Honors College Fall Advising Information

Early Registration Approval Information

  • Being awarded early honors registration is not automatic. All approvals must be completed by September 20th.
  • Please read the information below (click on "New Students" or "Second and Third Year Students") on what is required for early registration approval based on your status in the Honors College.
  • Students already enrolled in thesis classes (UH 4900 or UH 4950) do not need to attend workshops. You will be given early registration approval. Please get in touch with your honors advisor if you have questions regarding your thesis or remaining honors requirements.
  • Approved students can begin registering on Monday, November 4th  at 10:00 a.m. (60+ earned hours) or 11:00 a.m. (less than 60 earned hours) for Spring 2025 classes. 

New Students

In order to be reviewed for early registration approval, new honors students must attend one of the Honors Advising New Student Workshops or watch the New Student Video. We highly encourage you to come in person to one of the workshops so we can get to know you better and show you more about honors. However, if your schedule does not permit in-person attendance you may watch the video linked below (you will be prompted to complete a form at the end of the video which will verify completion of this requirement). 

Students who do not attend one of the workshops or watch the video will not be reviewed or approved for early registration. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns regarding the advising requirement.

 

In-person workshops do not require registration. Simply come to HONR 106 at the day/time listed below. 

Honors Advising
New Student Workshop		 Honors Advising
New Student Workshop

Friday, September 6, 2024

1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

HONR 106

Friday, September 6, 2024

2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

HONR 106

 

If you are unable to attend one of the Honors Advising workshops please watch the video linked below. At the end of the video, you will complete a form* to confirm the video's completion and complete the course information below.

New Student Honors Advising Video

(*forms will activate on August 22nd)

If you would like to receive Honors hours for qualifying AP, IB, or Governor’s school credit, you must fill out the appropriate paperwork which will be available at the workshops or through the video form.

Following your workshop attendance or confirmation of watching the video, an honors advisor will review your status in Honors and make a decision on your early registration approval. If we need further information from you before making a decision, you will be contacted through your MTSU email account.

Second and Third Year Students not yet enrolled in UH 4900/4950)

In order to be reviewed for early registration approval students need to come to one of the information days listed above or watch the Thesis Workshop video by 9/20/2024 and complete the early registration approval form (link to the form is available within the interactive video). Students who don't watch the video by that deadline will not be reviewed, or approved, for early registration with Honors.

You are welcome to schedule an appointment with your honors advisor at any point in the semester but early registration approvals will be completed through in-person workshops or watching the video and completing the form*.

Please contact your honors advisor if you have questions or concerns regarding the video requirement or if you need accommodations to view it. 

Thesis Workshop Video

(*forms will activate on August 22nd)

Other Important Information:

 

Honors Graduation Requirements (full UH minor):
              23 hours (starting Summer 2024)

15 hours of any level Honors coursework, which can include any of the following options: 

  • Any 1000-4000 level Honors courses
  • A maximum of two honors contracts*
  • Approved study abroad credits (up to 9 hours total), internship credits (up to 6 hours total), or research credits (up to 6 hours total)*
  • Can include up to 9 hours of the following: AP credits with scores of 4 or 5; Governor's School credit with a grade of A; and approved IB credits
  • Can include 3 hours of ACT/SAT credit for ENGL 1010
  • UH 3000 can be taken up to 3 times if needed
  • 1-hr Collage (UH 3001) can be taken up to 3 times if needed 

8 hours of upper-division Honors coursework, which is broken down into the specific courses below:

  • 3 hours of UH 3500, UH 4010 (Institute of Leadership Excellence), any 3000/4000 level Honors course, an approved Honors Contract, approved study abroad, approved internship, or approved research credits*.
  • 1 hour of UH 3000 – Lecture Series, UH 3200 - Visiting Artist Seminar, or ENGL 3635 - Creative Writing Event Series
  • 1 hour of UH 4900 – Thesis Tutorial
  • 3 hours of UH 4950 – Honors Senior Independent Study Research or Creative Project (Thesis)

*A maximum of two honors contracts, nine study abroad credits, and six internship/research hours may be counted towards your honors requirements; they can be used for the first or second section or split between the two requirements. Please review the use of these hours with your honors advisor. All study abroad, internship, and research credits must be approved. See those sections below for further details.

Honors Associate Requirements (UHA minor): 11 hours

The Honors Associate Minor requires 11 hours of honors coursework as listed below. This minor is available to transfer students or continuing students who want to complete the Honors thesis but do not have enough honors hours to complete the additional 12 hours required in the full minor.

