St. Cloud State University Catalog

Honors College

The St. Cloud State University Honors College provides a dynamic interdisciplinary experience with a focus on leadership and professional development, community engagement, and sustained mentoring for highly motivated students who are academically ambitious. Our small classes and student-centered pedagogy promote discussion, cooperative learning, and independent exploration among committed learners of all identities, experiences, and learning styles. The SCSU Honors College curriculum constitutes a minor and integrates with all majors, offering a small liberal arts college experience with all the benefits of a comprehensive regional university.

The Honors College offers two minors depending on a student’s status. The program Minor is a comprehensive, four-year experience for first-time college students. The program Minor is designed for students transferring from another institution, current students who have completed at least a year at St. Cloud State University, or for new students bringing in forty or more pre-college credits.

Program Highlights/Distinctions

Unique and signature courses
Guided and independent research opportunities
Experiential learning and study abroad opportunities
Living-learning community in Lawrence Residence Hall
Emphasis on campus and community engagement to build leadership experience
High level of academic and personal support with faculty and staff mentoring

Student Organizations and Leadership Opportunities

University Honors Club
Honors Ambassadors
Campus Advisory Group Student Representative

The University Honors Club

All Honors students are invited to participate in the Honors Club. Club members welcome new Honors students, recruit instructors, and participate in community building. They provide the student voice in shaping the program. The club's social activities, educational activities and service projects enable students to practice leadership and strengthen the Honors learning community. Honors students also are expected to participate in the University's other extracurricular activities, leadership development, and/or service learning through their years on campus.

Admission

Students can be admitted into Honors by several paths. Whether a student is an incoming freshman right out of high school, a transfer student from another college or university, a member of an Honors program at another college or university, or currently enrolled at St. Cloud State University as a general education student, there is a particular procedure for admission to the program.

Students applying from high school should be in approximately the top ten percent of their graduating class with strong college test scores, have a record of participation in school and community activities, and demonstrate writing skills through a required short, imaginative essay.

International students and students already enrolled at SCSU or in another college who apply to Honors will be asked to provide comparable information. If a student has less than a year of college credits upon the transfer, they must provide both college and high school transcripts when applying.

A student transferring to St. Cloud State University from an honors program at another institution may be admitted directly to the Honors College. The student must show reasonable evidence of membership in the previous university’s honors program.

Continuation in Honors

If an Honors student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0, the student will be placed on probation in the Honors College and will have one semester to raise their GPA to 3.0 before being dismissed from the college. Those concerned about their probation status should make an appointment to meet with the Honors director to discuss continuation in the college.

Withdrawal

A student may withdraw from the Honors College at any time. Students who consider withdrawing, for whatever reasons, are encouraged to discuss their reasons with the Honors director.