Honors, minor

Contact: Mark Sawin
Semester Hours: 18

EMU Honors is designed to provide academically motivated students with greater opportunities for challenge and growth. It helps students develop: 

• the ability to examine ideas as human constructs made to bring order to chaos and sense to life and the ability to respectfully and systematically discuss ideas, even those fundamental to core beliefs. 

• the ability to read and use the wide variety of “texts” (written, visual, relational, scientific, cultural, etc.)  that both derive from and then drive the ideas formed by human experience.

• tools to remain healthy and balanced amidst the process of exploring the big ideas that guide society and culture, and the ability to contextualize one’s own story amidst an understanding of EMU’s Anabaptist and Christian traditions. 

• the ability to formulate, critique, and begin to implement ideas in a leadership capacity. 

EMU Honors seeks to attract academically motivated students via scholarships and a challenging curriculum for integrated learning. Students who qualify for the Presidential Scholarship are automatically eligible for the Honors program and to compete for the full-tuition Yoder and Webb scholarships. The application process is spelled out at Honors Program. The Honors minor is available to all EMU students who participate and successfully complete the requirements.  

EMU Honors Components:  

• Scholarships: Students awarded the Presidential scholarship when applying to EMU as first year-students are recognized as Honors students and are eligible to compete for the full-tuition Honors Yoder/Webb Scholarships.  Students must maintain an annual cumulative GPA of 3.0 to maintain these scholarships. 

• Honors Cohort Expectations: Students who receive the Presidential scholarship and enter EMU as part of an Honors Cohort are given major financial support, and with this support comes several expectations:

  • Completion of the Core Honors courses:

    • HONRS 111 Ruling Ideas (3)

    • HONRS 310+ Honors Colloquium (topic changes each semester) (3)

    • HONORS 401 Worldview Seminar (2)

  • Holding a leadership position in a club, organization, publication, performance, or athletic team; or, actively participating in at least three. 

  • Finishing EMU with a cumulative 3.5 or greater GPA.

• Honors Minor: This is the academic portion of EMU Honors, and any student may choose to add the minor and join the Honors cohort during their time at EMU. To be eligible, students must demonstrate strong academic performance and a dedication to being an active member of the EMU community. This academic minor includes the following: 

  • Completion of Honors Core Courses (8 SH)

    • HONRS 111 Ruling Ideas (3)

    • HONRS 310+ Honors Colloquium (topic changes each semester) (3)

    • HONORS 401 Worldview Seminar (2; fulfills the Senior Seminar requirement for Core)

  • Completion of an Honors Project (9 SH) 

    • An Honors project proposal, ideally completed and defended during the second semester of second year

    • Six (6) semester hours of preparatory course work related to the project that may include upper-level or advanced courses related to the project and outside the requirements of the student’s primary major; major involvement in an EMU organization, committee, or club that contributes to the project; or, internship, project or Honors directed study hours (HONRS 499).

    • HONRS 455 Honors Capstone (3) - A capstone course (it is currently a 1SH course) directed by the project director chosen by the student and the Honors Project coordinator, and resulting in a public presentation of the project to the EMU community during their senior year.

  • Cumulative GPA of 3.6 or greater at the time of graduation.

  • Serving in a leadership role in at least one EMU club, organization, publication, performance, or athletic team; or, having been an active participating in at least three. 

NOTE: Completion of the Honors minor is a requirement for all Yoder/Webb scholarship recipients.