Honors College Requirements
Each student receives a detailed requirements letter once their admission into the honors college has been processed.
Please note that requirements differ for incoming first-year and transfer students. If you entered the college prior to 2014, be sure to consult your specific requirements letter and/or student handbook. Contact the honors college if you have any questions. Please note that HNRS 4990 must be completed the semester you plan to defend your thesis.
| At least 50% (9 credits) must be comprised of HNRS or HC coursework | Up to 50% (9 credits) may be experiential learning credit.* |
| HNRS 4980 (one) - REQUIRED | HNRS 4990 (one) - REQUIRED |
| "HC" and HNRS | Field Experience (form required) |
| Internships (form required) | |
| Clinicals (music therapy, nursing, speech pathology and audiology, and occupational therapy) | |
| Independent Study (form required) | |
| Foreign Language (four honors credits for two semesters of the same foreign language or American Sign Language) | |
Music and dance ensembles/performance credit within the College of Fine Arts (maximum of three (3) credits)
| |
| Varsity Sports (one credit per season, maximum of three (3) credits) | |
| Study Abroad (must earn 'C' or higher in all courses taken abroad to count for honors credit; no form required) |
*AUTOMATIC honors credit (no forms required) for representing the university in music ensembles (MUS 1070, 1080, 1090, 1100, 1110, 1120, 1130, 1180, 1190, 2100, and 2120), dance performance courses (DANC 1000, 4600, 4650), THEA 2900, varsity sports, study abroad, and foreign language and American Sign Language (ASL) courses.
HNRS 4980 and 4990 Approved Substitutions for Applicable Majors
Specific majors offer courses that cover content equivalent to HNRS 4980 and/or HNRS 4990. The following chart lists majors that have approved substitutions that will satisfy the HNRS 4980 and/or HNRS 4990 course requirements. There is no need to submit a form for the HNRS 4980 or HNRS 4990 substitutions listed below; honors academic advisors will account for the substitution(s) directly during the annual audit process.
| Curriculum | HNRS 4980 Equivalency
(only one credit of the departmental equivalency will count toward your honors credit requirement as a course credit) | HNRS 4990 Equivalency
(only one credit of the departmental equivalency will count toward your honors credit requirement as an experiential credit) |
| College of Arts & Sciences | ||
| Data Science | CS 4900 | CS 4910 |
| Geological and Environmental Sciences | GEOS 5170 | No equivalent |
| Psychology | No equivalent | PSY 4990 |
| College of Aviation | ||
| Aviation Maintenance Technology | AVS 4630 | No equivalent |
| Aviation Management & Operations | AVS 4980 | No equivalent |
| College of Engineering & Applied Sciences | ||
| Aerospace Engineering | AE 4790 | AE 4800 |
| Chemical Engineering | CHEG 4600 | CHEG 4870 |
| Civil Engineering | CCE 4830 | CCE 4850 |
| Computer Engineering | ECE 4810 | ECE 4820 |
| Computer Science | CS 4900 | CS 4910 |
| Construction Engineering | CCE 4830 | CCE 4850 |
| Cybersecurity | CYCS 4910 | CYCS 4920 |
| Electrical Engineering | ECE 4810 | ECE 4820 |
| Engineering Design Technology | EDMM 4910 | EDMM 4920 |
| Engineering Management Technology | EDMM 4910 | EDMM 4920 |
| Graphic & Printing Science | GPS / PAPR 4850 | No equivalent |
| Industrial & Entrepreneurial Engineering | IEE 4180 | IEE 4190 |
| Manufacturing Engineering Technology | EDMM 4910 | EDMM 4920 |
| Mechanical Engineering | ME 4790 | ME 4800 |
| Paper Engineering | PAPR 4850 PAPR 4600 (beginning fall 2019) | PAPR 4860 PAPR/CHEG 4870 (beginning spring 2020) |
| College of Fine Arts | ||
| Art (BFA) | ART 2360 | No equivalent |
| Dance (BA) | No equivalent | DANC 4700 |
| Dance (BFA) | DANC 4800 | DANC 4800 |
| Graphic Design (BFA) | ART 4610 | ART 4920 |
| Interior Architecture and Design | IADN 4510 | No equivalent |
| Music (BA) | No equivalent | MUS 5840, 5650 or 5970 |
| Music (BM) | Satisfied by 1 credit from senior private lesson in preparation for recital (MUS 3000 for performance majors and jazz studies; MUS 3620 for music composition majors) | No equivalent |
| Music-Multimedia Arts Technology (BS) | MUS 5970 | MUS 5970 |
| Music Therapy | MUS 3810 | No equivalent |
| Product Design (BFA) | RIDI 4650 | PDDN 4670 |
| Theatre (BA) | THEA 4700 | THEA 4700 |
| Theatre-Acting or Stage Management (BFA) | THEA 4700 | THEA 4700 |
| Theatre-Design & Technical Production (BFA) | THEA 4330 | THEA 4900 |
| Theatre-Music Theatre (BFA) | THEA 4950 | THEA 4990 |
| College of Health & Human Services | ||
| Healthcare Services and Sciences | HSV 3000 | No equivalent |
| Occupational Therapy | OT 3405 | OT 4801 |
| Public Health | PH 4910 | PH 4920 |
| Haworth College of Business | ||
| Advertising and Promotion | MKTG 4720 | MKTG 4810 |
Requirements for freshmen entering in 2014 or later
- Complete 18 honors credits including HNRS 4980: How and Why to Write an Undergraduate Thesis (one [1] online or hybrid credit hour). HNRS 4980 is a prerequisite for HNRS 4990: Honors Thesis.
- Complete one (1) credit hour of HNRS 4990: Honors Thesis or an honors college approved departmental substitute course. Any courses accepted for substitution will only be honored as one (1) credit hour regardless of amount of institutional credit given.
- Complete twenty (20) hours of approved community service each academic year and submit completed volunteer time log in ExperienceWMU (for more information please visit the community service page). Time logs should be submitted only upon completion of the full twenty (20) hours of service.
- Attend four (4) honors college sponsored events during the first academic year and two (2) during the second academic year. These events are listed in the weekly honors college newsletter. You can also find information on our events page.
- Complete and successfully defend an honors thesis before you graduate. You must file the appropriate paperwork (Thesis Declaration Form, Thesis Defense Certificate Request, approved thesis, etc.) according to honors college deadlines.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or greater.
- Attend Mandatory First-Year Advising (MFA) in the fall of the first academic year.
- Schedule and attend a minimum of one (1) academic advising appointment every year you are in the honors college.
- Complete both the graduation audit survey and graduation ceremony RSVP during the semester before your graduation from WMU. Links to these surveys will be emailed to all seniors each semester.
Requirements for transfer students entering in 2014 or later
- Complete the number of honors credits specified in your letter of admission to the honors college (minimum of 9) including HNRS 4980: How and Why to Write an Undergraduate Thesis (one [1] online or hybrid credit hour). HNRS 4980 is a prerequisite for HNRS 4990: Honors Thesis.
- Complete one (1) credit hour of HNRS 4990: Honors Thesis or an honors college approved departmental substitute course. Any courses accepted for substitution will only be honored as one (1) credit hour regardless of amount of institutional credit given.
- Complete 20 hours of community service each year.
- Attend two honors college sponsored events during your first year as an honors student.
- Complete and defend an honors thesis or senior capstone project.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or greater.
- Schedule and complete an advising appointment with an honors college advisor during your first semester in the honors college.
- Complete both the graduation audit survey and graduation ceremony RSVP during the semester before your graduation from WMU. Links to these surveys will be emailed to all seniors each semester.
