Honors Program

Students applying to Hampden-Sydney College with a high school g.p.a. of 3.8 or higher will be invited to apply to become a Hampden-Sydney Honors Scholar. In addition to demonstrating a record of academic excellence, interested applicants will be asked to submit:

• a letter of interest that outlines the student's academic goals and reasons for applying to the program, and
• a letter of support from a teacher who can speak to the student's academic abilities and intellectual curiosity

Students who do not apply to the Honors Program as incoming freshmen but who achieve a College g.p.a. of 3.3 or higher may choose to apply to the program following their first year at Hampden-Sydney. Interested applicants will be asked to submit:

• a personal statement outlining the student's academic goals and reasons for applying to the program, and
• letters of support from two College faculty members who can speak to the student's academic abilities and intellectual curiosity.

If accepted into the program, students must complete the following course of study:

First year honors sections. In the fall semester of the freshman year, all honors scholars are enrolled together in a special honors section of a core course. In addition to fulfilling a requirement of the College core curriculum, this class provides honors students with the opportunity to engage intellectually with each other and with a faculty mentor.

In the sophomore and junior years, students complete an additional 6 hours of honors course work:

Three credit hours must be obtained by taking an Honors Seminar.

Honors Seminars 201-202. During the sophomore and/or junior year, honors students enroll in either Honors 201 or 202. These interdisciplinary seminars are designed around varied and engaging topics, and are meant to foster intellectual curiosity while building analytical skills. Students are encouraged to take one seminar before the end of the sophomore year. Interested students may take additional seminars through the junior year.

Additional hours may be obtained by participating in independent research or summer research.

Independent research. Independent research includes a minimum of 3 credit hours. Students
must engage in active scholarship consistent with their field of study. Proposals for independent research are reviewed and approved by the Honors Council.

Summer research. Students may choose to submit a proposal for participation in the summer research program. Successful completion of an approved project can be substituted for 3 credit hours of honors work.

In the senior year, honors students enroll in the Honors Capstone.

Honors Capstone. The honors capstone promotes independence, self-reliant study, and appreciation of the intricacies of an academic discipline within the broader spectrum of the liberal arts. The senior capstone project allows students to design and implement a year-long project in their major department(s). Students submit a capstone proposal at the end of the junior year, which is then reviewed and approved by the Honors Council. The student’s work is supervised by a committee comprised of departmental representatives and Council members. Successful completion of the capstone includes submission of a written report at the end of the second semester, a public presentation, and an oral defense of the thesis before the supervisory committee.

Summer research program. The Honors Council also administrates the summer research program, which is open to all Hampden-Sydney students who meet the application requirements. The summer research program includes research grants awarded to rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors who show exceptional promise as independent researchers. Application is made to the Honors Council.

updated 7/30/21

Director: James W. Frusetta
Faculty of the Divisions of Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences

HONORS 201-202. (3-3) HONORS SEMINAR. Consideration of a selected topic designed to introduce students to modes of inquiry and underlying assumptions of various disciplines. Prerequisite: Honors scholar status; permission of the Honors Council required. Offered: 201 in the fall semester; 202 in the spring semester.

HONORS 261, 262, 361, 362, 461, 462. (1) HONORS READING SEMINAR. A small-group seminar course normally meeting weekly and following one book over the course of a semester. Students participate in and take turns leading discussions. Additional reading, speaking, and writing assignments may be given. Open to honors scholars (sophomore and above level) and to other students with instructor’s permission. Up to six courses can be taken for up to six hours counting toward graduation. Prerequisite: none. Offered: each semester.

HONORS 497-498. (3 to 6 credit hours each semester) HONORS CAPSTONE. Students participating in the Honors Capstone undertake, under the guidance of an advisory committee, at least three and at most six hours of original scholarship during each semester of the senior year. Prerequisites: senior status and designation as an Honors Scholar; approval of proposed scholarship by members of the Honors Council. Offered: 497 in the fall semester; 498 in the spring semester.

updated 7/28/22