Honors

Entrance Requirements (High School Students)
The Program invites high school students with high standardized test scores and grades to be interviewed by Program representatives during the Socratic Scholarship Competition. Eligible students who commit to Catawba College by making their deposit are then issued an official invitation, normally in February. The incoming honors class is typically determined by March 15. Students who qualify for the Program will then be directed to enroll in a section of Honors First-Year Seminar.

Students who do not attend the Socratic Scholarship Competition, transfer students, and continuing students are also welcome to apply to the Program and may do so by submitting an application essay to the Honors Board. Interested students should contact the Director of the Honors Program for more information.

Program Requirements
The Honors Program at Catawba College consists of three elements:

1. CURRICULAR:
   Students in the College Honors Program begin their studies in the first year with a special section of the First-Year Seminar, which will provide a transition into college study and the Honors Program. Those students who maintain a 3.00 GPA up to 45 semester hours and a 3.20 after 45 semester hours (or who petition the Honors Board) are eligible to continue taking Honors courses. A total of 21 semester hours of honors work, along with an overall 3.00 GPA, the completion of 20-40 hours of community service (depending on time of entry into the program), a completed portfolio and portfolio narrative, and an honors thesis are required to graduate with College Honors. Only grades of C (2.0) or above in Honors courses will count toward College Honors.
   
   The Honors curriculum:
   Honors First-Year Seminar: 3 hours
   Honors elective courses: 12-17 hours
   Honors Senior Experience: 1-6 hours
   TOTAL: 21 hours
   
   HONORS Electives may be chosen from HONORS 2501, 2901, 3501, 3901, 4300, or other Honors topics offered. A Senior Experience must either be a regular part of the curriculum (as a senior thesis or capstone course in the major), or it must be approved by the Faculty Honors Board. Notification of the nature of the Senior Experience must be given to the Honors Director by no later than registration at the start of the last year at Catawba College. The Senior Experience may be repeated for credit but no more than 6 credit hours are counted toward graduation with College Honors.
   
   
2. TRAVEL STUDY:
   The College Honors Program also seeks to foster a broader world view in its students, and Honors students are required to complete at least one College-sanctioned travel experience endorsed by the Faculty Honors Board. The experience may be an Honors seminar with a co-requisite trip after or during the semester. Other foreign study opportunities (such as the college-sponsored May trip to Costa Rica) meet this requirement.
   
   
3. CO-CURRICULAR:
   The College Honors Program encourages students to become actively involved in the College and the community through out-of-classroom activities such as lectures, outings, films, and trips to state and regional honors conferences.

The Honors Program welcomes new Catawba College students who have a 4.0 weighted high school GPA or a 3.5 unweighted high school GPA.

We are delighted you have decided to apply and look forward to reviewing your essay and learning more about you. 

Catawba's Honors Program gives bright, motivated students like you a specialized experience engaging with fascinating topics in discussion-based seminars. Please complete the form below and paste or attach your essay response to formally apply to the Catawba Honors Program. 

If you have specific questions about the program or the application process, please contact the Director of the Honors Program.

The Honors Program welcomes current Catawba College students who have a 3.5 GPA or higher.

We are delighted you have decided to apply and look forward to reviewing your essay and learning more about you. 

Catawba's Honors Program gives bright, motivated students like you a specialized experience engaging with fascinating topics in discussion-based seminars. Please complete the form below and paste or attach your essay response to formally apply to the Catawba Honors Program. 

If you have specific questions about the program or the application process, please contact the Director of the Honors Program.

Accepted students are invited to apply for The Pursuit. Receive a $2000 scholarship to participate in a two-course sequence in your freshman year that will help you gather the tools and the potential to consider and achieve goals beyond those you ever imagined. This course includes the opportunity to meet writers, actors, and filmmakers, as well as:  

• Priority Registration 
• Select Housing 
• Funding for travel 
• Research Opportunities

The Catawba College Honors Program invites alumni and friends of Catawba College to join us for an important trip associated with our Honors course, “States of Killing: Genocide in the 20th Century.” 

In this class, students wrestle with four key questions posed throughout the semester: what is genocide, and what causes genocide? What are the differences between perpetrators, victims, and bystanders? And what can be done, if anything, to prevent genocide in the future?

We hope you will find both the trip and the opportunity to interact with Catawba Honors students an engaging and insightful experience!