Entering the Program
First-year entering students are invited to join the Heidelberg Honors Program if they (i) have ACT scores of 27 or SAT combined scores of 1820; and (ii) rank in the upper 10% of their high school graduating class or have a high school GPA of 3.5 (A=4.0).
Students who do not meet these criteria on coming to Heidelberg may apply for admission to the Honors Program if they have earned a 3.5 GPA after 15 semester hours but prior to the completion of 56 semester hours.
Transfer students are also invited to participate in the Honors Program provided they meet the high school entry criteria noted above, have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA from an accredited college or university, and can complete the full program in an appropriate time frame.
Continuing in the Program
To remain in good standing in the Honors Program, a student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher. If the cumulative GPA falls below 3.3, then the student’s status in the program is in jeopardy. In such a case, the student may appeal to the Associate Dean of Honors for an additional semester to improve her or his cumulative GPA.
If a student does not complete at least two Honors seminars by the end of the student’s fourth semester, then the Associate Dean of Honors will investigate the student’s intent to complete the Honors Program.
Withdrawal from the Program
If a student is dismissed or voluntarily withdraws from the Honors Program, then he or she has the choice of completing the Honors requirements or approved substitutions, minus HNR 455 (Senior Honors Project), HNR 307 (Service Learning), and the Honors portfolio, or completing the General Education requirements. If a student wishes to voluntarily withdraw from the Honors Program, she or he must immediately notify the Associate Dean of Honors indicating his or her choice of graduation requirements.
Graduation Requirements
To graduate from the Honors Program with an Honors Diploma, a student must have successfully completed a recognized major, the Junior Written and Oral and Capstone requirements within the major, the HPE requirements, and AIM Hei. In addition, a student must complete the introductory Honors seminar, the four thematic Honors seminars, the Service Learning requirement, the Senior Honors Project, the Honors portfolio, and the appropriate program of support courses while earning a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3.
Honors Program..."Life of the Mind" (HNR)
Program Director: Associate Dean of Honors, Dr. Doug Collar.
The Heidelberg University faculty believes in challenging students to reach their full potential. "Life of the Mind" is a comprehensive approach toward empowering students to explore their abilities within a supportive community of scholars and learners. The program is comprised of four intellectual areas: the Scholar, the Scientist, the Artist, and the Citizen.
The requirements for B.A. and B.S. degrees are as follows:
- Attainment of a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or higher
- Completion of a departmental or interdisciplinary major
- Completion of HNR 111, Introduction to Life of the Mind (1)
- Completion of four thematic seminars representing the Scholar, the Artist, the Scientist, and the Citizen (HNR 103, 203, 303, 403)
- Completion of HNR 307, Service Learning Seminar (1), and 40 hours of community service or NDI 345
- Completion of HNR 455, Senior Honors Project (1-3 hrs.) with a grade of B- or higher
- Completion of Portfolio
- Completion of 2 credit hours in Personal Health and Wellness listed within the General Education Requirement section
- Completion of a Junior Level Discipline-Specific Communication course and Senior Capstone Experience in a major.
Completion of 10 support courses:
- Courses must have 10 different prefixes
- Five must be at 200 level or higher
- At least 2 courses from each of the 4 disciplines
- Natural Sciences: ATR, BIO, CHM, CPS, ENS, FSC, GEO, MTH, PHY (excluding PHY 104 and CPS 100)
- Humanities: COM, MED (except 255-6), ENG (except 210), HIS, languages, REL, PHI, WGS
- Arts: Music, Art or one of the following:
- MED 255,256; THR 105, 150, 207, 306, 308, 320, 325, 327; NDI 301, 302, 322, NDI 255 (Early Childhood majors only), PHY 104, ENG 210.
- Social Sciences: ACC, ANT, BAE, CJS, ECO, EDU, EIS, FIN, HPE (excluding 100 or 103), MKT, MGT, POL, PSY
- Must be taken for letter grade credit
The requirements for the B.Mus. degree include all of the above, with the exception that only 2 support courses are required, one each from two disciplines other than the arts.