2023-2024 Official University Academic Catalog 
    
    Nov 06, 2024  
2023-2024 Official University Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Honors College



 

The Honors College is a Christian community of learning in pursuit of wisdom. The Honors College challenges academically talented, community-oriented, and highly motivated students to engage their college experience in a way that seeks intentional intellectual, social, and spiritual formation. Honors College students ask the kinds of big questions that connect their majors to issues of vocation and place as they explore together what it means to undertake - in their own particular locations - the significant work of participating in God’s restorative plan in every facet of their life and work.    

Honors College students pursue challenging ideas within an active learning environment that fosters ingenuity in independent and collective problem solving. Interdisciplinary work, critical thinking, and creativity are the norm, and these habits of thought enable students to relate faith, living, and learning to experiential practice. This work is rigorously intellectual and intentionally formational, aimed at the development of the whole person.

Participation Requirements

Participation in and completion of the Honors College program requires no additional fees and the College is available to qualified traditional campus students regardless of their chosen major. Honors students complete a shared common core that focuses on issues of vocation and place as well as a variety of Honors electives. This course of study is comprised of 19 credits (12 credits of common core; 1 three-hour general education elective; 4 one-hour Honors seminars taken during the freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years). Honors students are not limited to these credits and may take additional Honors courses.

The Honors experience is specifically tailored for students in the School of Engineering through an Honors Engineering Track. This track requires a total of 21 hours of Honors courses and seminars (12 credits of common core, 3 one-hour Honors Seminars, and 6 hours of Honors Engineering courses). During the freshman year, students will be enrolled in the Honors Intro to Engineering Practice II course (Civil Engineering students will take an alternate course). The additional three credits of Honors Engineering coursework will be arranged via an Honors Credit Contract. This contract is an opportunity for a student to modify a standard engineering course by proposing additional learning activities within the course that are suited to the particular interest of the students. The Honors component  of the course will be selected by the student and the teaching faculty, giving students the opportunity for mentored research and greater hands-on work with significant projects.

All Common Core Honors courses meet and replace General Education requirements that are necessary for all LETU students. The Honors College student and the academic advisor will choose from honors courses offered each semester.

Upon completion of the Honors College, student diplomas will reflect this achievement, and students will be recognized at commencement. Additionally, the students’ permanent academic records at the University will reflect participation in the Honors College.

In addition to the academic requirements, Honors College students participate in various social events and service opportunities, mentored research with faculty members, and interaction with visiting scholars. All first-year Honors students are required to live in the Honors Commons, in Davis Hall, fostering a rich sense of community and accountability.

Honors College Admission

A select number of students are admitted to the Honors College each fall. The selection process is competitive, considering outstanding academic achievement and community involvement, as well as potential for future academic achievement and community involvement. Applicants should enjoy thinking deeply about ideas and participating in lively classroom discussions.