Honors Program Structure
Explanatory notes are included in italics.

VISION STATEMENT
The Lincoln University Honors Program offers academically talented students a well structured and challenging multi-disciplinary Honors curriculum that embraces opportunities for intellectual growth through research, international travel, and community service. Graduates of the program should become successful leaders who will make innovative contributions to uplifting the human condition.

MISSION STATEMENT
The Honors program will provide a high quality and relevant academic growth experience for all Honors students and a premier and challenging experience for Lincoln's best and brightest students.

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The Honors Program will consist of two parts:

I. GENERAL HONORS PROGRAM

The General Honors Program is rooted in the Lincoln University liberal arts core curriculum, but offers more rigorous training in reading, writing, speaking, and thinking critically.

Graduating seniors who have been in the Honors Program for their last four semesters and have completed all requirements will have the notation, "Honors Program Graduate" added to their transcript.

Admission into the General Honors Program

• Incoming students with a minimum high school GPA of 3.3 and an SAT score of 1000 or ACT score of 20 can apply to the Honors Program for admission as freshmen.
• Current Lincoln students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or above and are prepared to fulfill all the requirements listed may apply to the Honors Committee for admission to the Honors Program.

Notes: Applicants to Lincoln who meet the minimum standard can apply to the Honors Program for admission, but students will be selected to keep the numbers for the program within certain limits, e.g. a maximum of approximately 6% of the student population or approximately 20-30 freshmen per year. Current Lincoln students who appear to be candidates for the Honors Program may be recommended or invited to apply by faculty or staff members.

General Honors Curriculum:
The General Honors Curriculum will be completed principally in the freshman and sophomore years. It consists of 18 credits of honors designated courses from University core or departmental requirements, in addition to language and math requirements which may add 0-12 credits depending on the student's choice of major and minor.

1. Multidisciplinary Team-Taught Honors Seminars: a freshman Honors University Seminar I (3 credits) and a senior Honors University Seminar II (3 credit).

Notes: Honors University Seminar I and Seminar II will be team taught multidisciplinary courses in which students will read, write, listen, and debate extensively. These courses will include the use of guest speakers from on and off campus and texts from an Honors Committee approved reading list.

2. Honors Core Courses: Completion of 12 credits of honors-designated sections chosen from those offered as core or departmental courses each semester.

Notes: Every semester Lincoln will offer multiple honors courses for Honors Program students to choose from. Each course will be limited to a maximum enrollment of 20. The Departments will be expected to develop and offer honors-designated sections of required core and departmental courses generally taken during the freshman and sophomore years. Syllabi must be approved by the Honors Committee for honors designation and at a minimum must include:

• Library/laboratory research on special topics.
• At least one 5-10 page written assignment.
• At least one 10-15 minute oral presentation before peers.
• At least two major written critical-thinking examinations (e.g.. long answer or essay questions, not multiple choice or matching)

3. Language Requirement: Two courses beyond the minimum required for the student's B.A. or B.S. program.

4. Math Emphasis Requirement: One additional course beyond the minimum University math requirement, chosen from a list of designated math intensive or logical thinking courses.

Notes: The list of designated courses will include all math courses above MAT 104 as well as other courses such as PHL 218 Formal Logic, CSC 158 Programming 1, SOC 306 Social Statistics, and PSY 210 Statistics I.

5. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative 3.3 GPA.

Other Requirements:

1. Active Participation in the Honors Program: A variety of extra-curricular activities will be offered both on and off campus including Honors Program meetings, community service, convocations, debates, and colloquia. Students must satisfy the minimum participation requirements set by the Honors Committee each semester in order to remain in the program.

Notes: Activities will include:

• Monthly campus clean-up
• Tutoring/mentoring of other students
• Student debates twice a semester
• Participation in monthly Honors Club meetings including election of officers, planning of Honors activities, presentation of guest speakers, etc
• Opportunity to attend off campus Conferences/Educational trips at least once a semester.

2. Students must remain in good standing in all aspects of University life.

II. DEPARTMENTAL HONORS PROGRAM

The Departmental Honors program is rooted in the requirements for each major, but offers more rigorous training in the field by requiring students to delve more deeply into the subject matter and to take part in independent research.

Students who successfully complete all requirements will have the notation "Departmental Honors" added to their transcript

Admission to the Departmental Honors Program
Students wishing to be considered for Departmental Honors should contact the Honors Program and the Department when declaring their major, i.e. by the end of the sophomore year. Upon acceptance in the Departmental Honors Program, students will be assigned an Honors Adviser in the major to serve as a mentor.

Departmental Honors Curriculum: The Departmental Honors curriculum will be completed principally in the junior and senior years.

1. Students must maintain a cumulative 3.3 GPA overall and a 3.3 GPA in the major.

2. Students must complete a year long Honors Research Thesis in the major, totaling 6 credits. Students will work with an Honors Adviser in the major and the project must be approved and evaluated by a Committee. Each student must develop a project topic for approval by the end of the junior year. In the senior year, the student will spend one semester in HON 495 conducting research, and a second semester in HON 495 writing and presenting the results, for a total of 6 credits over the two semesters. Interdisciplinary projects are encouraged.

3. Students must complete all other honors requirements set by the department of their major. Depending on the department, these may include:

• Taking honors sections of designated courses.
• Completing honors modules in conjunction with taking designated courses.
• Completing designated courses with a minimum grade.
• Taking part in study abroad, research fellowships, or internships.
• Completing additional courses beyond the minimum required for the major.
• Participation in other designated University programs such as MARC.

Additional Recommendations for Students in the Honors Program

• It is recommended that Honors students take a minimum of two years of a language (202) and preferably three years (302).
• It is recommended that Honors students take calculus (MAT 121 or MAT 131) and statistics (MAT 141, MAT 241, SOC 306, or PSY 210).
• It is recommended that Honors students take part in a study abroad program or off-campus internship or research fellowship.
• It is recommended that Honors students pursue post-undergraduate education, either medical school, law school, or graduate school.