Honors College
- Student Information
- How to Join Honors
- Honors Application
- Honors Requirements
- Types of Honors Courses
- Forms: Honors Course Applications
- Faculty Information
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Student Information
Information students in Honors and students interested in Honors may need
How to Join Honors
How to Join Honors
Automatic admission:
New Freshmen with 3.5+ High School GPA and 28 ACT are auto-admitted to the Honors College
Transfer admission:
Students with a 3.25 cumulative college GPA and 18 hours of concurrent credit + a letter of recommendation from a professor or academic advisor can apply for admission to the Honors College
Secondary admission:
Current A-State student with a 3.25 cumulative GPA and 18 hours of credit at A-State can apply for admission to the Honors College
Appeal Process:
New Freshman with 3.5+ High School GPA, and compelling resume, lacking 28 ACT superscore. Can apply for admission to the Honors College with resume, brief essay, and letter of recommendation.
Application is reviewed for consideration. Preference given for demonstration of college-level rigor.
Honors Application
Follow the QR code to join the Honors College.
Honors Requirements
Arkansas State University recognizes the academic achievement of graduating baccalaureate-degree students with Latin Honors, “Honors Program” and “University Honors Program” distinctions. To receive distinctions, students must be seeking their first baccalaureate degree. Honor distinctions are not awarded for additional baccalaureate degrees, associates degrees, or graduate-level degrees.
Latin Honors
1. Distinctions for graduating students are determined after grades have been submitted for the first session of the graduating term for the graduation program and ceremony. Distinctions are recalculated after full-term and second session grades have been posted to award distinctions to any students who improved sufficiently to achieve a distinction.
2. In order to receive Latin Honors, students must earn at least 45 ASU-Jonesboro Institutional Hours. ASU registration for the graduating term will be included when determining if a student meets this requirement.
3. Students must have both an Overall (Cumulative) GPA and an ASU-Jonesboro Institutional GPA that meets the following requirements:
- Cum Laude (White Cord) – 3.60-3.79 GPA
- Magna Cum Laude (Red Cord) – 3.80-3.99 GPA
- Summa Cum Laude (Gold Cord) – 4.00 GPA
NOTE: Overall GPA is calculated by combining GPA hours and quality points for all ASU-Jonesboro and transfer coursework. (Transfer coursework may include courses taken concurrently while in high school.)
Program Honors
1. Distinctions for graduating students are determined prior to the graduating term.
2. Students who complete the Honors Program shall be recognized as graduating “In Honors”. Diplomas and transcripts will bear the designation “Honors Program”. Students who complete the University Honors Program shall be recognized as graduating “In University Honors”. Diplomas and transcripts will bear the designation “University Honors Program”.
- Honors College (Blue Cord)
For additional information, please visit the Honors College.
Information on Graduation Honors is also available on the A-State webpage.
Types of Honors Courses
Honors Courses
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Departmental: [The course has HNRS in the title and an H section number] the course is offered by a department with a set number of seats set aside for Honors students.
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Registration Method: Banner
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Honors Option: a contract created between the student and the professor to turn a regular course into an Honors course. The student initiates the agreement with the professor.
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Registration Method: InfoReady application & review + Banner
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Honors Independent Study HNRS 4000V: Usually taken as a precursor to the Honors Senior Thesis HNRS 4489V. Students use this course to explore subject matter for the thesis with their mentor professor. The end result is a thesis proposal for the HNRS 4489V.
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Registration Method: InfoReady Review & review + Banner
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Honors Senior Thesis HNRS 4489V: The thesis course is taken during the senior year, but earlier for some education majors who have mandatory internships. Registration Method: InfoReady Review & review + Banner
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Graduate Course for Undergraduate Honors Credit: Students in an Accelerated Masters program can apply to the Honors College to receive Honors Credit for their graduate courses
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Registration Method: Departmental Approval for Grad Course + InfoReady Application Review (You register for the Graduate Course--The Registrar makes it HNRS once it is approved)
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HNRS Special Topics: . Registration Method: Banner
Follow this link to apply for an Honors course: https://astate.infoready4.com/
The deadline to apply is the last day of class in the semester registration begins.
Forms: Honors Course Applications
Spring 2027 Honors Option Application: Link Expires on last day of class December 4
Spring 2027 Honors Independent Study Application: Link Expires on last day of class December 4
Spring 2027 Petition to Enroll in Grad Course for Honors Credit: Link Expires on last day of class December 4
2026-2027 Honors Senior Thesis Application: Link Expires on last day of class December 4
Faculty Information
Links to information students may need
DELETE
How to Join Honors
Automatic admission:
New Freshmen with 3.5+ High School GPA and 28 ACT are auto-admitted to the Honors College
Transfer admission:
Students with a 3.25 cumulative college GPA and 18 hours of concurrent credit + a letter of recommendation from a professor or academic advisor can apply for admission to the Honors College
Secondary admission:
Current A-State student with a 3.25 cumulative GPA and 18 hours of credit at A-State can apply for admission to the Honors College
Appeal Process:
New Freshman with 3.5+ High School GPA, and compelling resume, lacking 28 ACT superscore. Can apply for admission to the Honors College with resume, brief essay, and letter of recommendation.
Application is reviewed for consideration. Preference given for demonstration of college-level rigor.
DELETE
Spring 2027 Honors Option Application: Link Expires on last day of class December 4
Spring 2027 Honors Independent Study Application: Link Expires on last day of class December 4
Spring 2027 Petition to Enroll in Grad Course for Honors Credit: Link Expires on last day of class December 4
2026-2027 Honors Senior Thesis Application: Link Expires on last day of class December 4
DELETE
Arkansas State University recognizes the academic achievement of graduating baccalaureate-degree students with Latin Honors, “Honors Program” and “University Honors Program” distinctions. To receive distinctions, students must be seeking their first baccalaureate degree. Honor distinctions are not awarded for additional baccalaureate degrees, associates degrees, or graduate-level degrees.
Latin Honors
1. Distinctions for graduating students are determined after grades have been submitted for the first session of the graduating term for the graduation program and ceremony. Distinctions are recalculated after full-term and second session grades have been posted to award distinctions to any students who improved sufficiently to achieve a distinction.
2. In order to receive Latin Honors, students must earn at least 45 ASU-Jonesboro Institutional Hours. ASU registration for the graduating term will be included when determining if a student meets this requirement.
3. Students must have both an Overall (Cumulative) GPA and an ASU-Jonesboro Institutional GPA that meets the following requirements:
- Cum Laude (White Cord) – 3.60-3.79 GPA
- Magna Cum Laude (Red Cord) – 3.80-3.99 GPA
- Summa Cum Laude (Gold Cord) – 4.00 GPA
NOTE: Overall GPA is calculated by combining GPA hours and quality points for all ASU-Jonesboro and transfer coursework. (Transfer coursework may include courses taken concurrently while in high school.)
Program Honors
1. Distinctions for graduating students are determined prior to the graduating term.
2. Students who complete the Honors Program shall be recognized as graduating “In Honors”. Diplomas and transcripts will bear the designation “Honors Program”. Students who complete the University Honors Program shall be recognized as graduating “In University Honors”. Diplomas and transcripts will bear the designation “University Honors Program”.
- Honors College (Blue Cord)
For additional information, please visit the Honors College.