Honors Curriculum
CSM’s Honors Curriculum is an enriched learning environment for high-achieving, college-bound students, where they can continue to develop their abilities as they broaden their horizons.
With an emphasis on diversity, critical thought, global perspectives, and leadership, the Honors Curriculum empowers students to become citizen-scholars.
This generation of leaders will possess both the academic knowledge and the intellectual formation to ask insightful questions, make connections, and apply abstract ideas to solving real-world problems.
curriculum BENEFITS AND ENVIRONMENT
Honors Curriculum participants will progress through the program in virtual cohorts, consisting of 20 first-year students.
In addition to enhanced foundational honors courses in English, science, and philosophy, there's as well a special Honors version of First Year Seminar.
These seminars provide enriched instruction in leadership, project management, service, transfer readiness, and professional skills.
Because enhanced honors courses replace other required courses, joining the Honors Curriculum won’t add additional credit requirements for participants to earn their degree.
Just as importantly, it won’t raise the cost of their education, either—a scholarship from the CSM Foundation covers tuition, fees, books, and other course expenses for the special Honors version of First Year Seminar.
Upon graduating, students who complete the Honors Curriculum will receive an honors graduation cord, a special mention in the graduate brochure, a “honors” distinction on their diploma, and an honors letter of recognition.
ELIGIBILITY and APPLICATION
To be eligible for the Honors Curriculum, you must:
- graduate in the top 15 percent of your high school class;
- earn an SAT score of 1100 or higher for critical reading and mathematics or an ACT score of 22 or higher; or
- earn minimum scores of Accuplacer Read-254, Write-263, Math QAS-281, or Aleks Math-46-55
To be considered, submit your Honors Curriculum application by June 10. You will need to apply to CSM if you haven’t done so already, although you don’t have to submit your CSM application before the Honors Curriculum application.
You’ll need to submit additional documentation by June 10 to complete your application and demonstrate eligibility and academic proficiency for the Honors Curriculum:
- Submit ONE of the following: an essay on the topic of what you hope to gain or achieve by joining the CSM Honors Curriculum; OR a letter of recommendation from a teacher or guidance counselor attesting to your academic proficiency.
- Submit ONE of the following: your ACT/SAT score report; your CSM placement test score; OR a document from your high school showing your class rank.
For more information, please contact Dr. Richard Bilsker, Honors Curriculum director, at rlbilsker@csmd.edu.
Transfer Opportunities
The Upper Division honors curriculum is designed for students who have completed approximately half of their undergraduate degree program and are looking to enroll in Barrett during the start of what is traditionally considered their third (junior) year. The Upper Division option works particularly well for community college students coming to ASU with an earned Associate’s degree.
Barrett enrollment is available to students in an undergraduate degree program at any of the four metropolitan Phoenix campuses of ASU - Downtown, Polytechnic, Tempe, and West. Barrett is not currently available to students at ASU Online, Lake Havasu, or other university learning centers.
To apply for Barrett Upper Division admission, both of the following criteria must be met:
1) ALREADY COMPLETED: A minimum of fifty-four (54) credit hours recognized by Arizona State University.
- At least thirty (30) of the 54 credits must have been earned after high school or home school graduation.
- Courses in progress at the time of Barrett application review will be counted towards the 54-credit minimum with the expectation that they will be successfully completed.
2) REMAINING AT ASU: At least two academic years - four fall/spring semesters, not including summer sessions - and approximately sixty (60) credit hours at the time of honors enrollment (not at the time of application submission.)
Interested in joining Barrett as an Upper Division student? Learn more about the curriculum and admissions process by registering to attend a virtual Barrett Upper Division information session.
For more information, please visit this website.
The Honors Program welcomes qualified transfer students. More information about the requirements for transfer students can be found in the Hood College Catalog. Requirements differ depending on the level of involvement a student had with Honors at their prior institution. Transfer students work closely with the Honors co-directors to identify which requirements of the Honors Program apply to them.
Students admitted to the Hood College Honors program are awarded a $2,000 Honors Scholarship. This scholarship may be awarded in addition to other merit scholarships.
For more information on the Honors Program, please visit this website.
Transfer students are eligible to apply for Liberty University's Honors Program.
Eligibility
- GPA of 3.50 or higher
- No more than 60 college credits
You must have been admitted or concurrently in the process of applying to Liberty University in order to be accepted into the Honors Program. Admission to Liberty University’s Honors Program is competitive, and enrollment is limited.
