Frequently Asked Questions

If you have questions about the Honors Program or Courses that are not answered below, please contact Dr. Michael Denner

How do I apply?

The Honors program currently accepts applications only from entering freshmen during the spring of their senior year in high school. Applications can also be downloaded from this site (see the menu to the left). The program typically starts accepting applications from students in January of the senior year, though we will consider early applicants if a student's status in Honors helps him or her make a decision about where to attend college.

Do I have to take my courses in sequence?

Nearly all Honors students take the first four semesters of coursework (Honors 1-4) in sequential and consecutive order. These four courses are challenging, innovative and engaging experiences which take the place of virtually all your general education requirements, and they are meant to provide a broad foundation upon which to base the more specific work you do in your major during your third and fourth years. The final four courses and experiences (Honors 5-8) can be taken in virtually any order, and students often take more than one Honors course per semester. Since the Capstone Colloquia are specifically oriented towards graduating seniors, you should try to take them during your senior year.

What about Study Abroad? What are my options? Do I have to do it?

The Honors Council embraces the importance of study abroad. Most importantly, a semester or summer abroad develops skills and give you experiences a classroom setting will never provide. It furthermore helps you to learn about yourself and gives you a chance to break out of the (sometimes too comfortable) routine of university life.

Stetson semester abroad programs are automatically accepted as meeting this requirement, and they cost no more than you pay for Stetson tuition. Shorter term programs and non-Stetson sponsored programs must be approved on an individual basis by the Honors Program Executive Committee. For those very few students who cannot travel abroad (for medical reasons, for example), the University Honors Program offers alternative ways to meet the Study Abroad component. Contact the director as early as possible to discuss the situation. 

How does one leave the program?

To withdraw from the program is a formal procedure, but it requires just three short steps. These are designed to make it easy on the student, while allowing the university to keep its records straight and the program to assess its effectiveness.

·         The student contacts the program director, who arranges a brief exit interview.

·         The student answers four questions: Why did you enter the program? What, if anything, did you like about the program? What, if anything, did you dislike about the program? Why are you withdrawing from the program? (If an interview cannot be arranged, the student can respond in writing or via email.)

·         The director completes a withdrawal notice and submits it to the University Registrar.

What happens to the credit earned in Honors courses?

For those who withdraw, credit earned in Honors courses can be used to satisfy regular general education requirements. The particular equivalencies are determined by each college, but the credit never is “lost” or “wasted.” For example, HON 1 and 2 will replace several general education requirements for each school. The precise equivalencies for each school can be found in the Honors Handbook.