University Honors College
University Honors are reserved for exceptional students who demonstrate intelligence, initiative, and perseverance in fulfilling requirements beyond those asked of others. Meeting these expectations exhibits the students’ commitment to excellence; such students are members of the University’s Honors College.
The Honors College offers students a special opportunity to be recognized for excellence and extra effort in their coursework. Graduating with such honors is the highest award Lindenwood bestows. This achievement is announced at graduation and recipients wear purple braids at the ceremony. “University Honors” also appears on the student’s diploma and transcript. All courses completed for honors credit are designated as such on the student’s transcript. The President of the University also presents a certificate to those graduating with University Honors at the Honors Convocation.
To apply for membership in the Honors College, an incoming freshman must score a 29 or above on the ACT. Incoming honor students may take up to 19 credit hours in their first term without being charged an overload fee. A transferring or returning student must have a 3.3 GPA to apply for honors courses.
Honors courses are offered in two formats: Each semester, several courses have designated honors sections in which every student is enrolled for honors credit. These sections are smaller than traditional sections, with more class discussion and individual contact with the professors than traditional sessions. To achieve honors credit from an honors section, a student must earn an A or a B in that course. Alternatively, any undergraduate course may be taken for honors credit with the permission of the professor. To earn honors credit in a non-honors section, students must successfully complete an extra project mutually agreed upon by the professor and student and earn an A in the course.
Active members the Honors College are eligible to register early due to their status as honors students. Early registration for Honors students is contingent on having four Honors courses completed by the beginning of the Junior year and six Honors courses completed by the beginning of the Senior year.
To graduate with University Honors, a student must complete 24 hours of honors credit. To do so, a student may either (a) enroll in up to 12 hours of 10000-level honors sections and earn the remaining 12 hours of honors credit in traditional courses, level 30000 or above, taken for honors credit or (b) enroll in six hours of traditional 10000-level courses for honors credit and earn the remaining 18 hours of credit in traditional courses taken for honors credit at or above the 20000-level.