Curriculum and Benefits
On this page:
About
The Wright State Honors Program was created in 1972 to meet the needs of the university's brightest, most ambitious students. It is open to students of all majors and provides a varied curriculum consisting of:
- Honors sections of Wright State Core courses
- Service-learning courses
- Interdisciplinary core courses in the humanities and social sciences
- Broadly interdisciplinary upper-level topical seminars
If you are a first-year student, participate in learning communities of linked courses in which the same 20 students enroll. Most majors offer you the opportunity for intense honors work in the major during your senior year.
Honors classes are small—between 15-24 students—and innovative instruction is encouraged. The Honors Program encourages diversity in its student body, faculty members, course content, and extracurricular activities. Transfer students and nontraditional students are particularly welcome. If you complete honors work at another NCHC institution, you may receive honors credit at Wright State for those courses.
The program currently has more than 2,000 alumni. Its primary mission is to produce graduates who are well-educated, socially conscious, and capable of assuming leadership roles in society. The Honors Program is responsible for providing you with the tools and opportunity to create a stimulating, well-rounded, solidly grounded, and socially responsible education.
Advantages and Benefits
The undergraduate Honors Program offers you advantages and benefits in curriculum, scheduling, advising, and scholarships.
- Pursue the undergraduate honors curriculum, offering an interdisciplinary environment as well as service-learning and community engagement opportunities.
- Undergraduate honors coursework appears on the transcript and degree designations appear in the commencement program.
- Enjoy priority registration at the beginning of each registration cycle.
- Take advantage of specific advising for undergraduate honors requirements, helpful advising for professional and graduate schools, and an additional advisor in your major if you pursue departmental honors research.
- Honors students have many social, leadership, and service opportunities through the Student Honors Association, Alpha Lambda Delta, the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, and in the Honors Community organizations.
- Available advising for national and international scholarships and fellowships such as the Truman, Rhodes, Goldwater, or Phi Kappa Phi programs.
- An attractive scholarship program for entering and continuing students. Most undergraduate Honors students receive some type of Wright State scholarship and some will also have Competitive Honors Scholarships.
- Faculty who teach undergraduate Honors courses are from every college on campus and are recognized authorities in their fields.
Classes
Honors courses include Honors sections in introductory courses required for many majors as well as within the Wright State Core elements.
Honors enrollment is limited to 24 students in most courses. You will write more (essay exams, position papers, and so forth), talk more (class discussions, debates, and presentations), read more (even in calculus), theorize, analyze, and synthesize more. In short, you will get more.
Interdisciplinary honors classes feature guest speakers, field trips, and class projects as they examine important topics from several perspectives.
- UH 2010 examines topics in the humanistic disciplines
- UH 2020 explores social realities using the tools of the various social sciences.
- UH 4000 seminar topics change each term and cover important contemporary issues
You will be expected to take three honors classes during your first year. Approximately 20–25 courses are offered for undergraduate honors credit each term honors classes normally meet the Wright State Core or major program requirements. UH 4000 is an additional course in some majors, but most students may count it as an elective. You are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and work toward earning an honors degree designation.
Degree Designations
There are three possible pathways to graduate with an Honors degree designation.
Undergraduate University Honors Scholar
- Complete a total of seven (7) undergraduate Honors courses with a grade of A or B. Two of the seven must count for the Wright State Core, one must be a UH 2010 or 2020, and one must be a UH 4000 seminar.
- Complete an undergraduate Honors project and any required research hours for the undergraduate Departmental Honors Project in the major. Entrance and GPA requirements vary. View Undergraduate Departmental Honors Programs
Undergraduate Departmental Honors Scholar
- Complete an undergraduate Honors project and any required research hours for the undergraduate Departmental Honors Project in the major. Entrance and GPA requirements vary. (Consult the major office for additional details, including the recommended start date for the undergraduate Honors project.) View Undergraduate Departmental Honors Programs
Undergraduate General Studies Honors Scholar
- Complete a total of seven (7) undergraduate Honors courses with a grade of A or B. Two of the seven must count for the Wright State Core, one must be a UH 2010 or 2020, and one must be a UH 4000 seminar.
- Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher at the time of graduation.
Research
Independent research is featured in most undergraduate honors options in a major. Honors students work closely with faculty advisors to produce projects. An honors project is excellent preparation for graduate or professional school and enhances the portfolio you present to prospective employers. Some research funds are available to support this work.
The method and content of honors projects vary from department to department. In the fine arts, students often do creative, performance-based projects, while in the sciences they work in labs. Students in the humanities or social sciences may also do creative projects or more traditional research papers. Some departments allow students to integrate internships or other field experiences into their undergraduate honors work. Consult your departmental advisor for details, as well as the Departmental Honors Program for your major.
