Honors Program

A Mark of Distinction

The Honors distinction from an ABET-accredited engineering program on your academic record is a distinctive way to show graduate schools and potential employers that you are a person who is committed to achieving a high level of engineering excellence through a rigorous academic program.

Overview

The College of Engineering provides academically qualified and motivated students with the opportunity to distinguish their academic career through participation in the College of Engineering Honors Program. Students will be challenged to lead and excel in an environment that sets the standard for academic excellence. Successful completion of the Honors Program is designated on University transcripts and at Commencement.

Admission

AN INVITATION TO EXCEL

Students who have met the GPA criteria will be offered a seat in the College of Engineering Honors Program. Students should sign on to their Applicant Status Page and complete the Honors Acceptance Form, signifying their acceptance of the invitation. Because of strict requirements in their schedules, students in the Pre-Engineering Program are not eligible for Honors Program consideration.

There is a second entry point into the Honors Program for current students who did not have the opportunity to join entering their freshman year. All students with a 3.3 cumulative GPA during their first year fall semester who are recommended by their Advisor or Intro to Engineering professor can enter the program in their spring semester.

Honors Housing

FIND YOUR PEOPLE

Incoming freshmen, who have been invited to be members of the Colleges’ Honors Programs, have the opportunity to make the most of the program by living in special honors housing in Commonwealth Hall.

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Program Requirements

Courses & Thesis

Courses

Honors students will take a minimum of six Honors courses (18 credits) that add both depth and breadth to their curriculum. They begin by taking introductory level engineering courses with an honors cohort of like-minded engineering students:

HONE 102 Engineering Seminar
HONE 105 Computer Programming for Engineers
HONE 110 Data Acquisition and Processing
HONE 202 Mechanics 1–Statics
HONE 205 Circuits 1–Electrical Engineering

Then, at the upper levels, students select specialized courses within their engineering major to customize with an honors experience by an “Honors-by-Contract” arrangement with faculty. Students often customize special topics courses (HONE 390), undergraduate research (HONE 340), or an internship (HONE 480). Opportunities to work with a faculty member on research projects or through study abroad courses are also provided.

Construction Management Major

Students in the Construction Management major will follow a unique track to complete their Honors Program requirements, as they will also take at least one Honors course in the College of Business. These students will participate in HONE 102 Engineering Seminar and HONE 105 Computer Programming for Engineers, as well as HONB 204 Managing People and Processes in Organization. The remaining 4 courses (12 credits) can be customized by “Honors-by-Contract” agreements in either college.

Senior Honors Thesis

Each College of Engineering Honors Program senior works closely with an engineering faculty advisor to complete advanced work in their personal area of interest, complementing their Senior Capstone Design Project. This might include preparing a manuscript for publication, submitting work to a regional or national design competition, or developing a learning module for use within future WNE courses.