The Honors Option

The Honors Option is one way in which any MSU undergraduate student who is enrolled in non-Honors course can earn an Honors experience.

An Honors Option is more extensive or more advanced work than is required of all students in a regular course extending or building upon the course learning objectives. University policy is that Honors Options must be supervised by a member of the MSU faculty.

To-Do:

1. Check whether your course is approved by the department for Honors Option credit. Courses used for Honors Options must be at least 2 credits. Only a few exceptions apply. Please check with your HC advisor if you have questions.

2. Talk to your professor early in the semester to see whether they would be willing to oversee an Honors Option. The professor must approve the format, timeline, and scope of the project.

3. Complete an Honors Option Agreement (HOA) Form located on the Registrar’s website in “Student-Instructor Forms”. The form ensures that student and instructor agree on the details of the H-Option project. You are expected to submit the HOA early in the semester.

4. At the end of the semester, the professor approves the Honors Option in the Student-Instructor Forms System if the work was completed and the department’s requirements satisfied. The quality of an Honors Option project does not affect the grade assigned for a course; however, in some cases a minimum grade must be earned in a course before the Honors credit associated with the Honors Option can be awarded.

IMPORTANT:

Please note: The Honors College does not accept H-options in:

  • Internships/ Field Work/Practicums or other experiential education courses (apart from EGR 392, EGR 493 & EGR 494)
  • Independent Studies
  • One credit and variable credit courses (exceptions made for MUS courses for MUS majors)
  • Education Abroad – Direct Enroll; (MSU faculty-led programs are permitted)
  •  CR/NC and P/N courses if the department has a minimum course GPA requirement
  • Courses already notated with an H, meaning only one honors experience per course

Honors Option processing typically takes 2-3 weeks to appear on the academic record.

Examples of Honors Options

A variety of activities may be used to satisfy the Honors Options. View some examples.

Back To Top