Applications will only be considered if received or postmarked by March 1. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Drop off your materials at the Honors Program Office located in the Jerry Falwell Library, Room 364, or mail your materials in a single envelope to:
Honors Program
Liberty University
MSC Box # 710018
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
For more information, please visit this website.
Transfer students who have achieved a GPA of at least 3.75 are invited to apply to the program on an individual basis. Students transferring to the McDaniel Honors Program complete a modified set of program requirements, as agreed upon with the Director.
Students are automatic considered for an invitation to the Honors Program depending on your cumulative college GPA, rigor of coursework taken, demonstration of involvement and quality of personal essay assed during the application decision review.
For more information, please visit this website.
Transfer students are invited to apply for the Perry Honors College at Old Dominion University.
Transfer students must have at least a 3.5 college GPA.
Fore more information, please visit this website.
Stevenson University welcomes transfer students to join its Honors Program, which provides academically talented students the opportunity to develop a strong network of mutually outstanding and motivated peers and work closely with talented and engaged faculty. Click here to learn more about the Honors Program.
Direct Admit
Any transfer student who has completed an honors program at another college/university and has a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 or higher will be granted guaranteed admission into the Stevenson University Honors Program. If you meet these criteria, please click here to indicate your interest in joining the Stevenson University Honors Program.
How to Apply
Transfer students who have not completed an honors program but fall into one of the following categories are strongly encouraged to apply to the Stevenson University Honors Program:
- Students with a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 or higher who are currently enrolled in an honors program at another institution
- Students not currently enrolled in an honors program but who have completed fewer than 30 credits and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5
Transfer students that are applying to Temple University are eligible to apply for the University Honors Program.
For more information, please visit this website.
- To qualify for the Honors MOU, CSM students must:
- Apply and be accepted to Towson University.
- Apply to the Honors College by the published deadline for the entrance in the fall term.
- Meet all requirements of the CSM Honors Curriculum prior to transfer to Towson.
- Complete an Associate Degree and/or a minimum of 60 undergraduate credits from CSM.
- Possess at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA at the time of application to the Towson University Honors College.
- For the Honors MOU,
- Guaranteed admission into the Towson University Honors College.
- For the Honors Articulation Agreement, CSM students must:
- Applied to UMBC by the published priority deadline
- Admitted to UMBC as a degree seeking student
- Applied to the Honors College by the published deadline
- The CSM Honors Curriculum Director will provide confirmation that students have met all requirements of CSM’s Honors Curriculum prior to matriculation to UMBC. In the case of CSM, this means that students complete the requirements for the Honors Curriculum LOR
- Has earned at least a 3.7 cumulative GPA at the time of application to the Honors College at UMBC (Students may be eligible for admission to the Honors College with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or greater, but only guaranteed admission to the Honors College with a 3.7 cumulative GPA or higher
- As part of the Honors Articulation Agreement, CSM students receive:
- Guaranteed admission to the Honors College if students meet the requirements stated above.
- For the Honors-to-Honors Articulation Agreement, CSM students must:
- Complete the Honors Curriculum Letter of Recognition.
- Apply to UMES by the published priority deadline
- Admitted to UMES as a degree seeking student
- Applied to the Richard A. Henson Honors Program by the published deadline.
- Earn at least a 3.3 cumulative grade point average (GPA) at the time of the application to UMES and the Richard A. Henson Honors Program.
- As part of the Honors-to-Honors Articulation Agreement, CSM students receive:
- UMES will offer guaranteed admission to UMES and the Richard A. Henson Honors Program if students meet the criteria above.
- UMES will offer a financial award to UMES and the Richard A. Henson Honors Program if students meet the criteria above, as determined by student's admission's rubric scores.
Virginia Commonwealth University offers transfer students the opportunity to apply for the Honors College.
Admission into the Honors College is competitive. Students who feel they do not meet our recommended guidelines for admission but believe an exception should be made, remain eligible to apply, as other components of the application (extracurricular, honors, leadership, etc.) may offset the lower quantitative scores. The Honors College recommends the following:
- achieved at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA
- completed at least 12 semester hours of college credit from your transfer institution
Transfer student applications are only accepted and processed twice a year. The VCU Honors College application will be available after Labor Day.
To be eligible for admission into VCU Honors College for the spring semester, students must submit an Honors College application by November 15. Statements of endorsement must be uploaded by the reference writer no later than December 1. All admission decisions will be made by December 15.
To be eligible for admission into VCU Honors College for the fall semester, students must submit an Honors College application by May 15. Statements of endorsement must be uploaded by the reference writer no later than by June 1. All admission decisions will be made by June 15.
For more information, please visit this website.