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The Honors Project, Examination, and Graduation Distinctions

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Individual Honors Curriculum Application (Word Template)

Honors Revision Form (pdf document)

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UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ACADEMICS
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Admission Criteria

Entering Freshmen
Entering freshmen, to be eligible for the University Honors program must show high school academic success by having ACT/SAT scores of 29 or 1300 respectively, and a high school class rank in the upper 10% of their graduating class. Students must also complete an Honors Affiliate Application through the University Honors Center . During the freshman year, University Honors Affiliates must then decide to enter a College's Honors Program.

To enter the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Honors Program those students admitted as a University Honors Affiliate as a freshman must complete and submit an Individual Honors Curriculum Application by May 1 of the first year of enrollment at Ohio State.

Students should consult with their advisor as they are preparing their proposed curriculum. The Individual Honors Curriculum must be reviewed and approved by the Departmental Honors Program Coordinator and then forwarded to the CFAES office. Those not submitted by May 1 will lose Honors Status until it is submitted. Students not admitted to the program as freshmen will acquire Honors status upon approval of the Individual Honors Curriculum.

Transfer and Other Students

Transfer students from other colleges or universities should have attained a comparable academic standing. They too will need to submit an Individual Honors Curriculum Application for review and approval to the Departmental Honors Program Coordinator and have earned at least a 3.5 CPHR at The Ohio State University.   The "H" designation will be posted upon approval. The best opportunity however to gain the most from the Honors Program is to be admitted prior to the junior year.

To remain in the Agriculture Honors Program, a student must not fall below a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 for more than 2 consecutive quarters. To graduate in the Honors program, a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above is required in all coursework.  Students applying to the Honors Program can either pick up an Individual Honors Curriculum Application form from the college office or download the application and submit it to the Departmental Honors Program Coordinator for review and approval.

Reviewed Applications

Applications are reviewed throughout the quarter and school year. Students who have an approved honors curriculum on file will receive the "H" designation as long as they continue to maintain progress. Special honors computerized degree audits will be available for those who have an Individualized Honors Curriculum on file in the College Office.

Agriculture-Graduate (Combined BS-MS)

To be eligible for the combined graduate program, the student must have completed 135-quarter hours of coursework and have a 3.5 cumulative grade point average in all coursework. Students must submit a revised Individual Honors Curriculum identifying the graduate courses with an asterisk and including the signature of the Departmental Graduate Studies Chair. Signatures are required from the Graduate Committee chair, Assistant Dean of Agriculture, Graduate School Dean, and the Registrar before the program is official. Graduate school fees are charged effective the quarter of admission.

The Individual Honors Curriculum

Undergraduate

For the student, the first step in preparing the Individual Honors Curriculum Application is to prepare a statement presenting her/his academic area(s) of interest, short-term and long-term plans. Next, the student should develop the Individual Honors Curriculum in consultation with a faculty adviser using the future plans statement as a reference point.

It is recommended that all honors students have depth in honors or advanced level courses in Foundations, Quantitative and Logical skills, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, and major and minor areas. Honors students are encouraged to consider including a Diversity/International experience, as part of their curriculum. This can be met through several options including, but not limited to coursework, study abroad, etc. If a student includes a study abroad program into their curriculum, they must have an alternative plan in the event they should not participate in the study abroad.

The statement of the student as to what makes the request an Honors Curriculum will be reviewed carefully. Flexibility in departmental curriculum is anticipated and encouraged as long as the curriculum results in a more challenging and rigorous list of courses.

The statement of the student as to what makes the request an Honors Curriculum will be reviewed carefully. Flexibility in departmental curriculum is anticipated and encouraged as long as the curriculum results in a more challenging and rigorous list of courses.

After the student completes the Individual Honors Curriculum, it must be reviewed and approved by the Departmental Honors Program Coordinator and then forwarded to the CFAES office. The student will then be notified about approval or suggested modifications regarding their Individual Honors Curriculum. 

Students and faculty advisers should always feel free to contact a member of the Agriculture Honors Committee, the Departmental Honors Program Coordinator, or Honors Director if they have questions about preparing the Individual Honors Curriculum.

Agriculture-Graduate (Combined BS-MS)

The student is to obtain the necessary application forms and instructions in the College Office, Honors Director. Completion of the undergraduate phase of the program will be approved by the Departmental Honors Program Coordinator. The Master's phase of the program is the responsibility of the departmental graduate committee, the Graduate School and the student.

Honors Courses

Grading

Honors courses move at the pace of good students while emphasizing work of high quality. Faculty members are chosen for their ability to challenge talented students. The grading in honors courses neither penalize nor unduly rewards students for the honors status. Most good students do their best work in the classes that they find most interesting and most challenging.

A number of courses in the College of Food , Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences have been developed for students in the College Honors Program or for students who are eligible for membership in the Program.

* Students admitted to the program need to complete FAES H590 during the Autumn quarter of the junior year. This course will assist the student in the honors project proposal writing stage.

** Each student must list a minimum of eight (8) credit hours of Honors Research Project (H683) in the major area of the application. The Honors project alone will not make the curriculum uniquely different from the regular BS degree requirement.

Each Honors Curriculum should include at least:

• FAES H100, H590.01
• Department of Major H683
• A minimum of 6 Honors or Honors embedded (max of 2) courses must be taken within the first 3 years.  Of these 6 courses at least 2 courses must be outside of CFAES.  Two courses must be taken in year one and two courses must be taken in year two.
• At least the minimums in each category of the General Education Curriculum as shown on the application. Students are encouraged to strengthen the General Education where appropriate.
• Study abroad (at least 6 weeks in length) may substitute for one honors course.
• Upper division courses (500 and above) taken within the first 2 years may substitute for an honors course

Other Honors Courses

A list of all honors courses is published each quarter on line through the Master Schedule of Classes. Students and faculty advisers will find this list particularly helpful in selecting honors courses in the General Education Curriculum areas.