• Quick Links
• A-Z Index
• Maps
• Giving
• Contacts

• Calendars
• Banner Web
• Directory
• Email
• Emergency Procedures
• Employment
• GaView D2L
• Help Desks
• Library
• Registrar
• Reservations
• Schedule of Classes
• University Police

• About Us
• Honors Prospective Students
• Student Honors Council
• Current Honors Students
• Faculty Information
• Honors Curriculum
• Guides On Your Side

• Course Offerings
• Student Guidelines
• Honors Student Handbook
• Scholarship Information
• SPSU Student Services
• Thesis and Capstone Guidelines
• Capstone and Thesis Class Options Depending Upon Major Field
• Honor Code 

Home >> Honors >> Current Honors Students >> Student Guidelines

Student Guidelines

Honors Degree Options

1. The University Honors Scholar: Completion of 18 credit hours of Honors coursework--at least 6 hours of which must be upper-division coursework.

2. The Departmental Honors Scholar: Completion of 6 hours of enriched upper-division coursework or directed study.

Academic Requirements

To earn either a University Honors Scholar Degree or a Departmental Honors Scholar Degree, students must have minimum graduation GPA of 3.2. The following sliding scale applies as students move towards graduation:

•  First-year students must attain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 by the end of the spring term. A first-year student is classified as any student with 0 - 29 hours of credit.

• Second-year students must attain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 by the end of the spring term.  A second-year student is classified as any student between 30 - 59 credit hours.

• Third-year students must attain a cumulative GPA of 3.1 by the end of the spring term. A third-year student is classified as any student between 60 - 89 credit hours.

•  Fourth-year students must attain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 by the end of the spring term.  A fourth-year student is classified as any student who has over 90 credit hours. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 to graduate from the Honors Program.

Honors Project: Students must complete an Honors Project and presentation. In addition, students are required to submit a final paper that is bound and placed in the library.

Probation: The Director of the Honors Program or a designee will examine GPAs at the end of the spring semester for minimum GPA purposes. Students whose grades fall below the required GPA will be placed on probation for the fall semester. Students on probation must raise their grades to the correct cumulative average by the end of the fall semester or they will be dropped from the program.

Appeals Process: Individual students who have been dropped, but who feel that their work has been solid and who feel they can succeed at bringing their grade point average up by the end of the following semester may bring an appeal to the Honors Committee asking that they not be dropped from the program.

(Notice, the Honors Committee will only review student cases IF students bring an appeal to them. They will not automatically review every case where students are dropped after a probationary period.)

The Honors Appeal should be no longer than one typed page. It should address the following issues:

• Why you, the student, feel you should not be dropped from the program. Here you may address significant academic improvement that shows your effort even though you haven't reached the guidelines. You may also discuss your involvement within the Honors Program.
•  Your precise plans for improving your current GPA. What changes will you make in study habits and what help will you seek to improve your current GPA?
• You should also include the names of two faculty members who are willing to act as references to support your continuation within the Honors Program. Please talk to these faculty members first to ensure you have their approval to use their names. Please supply phone numbers and e-mail addresses for your references

Student appeals should be turned in to the Honors Director on or before the 31 st of January in order to give the Honors Committee plenty of time to make a decision.

Service and Event Attendance Requirements

20 hours of service/event attendance is required each academic year of ALL honors students. Students can perform acts of service or event attendance for the Honors Program (we suggest that at least 5 hours of service/event attendance go to the honors program), for the university or for off-campus charity organizations approved by the honors program.