The Honors Program is designed for intellectually talented and motivated students. The program provides small sections of core curriculum classes, multidisciplinary colloquiums, dinner-seminars, book discussions, and a variety of other academic, cultural, and social events. Staff offices and a student lounge are located in Terrell Hall, and student accommodations, classrooms, study rooms and space for social events are available in Bell Hall – the only residential hall on the college's historic Front Campus.
Benefits
Benefits of the program include small classes taught by Georgia College's best professors; special multidisciplinary colloquiums; the opportunity to live in Bell hall and participate in the Honors Residential Learning Community; dinner-seminars, book discussions, and other academic, cultural, and social events; membership in the Eta Sigma Alpha Honorary Society; and the distinction of Honors graduation.
Application/Selection
Honors Program applications are reviewed by a faculty committee. The committee considers academic achievement and potential, evidence of intellectual curiosity, record of leadership and service, and special talents (e.g., athletic, artistic, and other).
Applicants should have a minimum SAT score of 1200 (or a minimum ACT score of 26) and must have a minimum high school GPA of 3.50 (as calculated by our Admissions Office). International students must have a 3.50+ high school GPA and an 88+ TOEFL score.
Honors Program applications are available on the Honors Program website and must be received by February 1 for priority consideration and March 15 for regular consideration.
All applicants will be notified of their Honors application status via e-mail approximately two weeks after the deadline.
Students admitted to the Honors Program must let us know whether or not they accept via e-mail by May 1.
Requirements
Students may remain in the Honors Program as long as they maintain a Georgia College cumulative average of 3.3, take at least one Honors class or Honors option per year, and participate in Eta Sigma Alpha. If the GPA falls below 3.3, students are allowed a probationary period of one semester to return to good standing. Such students may continue to take Honors courses during the probationary semester but are not eligible for recognition unless their cumulative Georgia College average returns to 3.3 by the end of the probation semester. Students who are dismissed from the program may not apply for readmission.
Courses
We offer Honors sections of core curriculum classes and special multidisciplinary Honors colloquiums. The colloquiums are often team taught, and may include field trips and guest speakers. Honors students may also apply to complete an Honors Option for Honors credit in a non-Honors class.
Honors Residential Learning Community
All Honors students have the opportunity to participate in the Honors Residential Learning Community, an important "learning beyond the classroom" experience, which currently focuses on the theory and practice of global citizenship. In this community, we explore the idea of global citizenship: what it means to be a global citizen and what role concepts such as nationalism and patriotism play in a global society. We use the Seven Revolutions framework to guide our discussion of global issues. These are seven global issues—population demographics, natural resource management, technology, information/knowledge, economic integration, conflict/security, and the challenges of governance—which, according to experts, are revolutionizing the world in which we live. Most importantly though, we explore ways in which we can positively impact these issues from here on campus. In this sense, we connect the local to the global and, in so doing, we take our first steps towards global citizenship.
As our Residential Learning Community reaches out beyond the classroom and beyond campus, we expect some students to participate in local and international service and service-learning programs. These students will bring their experiences back to campus, continuing our education and reinforcing our commitment to global citizenship.
External Scholarships
The Honors Program encourages academically motivated students to seek external scholarships, fellowships, and grants to pursue their longer term academic and professional goals. Successful scholarship applications early in one's college career can be used to leverage future scholarship and other opportunities.
Students interested in applying for major scholarships should contact the Honors Program director and/or the designated faculty adviser for specific scholarships in the second semester of their freshman year or early in their sophomore year.