Honors Program Requirements

Honors Curriculum for students entering spring 2013 or earlier

In order to graduate with Ithaca College Honors, students must complete 19 credits:

• Honors Ithaca Seminar (1) -- 4 credits
• Intermediate Seminars -- 12 credits (3 1-credit special topics seminars can substitute for one intermediate seminar)
• Senior Year Seminar (1) -- 3 credits

Internal Transfers

Internal transfers will complete the program by taking 12 credits of honors intermediate seminars and the honors senior seminar, for a total of 15 credits.

Minimum Requirements

In order to graduate with college honors, you must have a G.P.A. greater than or equal to 3.0 at the time of graduation. To remain in honors you must make regular progress towards the completion of the program. Any student who does not register for honors credit in three consecutive semesters, without having discussed their plan for completion of the program with the program director, will be deemed inactive and removed from the program.

Honors Curriculum for students entering fall 2013 or later

In order to graduate with Ithaca College Honors students must demonstrate by portfolio (the Cursus Honorum) that they have experienced significant involvement in five important areas: academic challenge, global citizenship, cultural engagement, engagement with the scholarly community, and civic engagement. Students will be expected to incorporate into the portfolio artifacts and reflections demonstrating their learning in each area. Students who add the program after their first semester must complete all of these requirements, including the 11 credits of Honors designated course work. 

1. Academic Challenge (11 credits)

• Enrollment in 4-credit ICSM 11000 Honors Ithaca Seminar or ICSM 11800 Honors Ithaca Seminar in Writing (students who transfer into the Honors program after their first semester will substitute four credits of additional Honors courses); AND
• Enrollment in 7 additional credits of Honors designated courses (courses taken to fulfill this expectation can include courses taken to fulfill the other expectation areas); AND
• Thesis, either through major department or Honors; AND
• GPA of 3.0 or higher

2. Global Citizenship

• Enrollment in HNRS 21500 International Scholarly Conversation OR
• Highly enhanced study abroad experience

3. Cultural Engagement

• Enrollment in HNRS 15000 Cultural Encounters with Ithaca College OR
• Documentation in the Cursus Honorum of significant cultural engagement

4. Engagement with the Scholarly Community

• Enrollment in 9 additional credits of Honors designated courses OR
• Documentation in the Cursus Honorum of additional significant scholarly engagement (e.g., undergraduate research activities)

5. Civic Engagement

• Documentation in the Cursus Honorum of civic engagement experiences (e.g., enrollment in a service learning course)