Honors Program

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The Honors Program strives to offer deeply transformational experiences for students through unique courses, service, and research opportunities. Honors students form a rich intellectual and social community and commit themselves to an enhanced core curriculum in the liberal arts. Together, these experiences aim to challenge worldviews, broaden perspectives, and foster leadership.

Honors Program

Minimum credits required: 24

Required Courses:

ENG 131H - Honors Workshop in Exposition and Argument, 3 credit hours
MTH 140 - Precalculus Mathematics, 4 credit hours ¹
FRN 202 - Intermediate French II, 4 credit hours ¹
OR
GER 202 - Intermediate German II, 4 credit hours ¹
OR
SPN 202 - Intermediate Spanish II, 4 credit hours ¹
OR
CHI 202 - Intermediate Chinese II, 4 credit hours ¹
OR
ARA 202 - Intermediate Arabic II, 4 credit hours ¹
HON 491 - Honors Thesis, 1-4 credit hours ²
OR
Thesis in major or minor ²

Elective Courses:

Students will fulfill their remaining Honors credit hours through the courses listed below as well as through alternative options as specified in the Honors Program Handbook.

All courses with an HON prefix (topic may not be repeated, but course number may). ³
Any University core course with an “H” after the course number (examples: ECN 101H, GEO 111LH) ³
Honors Option ⁴

Total Honors Program 24 credit hours

¹ These courses will count towards the Core, but will not count towards the minimum number of Honors credit (24) required by the Honors Program for Honors recognition. Other language study may be considered (See Honors Program Director).
² Departmental CAPSTONE Courses may be acceptable (See Honors Program Director).
³ Non-Honors Program students of sophomore status or higher and who have obtained at least a 3.5 GPA may elect these courses if space is available.
⁴ The Honors Option (which requires approval by faculty, department, and the Honors Program Director) will result in an “H” designation for existing courses when satisfactorily completed.

Admission into the Honors Program:

(1) An entering student who meets criteria for candidacy will receive an invitation to apply to the Honors Program. These criteria include superior high school graduation rank, high SAT or ACT scores, and other criteria relevant to academic performance.
(2) Current first year students who show outstanding promise in their first term at BW can be nominated by faculty or can submit their own names for consideration to be admitted to the program as second-semester freshmen.
(3) Transfer students who have taken Honors credits at their prior institution can request admission to the Honors Program.

Honors Recognition:

All courses in the Honors Program must be taken for a letter grade, A+ through F; they may not be taken on an S/U basis. Students who successfully complete the required Honors courses (earning grades of B or better) and who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher will, upon graduation, receive appropriate recognition on their transcripts. Students will also be awarded the Baldwin Wallace University Honors Program medallion to be worn at graduation.

Business Honors Track:

The Baldwin Wallace University Business Honors Track provides a challenging opportunity for exceptional business majors. The initial focus of this offering promotes: a predisposition to instilling the green concepts of sustainability (people, profit and planet); the understanding of ethical business practices in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing business environment; a self-awareness of one’s leadership potential, and the development of professional research, writing and presentation skills. Students currently enrolled in the University Honors Program are encouraged to consider the Business Honors Track. Business students with a 3.5 GPA or better become eligible to apply to the Business Honors Track in the second semester of their sophomore year. Please see the School of Business for additional information.