirements for the Honors Program?

Are honors courses harder?

Will honors courses hurt my GPA?

Am I required to finish the program once I start it?

What are the requirements for graduating from the Honors Program?

What are the advantages of being in the Honors Program?

How do I register for classes? 

Will I be labeled a nerd if I take honors classes?

What is the honors thesis?

How do I apply for the Honors Program? 

Are honors courses harder? 

            Honors courses are not the college equivalent of AP courses.  You will not be asked to do 2-3 times as much work as students in non-honors courses.  Nor will the classes move at an accelerated pace, covering twice as much material.  Instead, honors courses are designed to probe deeper into the topics in the course, to let you discover the material rather than have it all presented to you in lecture format, and to let you explore independently some of the topics which are of particular interest to you. 

            You should not have to work harder in an honors class than other students do in non-honors courses.  If they are spending 4 hours a week reading, studying and writing for a course, you should expect to spend about the same amount of time in an honors course.  You will in most cases be reading different textbooks and doing different assignments than students in non-honors courses.  Our aim, though, is to make the work manageable, allowing you to have plenty of time to work on your other courses and have a life outside of the classroom. 

Will honors courses hurt my GPA? 

            Studies in the journals of the National Collegiate Honors Council report that honors students have a better GPA in honors courses than in non-honors courses.  The reason is that honors students tend to lose interest in non-honors courses and/or assume that the material is so easy for them that they become lackadaisical in studying and keeping up with the material.  Consequently, they may not do as well on homework assignments or examinations as they would have had they been diligent.  The intellectual stimulation of honors classes tends to keep honors students more consistently prepared throughout the semester. 

Will I be labeled a nerd if I take Honors classes? 

            Honors students are not isolated from the student body.  Honors students run for and get elected to student government.  They participate in intercollegiate and intramural sports.  They join and are active in social and service clubs.  The honors program at Lipscomb avoids the notion of being an elitist group of students, while preserving a high level of academic integrity.  Since you take only 25 honors hours of the 132 hours required for graduation, you spend most of your time integrated into student life. 

 What are the eligibility requirements?

New freshmen must have a 27 or higher on the ACT or a 1220 or higher on the SAT.  Transfer students must have a 3.5 GPA or higher.  Any student who has earned a 3.5 GPA at Lipscomb may take an honors class.  If you choose to finish in the Honors Program, you must maintain a 3.5 GPA.  If you drop below that mark, you will be place on probation for one semester.  If your grades have not returned to 3.5, you will be dropped from the program.  If in a later semester, you achieve a 3.5, you can be reinstated if you desire. 

Am I required to finish the program once I start it?

            No.  You can opt to take your general education courses as honors courses and then drop out of the program permanently or temporarily.

What are the advantages of being in the Honors Program?

1. Honors courses are generally smaller and are taught by teachers who have a proven reputation for being able to stimulate thinking and creativity.  Most of the teachers have won the “Outstanding Teacher of the Year” award at least one time. 
2. Students in honors courses report that they have much less busy work to do and have a higher level of intellectual stimulation than they have in non-honors courses.
3. Taking honors courses will distinguish you from the large numbers of people who are going to law school, med school, engineering programs, graduate school, etc.  Especially if you finish the Honors Program, you will be better prepared for study at the next level of your education.  You might also find that, having completed the program, you will be more competitive for financial awards which many graduate programs offer. 
4. You have a better opportunity of developing a mentoring relationship with one or two faculty members in your major.  You will find that as you do contracts in upper-division courses that you will better learn how to be a professional in your area of specialty. 
5. You will be encouraged to find creative ways to develop your skills and enrich your college experience.  We try to make you aware of interesting opportunities to study abroad, to apply for internships outside of Nashville and to encourage the very best students to apply for post-graduate scholarships like the Rhodes, Fullbright, Truman and Wilson scholarships.
6. We have fun!  We have a reception each semester as well as an end-of-the-year picnic.  We try to go to plays, concerts, movies together occasionally.  Finally we try to plan a special outing each semester. 

What are the requirements for graduating from the Honors Program? 

            You must complete 25 hours of honors credit courses in order to successfully complete the program.  The only required courses which you must complete are the Honors Seminar (HN3003), Preparing the Thesis (HN3001), and Honors Thesis (HN4003).  The other hours you will accumulate through general education courses and honors contracts in regular courses.  Contracts allow you to obtain honors credit in any course numbered 2000 or above.  They basically allow you to do independent study within the contracted course, giving you a little more control over some of the material on which you will concentrate your attention. 

What is the honors thesis? 

            Sometime during your senior year, you will, if you want to complete the Honors Program, write a thesis.  You and your thesis advisor will agree on a topic pertinent to your major and will develop a plan of action to research the problem and present a written document of your findings to the Honors Council.  This project spans three semesters, giving you ample time to do laboratory, field, and/or library research and to write and revise your thesis.  For many students, the thesis is the most important academic experience they have during their four years in college.  They find that it prepares them well for post-graduate education.

How do I register for classes? 

            New students will receive a course reservation form in the mail sometime in early May.  When you return the form, you will receive a reserved spot in the courses which you indicate.  You will find a description of the courses by going back to the Honors Program home page and selecting “Course Descriptions.”  The reservation guarantees you a spot in the course regardless of which summer Advance registration you can attend.  Courses are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so it is important to return your reservation form as soon as possible.  Once your reservations have been entered into the computer, the director of the program will notify you. 

            When you look at the on-line course schedule, you will notice that all of the honors classes are closed.  We do that to guarantee that only honors students can register for those classes.  Go ahead and indicate the classes you want.  If the class has indeed filled before your reservation arrives on campus, the director of the program will notify you that the class is officially full.