Honors Program

The honors program supplements the traditional curriculum in economics, business and accounting by providing a unique opportunity for intellectual enrichment and pursuit of academic excellence. The honors courses are designed to explore general topics of interest at an intellectually challenging level using an interdisciplinary and integrative approach to learning.

Each course will focus on a general topic – such as globalization, capitalism or entrepreneurship – that transcends disciplines. Students will explore the topic and examine it from different perspectives through reading of original and contemporary material, research and discussion. The honors course is designed to foster and encourage the development of analytical and critical thinking, written and oral communication skills, practical and quantitative applications, teamwork and collaborative learning. Honors courses are team-taught by the faculty in the fields of economics, business and accounting.

Qualifying students that demonstrate a passion for learning and are interested in an intellectually challenging and unorthodox approach may take one or both of the following honors courses:

• ECON, BUS, ACCT 390 — Team-taught topical course using an interdisciplinary and integrative approach to learning, emphasizing critical thinking, discussion and collaborative work.
• ECON, BUS, ACCT 490 — Guided and supervised research involving an original idea and using an interdisciplinary and integrative approach across disciplines of accounting, business and economics. The final work is presented at a forum of the faculty and students, and is read and graded by the honors committee consisting of the faculty from the respective fields. This research is treated somewhat similar to a thesis project and is generally viewed very positively by prospective employers and graduate schools, while the content may serve as an excellent source of material for an interview.

Prerequisites

• Completion of minimum of 60 credit hours
• 3.0 overall grade point average (GPA) and in the major field of study
• Completion of at least one intermediate level or two upper level courses in any of the following majors: Economics, Business or Accounting

Application Procedure

Admission to the Departmental Honors Program is based on: a) student self-recommendation, b) academic advisor’s recommendation and c) the Departmental Honors Committee recommendation. Students who successfully complete the program by taking both courses will receive an honorable mention and honor scholar certificate at graduation provided that they have maintained a 3.3 overall GPA and 3.5 in their field of study. Students who have successfully completed the 376 course will receive an honorable mention and departmental honor certificate at graduation provided that they have maintained a 3.3 overall GPA and 3.5 GPA in their field of study. Additionally, the names of all honor scholars will be registered and maintained on a wall plaque recognizing the student’s achievements and inspiring future students.