About the Kutztown University Honors Program
Kutztown’s distinctive Honors Program is open to qualified students in all major fields. The Honors Program is designed to provide academic and leadership opportunities. The program, which is undergraduate in nature and open to full-time students, is comprised of a minimum of 21 credits in Honors courses including a senior Honors thesis project. The 21 credits in Honors work also count toward a minimum of 120 credits for graduation. Honors students select specially designed Honors course, internships, and courses by contract to earn Honors credit. In addition, a service component supplements Honors Program coursework.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Freshmen who have been identified as potential Honors students based on their high school record and SAT scores, transfer students from other honors programs, and incumbent students who have earned a cumulative QPA of 3.25 or higher are invited to join the Honors Program. Students must enroll in an Honors course on a regular basis (at least every other semester) and maintain a minimum QPA of 3.25 to remain eligible for the program.
HOW DO I GET INVITED?
Membership to the Honors Program is by invitation. In order to be invited into our program you must carry a 3.25 GPA, 1200 or better on your SAT’s, top 20% of your graduating class (two of the three). If you meet the above criteria, the Admission Office will forward your name to the Honors Program Office, which will then contact the applicant.
ACTIVITIES
Honors Club
Membership is open to all students at the university who have paid their student activities fee. All students in the Honors Program are automatically enrolled in the club. The following officers are elected yearly: president, first vice president, secretary, treasurer, parliamentarian and vice president of various committees.
Honors Council
The Honors Council is the governing body of the Honors Program. Membership includes the Honors director, the vice provost, one faculty member from each of the four colleges, and two student representatives (one of whom is the president of the Honors Club). The council holds monthly meetings and makes decisions regarding all academic issues concerning the program.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Honors Program awards several merit-based scholarships worth up to $500 a year and renewable for three years. All incoming freshmen who have joined the program are automatically considered for a scholarship without submitting an application. The Honors Office will notify the recipients. The Gordon and Rose Lee Goldberg University Honors Scholarship is a merit-based award worth $1000 and given yearly
to a junior in the program. The selection criteria involves:
- The intent to complete the Honors Program
- Community or volunteer service to the Honors Program, and
- The maintaining of acceptable academic performance.
HONORS DIPLOMA
An Honors diploma is awarded to those students in the program who have met all college requirements, completed at least 21 credits in Honors coursework with a grade of “B” or higher, attained a minimum cumulative quality point average of 3.25 and completed the service component. A grade of “C” (or lower) will not count toward Honors credit. Students are not required to pursue an Honors diploma to take a class although it is strongly encouraged.
ADVANTAGES
Perks
- Priority registration
- Specialized classes
- Scholarships
- Small classes
- Close student-faculty relationships
Privileges
- Extended library privileges
- Graduation with Honors diploma
- Honors medal awarded
Special Opportunities
- State System of Higher Education summer Honors Study Abroad program
- Participation in Regional and/or National Collegiate
- Honors Council conferences
- Membership in Honors Club
- Exciting activities such as hikes, lectures, socials, trips to New York and Washington, D.C.
WAYS TO EARN HONORS CREDIT
- Enroll in a specially designed Honors course.
- Enroll in a regular course and earn Honors credit through contract.
- Complete an additional project as part of a internship in one’s major.
- Enroll in an independent study course for senior Honors thesis.
