Honors Eligibility and Program Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to enroll in the Honors program?

For incoming freshmen, eligibility for the Honors program is determined based on several academic considerations. Students with a composite ACT of at least 26 (or equivalent SAT) and rank in the top 15% of their high school classes are automatically eligible; students who do not meet these criteria but have strong academic records may also meet eligibility requirements. At the end of each academic year, the top 15% of the freshman class is also invited to join Honors as sophomores. This is the last opportunity to enroll in the program.

What do I have to do to stay in Honors?

To stay enrolled in the Honors program, students must maintain a 3.25 GPA and take the Honors sections of Academic Writing (first-year composition) and Western Civilization I & II. You must also enroll in one Honors seminar in each of your first three years at Eureka. In the spring of the Junior year, you will take a one-credit course to help them write your thesis prospectus, and in the senior year receive two credits per semester to write the thesis.

What if I start Honors but decide that I don’t want to write a thesis?

Students may elect to leave the Honors program at any time. If you have any inclination at all to participate, then we recommend that you enroll as a freshman and see how it goes—withdrawing from the program carries with it no penalty, and you’ll still benefit from the Honors sections of the required courses.

The Advantages of Honors

Why Should I Consider the Honors Program?

The Eureka College Honors Program is an excellent opportunity for Eureka’s most accomplished students to engage in advanced scholarship and explore more deeply the fields that interest them. One of the perks of completing the Honors Program is graduating at the head of your class (and receiving a medal!), but even more rewarding than the commencement-day accolades are the unique educational opportunities that are openly only to Honors students:

Honors-only sections of required courses. All Honors students enroll in sections of Academic Writing (first-year composition) and Western Civilization I and II that are open only to Honors students. While the material covered in these courses and the grading criteria are the same as they are in the regular sections, the courses tend to proceed at a higher intellectual level; also, because the Honors program is selective, they are typically smaller than regular sections of these classes. This means that Honors students have the additional benefit of more focused instruction from their professors.

Special Honors seminars on unusual topics. Honors students take one-credit Honors seminars (one per year) in their freshman, sophomore, and junior years. These seminars—which usually have fewer than 12 students—are on topics that are of special interest to the professors who teach them. As a result, they tend to be exploratory, dialogic, and exciting, and are an excellent way for students to learn about subjects that might not get covered in their usual course load.

For a list of recent Honors seminars>

A senior thesis written under the guidance of a faculty committee. In their senior years, each Honors student completes an advanced thesis on a topic of his or her choice with the assistance of a three-member faculty committee. An excellent preparation for graduate school or any job that will require extensive research and writing, the thesis is a unique opportunity for students to delve deeply into a topic that interests them and to work closely with faculty advisors.

For a list of recent thesis topics>