11 hours of Honors coursework, which is broken down into the specific courses below:

  • 3 hours of any level Honors course, an approved Honors Contract, approved study abroad, approved internship, or approved research hours*.
  • 3 hours of Interdisciplinary Seminar. Fulfilled by taking UH 3500, UH 3900 (Transfer Fellows only), or UH 4010 (Institute of Leadership Excellence); or an approved study abroad, internship, or research course. Contracts may also be considered under special circumstances.*
  • 1 hour of UH 3000 – Lecture Series, UH 3200 - Visiting Artist Seminar, or ENGL 3635 - Creative Writing Event Series
  • 1 hour of UH 4900 – Thesis Tutorial
  • 3 hours of UH 4950 – Honors Senior Independent Study Research or Creative Project (Thesis)

*A maximum of two honors contracts, six study abroad credits, and/or six internship/research hours may be counted towards your honors requirements. Please review the use of these hours with your honors advisor. All study abroad, internship, or research credits must be approved. See those sections below for further details.

Honors Contracts

Typically, sophomores, juniors, and seniors complete honors contracts to complete their remaining outstanding Honors requirements. Freshmen should check with their Honors advisor first to see if they need a contract for the current semester.

The Honors contract form is located on the forms site and is an online form. It is due September 30th for Fall Semesters and February 15th for Spring Semesters.

  • Students need to work out an agreement with an individual professor to complete extra work that will enhance their learning.
  • Students can receive honors credit for a non-honors upper-division course (3000 and 4000 level) or a 2000-level class that is NEVER offered by the Honors College. Please check with an honors advisor first to see if the class qualifies.
  • Students must include a description of the honors component to the form and the professor must sign the form. 

Use of Internship or Research Hours towards Honors Requirements

You may use approved Internship or Research hours towards Honors Graduation (or the Honors Associate) requirements. Students must request approval for these hours by filling out an online form which is available on the forms site as an online form.

Internships or Research opportunities must count for college credit and show on your official MTSU transcript in order to substitute for honors graduation requirements. You must first arrange the internship/research with your major or minor department and then submit our form for our approval. Additional courses, such as practicums, clinical hours, student teaching, etc. may also be considered for this category. Please confirm eligible courses with your honors advisor.

Once final grades have been submitted for the course, the credits will be evaluated by your honors advisor to determine where best to use these hours toward the honors minor. Approved credits may also substitute for the Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar requirement. A maximum of six (6) hours will substitute for honors graduation requirements.  

Institute of Leadership Excellence

 

We encourage Honors students to consider enrolling in the Institute of Leadership Excellence (UH 4010). This course can be substituted for Interdisciplinary Seminar or used toward other honors requirements

  • Learn more here: https://www.mtsu.edu/ile/ 
  • Promotes leadership development, personal growth, and skill development
  • Limited enrollment—must be nominated and apply
  • Meets one week in May (beginning of summer semester). Monday-Friday,  9 a.m.—6 p.m. each day
  • Regular summer tuition for 3 credit hours (they provide lunch and snacks)
  • Email your honors advisor for more information

Honors Minors

Students who intend to graduate from the Honors College, or to complete an Honors Associate (which requires the upper-division honors requirements including thesis), will declare an Honors Minor.

  • Two options: Full Honors Requirements (23 hours) or Honors Associate (15 hours*). To graduate from the Honors College, you must fulfill the requirements for the Full Honors Minor (23 hours). The Honors Associate Minor is meant for students who transfer without previous honors courses or those who join the Honors College later in their undergraduate career and cannot complete the additional 12 hours needed for the full honors minor. Please note that students who complete the Honors Associate will not have the “Graduated from the University Honors College” designation on their diploma or transcript, nor will they be eligible for Honors College Cords as part of their graduation regalia.
  • You are allowed to declare multiple minors but starting in Summer 2024, you may face issues with financial aid due to "Course Program of Study" (CPoS) restrictions. An Honors Minor cannot replace a required minor for your major. You may need additional coursework if you are approved to use the Honors Minor as your only minor, contact your major advisor to discuss these issues.
  • All courses within the Honors Minors CAN double count as other degree requirements. Since honors courses can double count, you should only need to add 5-8 unique hours to your overall degree requirements to complete either of the minors’ requirements. These 5-8 hours may still fulfill general elective hours if you have room in your remaining degree requirements.
  • Students will be asked to complete an online form to declare an honors minor once they enroll in upper-division UH courses such as UH 3000, UH 3500, UH 4010, UH 4900, or UH 4950. 

