While there are several majors in which honors students have to select their General Education courses with care, all honors students, with proper advice, can graduate with the minimum number of credits required by the major. Honors courses are different from non-honors courses, but not necessarily harder. In general, honors courses tend to stress more sophisticated work rather than a greater workload and emphasize the analysis of ideas over memorization of data. This entails class discussions in a small class setting as well as the writing of critical essays and research papers. Honors students find the honors courses more stimulating than regular courses and thus do not object to whatever extra work there may be.
Most honors students prosper in their honors courses.
Almost without exception, the courses in which they do poorly are not honors courses, but courses required in their major. We in honors look upon our job as being one of nurturing as well as instructing. The university recognizes that it is not always easy, even for the brightest students, to make that transition from high school to college. Therefore we have set up a sliding grade point requirement to remain in good standing in the program. Your grade point average must be 3.25 by the time you become a junior.