The Honors Baccalaureate (HB) degree is conferred by the Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College. A rigorous interdisciplinary degree designed by the student with faculty mentorship and approval, the HB is higher education for the 21st century. To receive the HB degree, a student selects two or three academic disciplines from at least two academic colleges, receives faculty approval for each concentration course of study, and completes a thesis or capstone project.

HB students engage in integrative learning and problem solving, preparing effectively for further study and careers in areas such as university teaching, law, medicine, community activism or entrepreneurship.

Admission

To pursue the Honors Baccalaureate, a student must be admitted to the Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College. There are no minimum ACT/SAT or GPA requirements for admission to the Cohen Honors College. Interested students submit an online application through the link on the college website.

So how do we determine acceptance? We complete a holistic review of each application. We want to learn about you -- how your involvement and experiences have shaped you, your family and community. We look for evidence of qualities such as a creative approach to solving problems; urge to make a positive impact on the community and in the world; open-minded embrace of diversity in backgrounds, values and perspectives; and the willingness and ability to take on intellectual challenges.

While we do not require a minimum ACT/SAT or GPA, we do consider your scores as part of our review with greater emphasis being placed on your essay and resume.

Honors applications are reviewed monthly November 1 through June 30. Application for currently enrolled students for the spring semester is available up to one week before the first day of classes for the semester.

Program Requirements

A minimum total of 120 credit hours is required for the Honors Baccalaureate. To receive the degree, students must:

• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.250;
• Complete 21 honors credit hours¹ including a research or design-thinking experience (3-4 credit hours) chosen from the list of options below and HNRS 491 Honors Thesis (3 credit hours); and
• Complete two or three concentrations (36 credit hours) from at least two colleges.

¹

Honors credit hours may be earned by completing HNRS, WSUN or H department courses, or using an honors option agreement (link opens new window) to turn a regular course into an honors course. Honors courses may meet general education, major, elective or honors area-of-emphasis requirements.

Students may complete but aren’t required to complete an honors area-of-emphasis by using their honors credits to fulfill requirements for an Emory Lindquist Honors Scholar, Honors Leadership, or Honors Law and Public Policy track. Track requirements are listed separately in the catalog. Students who complete an area-of-emphasis track will receive a transcript notation.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the requirements of Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College, students must meet the following requirements:

²

Required major courses may also count towards General Education requirements. Students will need to select additional electives to reach 120 credit hours required for graduation with assistance from an advisor.

³

All Honors Baccalaureate students must enroll in at least 3 credit hours of HNRS 491 and successfully complete a thesis to complete requirements for the degree. At the discretion of the thesis supervisor, students may register for thesis project credit over one or two semesters, e.g. register for 1 credit hour in the first semester of their senior year and 2 credit hours in the second/final semester of their senior year. Students may be required by the thesis supervisor to register for more than 3 credit hours for HNRS 491. The honors dean reviews all theses before submitting certification to the registrar’s office, and the honors thesis is kept in the honors library archive with permission of the student and faculty supervisor.

Applied Learning

Students in the Honors Baccalaureate program are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by successful completion of a thesis or capstone project and registration in HNRS 491 Honors Thesis. 

Honors Thesis: The student works with a faculty mentor who supervises a capstone thesis project during the student’s last year. The faculty mentor must approve the final thesis and submit approval to the Honors College dean. The dean reviews all theses before submitting certification to the registrar's office, and the honors thesis is kept in the honors library archive with permission of the student and faculty supervisor.³