Honors Program

The Honors Program at Mansfield University is a 24-credit multi disciplinary academic program which features innovative course work, challenging subjects and opportunities for cultural enrichment. This program is designed for students with a strong record of academic achievement and desire for new learning experiences. The Honors Program enables students to explore subjects that interest them in greater depth than may be possible in traditional courses and it also allows students to apply their knowledge across academic fields. It is the goal of the Honors Program to provide students with the knowledge, skills and opportunities to achieve their full potential during their academic career at Mansfield University. Mansfield University is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) and the Northeast Region National Collegiate Honors Council (NE-NCHC).

The Honors Program offers a dynamic learning environment that includes small classes, unique courses, collaborative and individual research projects and field-based educational experiences. All Honors Program students are required to complete five specially designed core courses, two honors electives, and one Senior Honors Research Presentation. The electives, representing a cross-section of the liberal arts and sciences, change each semester.

Enrollment in the Honors Program is accomplished in three ways: 1) Students who demonstrate superior high school achievement as reflected on SAT scores and high class rank are invited to accept early admission into the Honors Program during Freshman Orientation; 2) Freshman who exhibit strong academic potential during their first semester are invited to join the program on the basis of faculty recommendation; and 3) Students who have completed their freshmen year and demonstrate strong academic achievement can forward a written request to the Honors Program Director to be considered for admission.

Honors students must maintain a 3.0 in both their Honors courses and overall QPA. A student who falls below 3.0 will be placed on Honors Probation. The student is given one semester to improve their Quality Point Average and/or Honors course grades. Should the QPA not be raised to 3.0 by the following semester, the student will be dismissed from the Program. A student may appeal a dismissal by the Honors Program Director to the Honors Council. There are three REQUIRED meetings during the Academic year: one in August, one in January and one in February.

After you are admitted you will be assigned to an Honors Advisor who will assist you with your progress in the Program. The Honors Advisor also helps with the student’s General Education program so that it is challenging and relevant to the student’s interests. The Honors Program is compatible with all Mansfield University departmental majors without requiring any “extra” courses. All Honors courses count in fulfilling the General Education Block Requirements dependent upon content. If you should decide to leave the Honors Program you would not lose any of your credits earned. All credits would still appear on the student transcript and count as fulfilling your General Education requirements.

Benefits of the Honors Program include the following: Priority Scheduling, scholarship awards including M.U. Foundation Awards, Highest QPA by Class Book Awards and full scholarships to attend the five-week Summer Honors Program of the State System of Higher Education which earns each participant six University Honors credits. Past programs have included Moscow, Vienna, Scotland, South Africa, Ecuador and Oxford. In addition, specific Honors students are recognized at the University Honors banquet, Honors students are presented with Honors medallions, receive an Honors Sweater, attend the private press conference for the featured campus speaker, have their own study area, attend Senior Honor Research Project Presentations and have the opportunity to attend the Stratford

Shakespeare Festival, Toronto Film Festival or Shaw Theater Festival. Graduating Honors student transcripts list their Honors accomplishments. Students in the following majors have the option of choosing either the Standard Honors Program requirements or a specialized sequence in Nursing, Music, Elementary Education or Special Education