Honors College

This is an archived copy of the 2016-2017 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit catalog.shsu.edu.

  • Dean: Kimberly Bell, Ph.D.
  • Associate Dean: Maria Holmes, Ed.D
  • Associate Dean: Patrick Lewis, Ph.D.
  • Assistant Dean: Tracy Bilsing, Ph.D.

Information:
Academic Building IV, corner of Avenue I and Bowers Boulevard
Box 2479
Huntsville, TX 77341-2479
Telephone: (936) 294-1477
Fax: (936) 294-1090

Website: http://honors.shsu.edu

Email: honors@shsu.edu

The Elliott T. Bowers Honors College exists for the benefit of highly motivated and academically talented undergraduate students at Sam Houston State University. The Honors College provides these achievement-oriented individuals with the following benefits:

  • financial support
  • opportunities to interact with other highly motivated students
  • special course offerings leading to a broad, interdisciplinary educational experience
  • limited-enrollment classes
  • close contact with  highly productive faculty
  • the opportunity to participate in advanced registration
  • opportunities for community service and civic engagement
  • access to distinctively designed facilities (including honors residence halls on campus, an honors lounge, honors library study room, and honors computer lab)

Honors students also enjoy a variety of cultural and social outings and events—on campus and off—throughout the academic year.

The honors student earns honors credit in a variety of specially designated classes or contracted courses and works toward the distinction of graduating “With Honors” or “With Highest Honors.” To qualify for graduation “With Honors,” a student must be a member in good standing in the Honors College and have completed 24 hours of honors credit, including participation in two interdisciplinary honors seminars. To qualify for graduation “With Highest Honors” a student must, in addition, complete a six-hour senior thesis in an approved discipline under the direction of a faculty member of his/her choice.

To be considered for admission to the Honors College, either when first entering SHSU or as a continuing SHSU student, a student submits a special application to the Honors College Office.

Incoming freshmen are eligible for consideration if they have one of the following:

  • composite SAT I score (Critical Reading + Math) of 1200 or above
  • a composite ACT score of 27 or above
  • or have graduated in the top 10 percent of his or her high school class

For transfer or continuing SHSU students, eligibility is based upon a college cumulative GPA of 3.4 or better.

Admission is competitive. Selections are determined by a comprehensive review of each completed application by the honors faculty admissions committees. Once accepted into the Honors College, a student must maintain a 3.25 grade point average and make steady progress toward completing honors requirements in order to remain in good standing in the Honors College.

Honors Seminars are designed to provide unique, broadly integrative, interdisciplinary educational experiences to all Elliott T. Bowers honors students. These courses are highly interactive between professors and students and generally involve student presentations. These and other educational initiatives provide honors students with a rich and challenging interdisciplinary learning environment.