Contact your honors advisor for further questions regarding the honors minor. 

*The Honors Associate minor officially requires 15 hours but 4 hours can be from non-honors courses, which means we will "double dip" on coursework you're using for other requirements. You still must fulfill 11 hours of honors requirements as listed above.

How to Sign-Up for Thesis

To register for UH 4900, you must complete the UH 4900 “Thesis Tutorial” form that requires a tentative topic and the signature of a faculty thesis director whom the student has selected. The UH 4900 form is on the forms site and is now an online form. It is titled “Thesis Tutorial”.

It is also recommended that you do the following:

  • Read the thesis guide.
  • Meet with your honors advisor to make sure that you will fulfill all honors requirements before you graduate or to complete the Honors Associate requirements. To graduate from Honors, you need 15 hours of any-level honors classes and 8 hours of upper-division honors classes which includes: the lecture series (UH 3000), an interdisciplinary studies class (see options above), UH 4900, and UH 4950. The Honors Associate requires 11 hours, including the thesis. See further information about the Honors Minors above.
  • Thesis Preparation Timeline (Fall prep for Spring enrollment).
  • View completed theses for examples of what to expect.

Honors One-Year Scholarships

The Honors College will use an online scholarship application form for students to apply for our scholarship opportunities. The applications will open on December 1st and will be available for Honors opportunities until February 1st. You must be considered as “on track” and receive early registration approval each semester from the Honors College to be considered for Honors Scholarships. Please visit our scholarship site for additional information and instructions. 

Other Opportunities to Get Involved

Honors Ambassadors

You will be emailed throughout the year about various student activities and events that are sponsored by the MTSU Honors Ambassadors. The Honors College Ambassador Program is a leadership opportunity for students who are dedicated to serving and representing the University Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University. Student Ambassadors serve as representatives of the Honors College at a variety of events involving prospective students and families, alumni, current students and families, faculty, staff, and university administrators. Please visit their site or email Miura.Rempis@mtsu.edu for more information regarding the Honors Ambassador program.

Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society

OΔK is the only national college honor society to recognize and honor meritorious leadership and service in extracurricular activities and to encourage the development of general campus citizenship.  Students must have a 3.5 cumulative GPA and should contact Miura.Rempis@mtsu.edu for more information.  

Collage

Collage: A Journal of Creative Expression is run by a student editor and an editorial board composed exclusively of students. The journal serves both as an outlet for the creative works of MTSU students and as a laboratory for those interested in publication and arts criticism. Students can also take Collage as a 1-credit hour honors class. For more information, go to: http://www.mtsu.edu/collage/ or contact collage@mtsu.edu.

Scientia et Humanitas

Scientia et Humanitas is MTSU's research journal showcasing the best in undergraduate and graduate scholarship. Sponsored by the University Honors College, the purpose of the journal is to disseminate important research conducted by MTSU's student body and to provide an opportunity for students to participate in the publication of that research while promoting interdepartmental faculty and student collaboration. By spotlighting the accomplishments of students, the journal also serves as a potent public relations tool both on and off campus. 

Contact scientia@mtsu.edu for more information.  

Undergraduate Fellowships Office

The Undergraduate Fellowships Office (UFO) can help students find prestigious scholarships, grants, and awards. We offer transformative opportunities that foster academic, professional, and personal growth. Our goal is to develop global perspectives and leadership skills, preparing students to thrive and contribute meaningfully to their communities and fields.

Visit us at www.mtsu.edu/honors/ufo. 

Honors Certificate

Students who complete at least 15 hours of honors courses are eligible to receive an Honors Certificate. The Honors Certificate does not show on the MTSU transcript and is not considered a minor. The purpose of the Honors Certificate is to celebrate the completion of the first portion of the honors requirements and to encourage students to complete the upper division requirements including the thesis. However, if students choose not to complete the thesis, the Honors Certificate can be listed on resumes or applications to show future schools/employers your involvement with the Honors College. Paper certificates are printed only upon request and must be picked up by the student. To request a paper certificate please complete this form.

Honors Certificate Request - (submit online, use Pipeline username and password to log into the form)
 
Study Abroad Information

 National Scholarships and Fellowships

Frequently Asked Questions