Dr. Niels Christensen, Director
Floyd Hall, (540) 831-6125
The Honors College at Radford University is an academic program and vibrant community defined by the pursuit of excellence through the values of curiosity, authenticity, and engagement. The mission of the Honors College is to give recognition for academic excellence, to provide opportunities for more academic rigor, and to foster a community of distinction.
Honors students are selected in a competitive application process. Students admitted to the Honors College are eligible for a number of benefits, including enrollment in honors courses, honors housing, honors programming, and honors advising. Students who complete the 27-credit hour honors curriculum graduate as Highlander Honors Scholars, the highest academic distinction for Radford University undergraduates. Students who complete the 15-credit hour honors curriculum graduate with the Highlander Honors distinction. These distinctions appear on the student’s diploma and are recognized with special regalia at graduation.
Students who wish to learn more about the Honors College are invited to contact the director, Dr. Niels Christensen, by email honors@radford.edu, by phone (540) 831-6125, or in person at 160 Floyd Hall.
Admission Criteria and Active Status
Membership in the Honors College is space-limited. High school seniors are invited to apply to the Honors College if they meet two of the following three qualifications: 1100 (V+Q) SAT (or 22 ACT), 3.7 high school GPA, and evidence of B or better grade in college-equivalent coursework (e.g. AP, DE, or IB).
Students who are not invited into the Honors College when they enroll at the university may apply to the College if they earn a 3.5 GPA for their Radford University coursework. Transfer students with outstanding qualifications are also eligible to apply for admission and are encouraged to discuss their interest with the honors director.
Honors students maintain their ‘active’ status in the program by making satisfactory progress toward completing the honors graduation requirements and participating in the honors community. Complete details for maintaining active honors status are found in the Honors College Student Handbook. Only those honors students with active status are eligible for priority registration.
Requirements For Graduation as a Highlander Honors Scholar
To graduate from Radford University as a Highlander Honors Scholar, students must have a minimum 3.5 overall GPA in Radford coursework and complete at least 27 hours of honors credits in accordance with the requirements listed below:
- 15 credit hours in honors courses
- 9 credit hours of work in a combination of study abroad, independent study or undergraduate research in the major, honors contracts in the major, HNRS 300, and HNRS 310.
- 3 credit hours in an honors capstone project (DEPT 488) in the major, which must be presented at a scholarly conference or other public venue.
- A student may transfer a maximum of 12 hours of college honors courses into the College toward the Highland Honors Scholar curriculum.
Requirements For Graduation with the Highlander Honors Distinction
To graduate from Radford University with the Highlander Honors Distinction, students must have a minimum 3.5 overall GPA in Radford coursework and complete at least 15 hours of honors credit in accordance with the requirements listed below:
- 3 credit hours in any combination of HNRS 300, HNRS 310, or both.
- 9 credit hours of work in a combination of study abroad, independent study or undergraduate research in the major, honors contracts in the major, or honors courses.
- 3 credit hours in an honors capstone project (DEPT 488) in the major, which must be presented at a scholarly conference or other public venue.
- A student may transfer a maximum of 6 hours of college honors courses into the College toward the Highlander Honors Distinction.
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