Honors College Curriculum and Activities
The Honors Program was initiated at West Georgia College in 1975. In 1999 the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia elevated the status of the program to Honors College thereby creating the first Honors College in the State of Georgia. Unlike the other undergraduate colleges (Arts and Sciences, Richards College of Business, and Education), the Honors College does not award degrees. Instead, like almost all other honors colleges in the United States, the Honors College offers a distinctive curriculum featuring two types of courses – special sections of courses required in the core curriculum and junior and senior seminars. Because Honors classes are small, they typically provide more opportunities for discussion and more individual attention than is possible in the regular curriculum. Honors courses are designed to offer more opportunities for research in preparation for graduate or professional school; consequently, they are more challenging, and they do place more responsibility on the individual student. The Honors College is open to students in all undergraduate degree programs offered by the University.
Admission to the Honors College is open to entering freshmen who meet two of the following three criteria: (1) a combined SAT Critical Reading and Math score of at least 1200 or an ACT Composite score of 26, (2) a minimum score of 610 on the Critical Reading portion of the SAT or an ACT English score of 27, or (3) a high school grade point average of 3.5 or higher. The Honors College is also open to any student who has completed 15 or more hours at West Georgia with an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher. To have a realistic chance of completing the Honors College Curriculum, however, students must enter no later than the beginning of their sophomore year. Individual Honors courses are open on a space available basis to any student with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher who has completed 15 or more credit hours. Scores of 4 or 5 in Advanced Placement courses count as West Georgia Honors credit, and students who transfer from other college or university Honors Programs or Colleges may be able to transfer their Honors credit here.
To graduate with Honors College distinction, students must (1) earn credit for ten or more Honors courses, including two courses at the junior or senior level; (2) complete an Honors senior thesis or research project in their major; and (3) maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.2 in Honors College courses and in all other academic work. Completion of this distinctive curriculum is a mark of scholarly excellence and is appropriately recognized on all official West Georgia transcripts and diplomas. Honors College graduates are also recognized at commencement ceremonies where they alone may wear Honors College cords of the University's official colors of red and blue.
West Georgia's Honors College is affiliated with the National Collegiate Honors Council and conforms to its recommended policies and practices. For application materials and any other information, please contact the office of the Honors College Dean, Honors House.
