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Nova Southeastern University
Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences
3301 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314
Phone: 954-262-8408
Fax: 954-262-3930
www.undergrad.nova.edu

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Nova Southeastern University
Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences
Undergraduate Honors Program
Background Information

About the Undergraduate Honors Program

The Undergraduate Honors Program at Nova Southeastern University is an interdisciplinary program for NSU undergraduates. It provides a rich experience for high-achieving students through activities and experiences both in and out of the classroom. The Undergraduate Honors Program is designed to challenge participants through intimate, intensive Honors courses and independent research pursued in collaboration with faculty mentors. Outside the classroom, networking opportunities connect Honors students together into an ambitious community that pushes them to hone their analytical and critical thinking skills.

The Undergraduate Honors Program includes two components

The Undergraduate Honors Program consists of the General Honors Program and the Divisional Honors Program. If they meet the appropriate criteria, students who participate in these programs can be recognized for both distinctions and receive citations at the end of their last year in the university. Citations are awarded at a spring Honors banquet, where Honors students receive an Honors medallion they may wear at Commencement. Following degree conferral, a notation for each citation will be placed on student transcripts. Requirements for a citation in the General Honors Program: a student in the Undergraduate Honors Program who completes 15 (or more) Honors credits in their freshman and sophomore years and who graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher. Requirements for a citation in the Divisional Honors Program: a student in the Undergraduate Honors Program who completes an Honors thesis (in their junior and senior years) under the approved direction of a full-time faculty member and review of a thesis committee, and who graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher.

The benefits of the Undergraduate Honors Program

Each semester, special Honors courses are open only to students in the Undergraduate Honors Program. Honors students are eligible for advanced/early registration (which requires contact through the academic advisor). Outside of the classroom, Honors students find social activities, study-abroad opportunities, and other ways to become part of a community of scholars that explores issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. Honors students are eligible for an Honors Program Scholarship. The scholarship requires active participation in the Undergraduate Honors Program. Most students meet this requirement by registering for three or more credits of Honors courses each semester. Students may also demonstrate active participation through a petition agreeing to attend and facilitate co-curricular programs, or through an approved Honors research project. The Honors Program Scholarship is different from the Nova Southeastern University Honors Award.

How the Undergraduate Honors Program differs from a national honors society like Alpha Chi or Beta Beta Beta

The Undergraduate Honors Program is different from national honors societies. It is a program for NSU undergraduate students. In addition to NSU’s Undergraduate Honors Program, many national honors societies have chapters at NSU and offer different kinds of valuable opportunities for students. Some honors societies provide distinct recognitions and may have specific requirements for membership and affiliation. Most honors societies also issue their own cords or medallions that can be worn at Commencement.

Students may also graduate "with distinction”

Undergraduate Honors Program citations are not the same as graduating “with distinction.” Undergraduate students may graduate with distinction by completing at least 54 credits at NSU (at time of degree completion) and earning a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher. This distinction is noted on student transcripts. There are no special ceremonies or recognitions at Commencement for the “with distinction” notation. Graduating “with distinction” is also distinct from recognition from national honors societies. Students may be recognized in all three ways.

The Undergraduate Honors Program is open to undergraduate students in the entire university

The Undergraduate Honors Program is housed in the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, but Honors students come from all undergraduate majors in the university, including the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, the Fischler School of Education and Human Services, the College of Allied Health and Nursing, and the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship.

Eligibility for the Undergraduate Honors Program

Students are admitted into the Undergraduate Honors Program based on prior academic achievement. New and continuing students may apply to the Undergraduate Honors Program at any time. An application is available at www.undergrad.nova.edu/honors/honorsapp.pdf.

For more details, visit the Undergraduate Honors Program.