Honors
Honors in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is available to its academically talented and highly motivated students, and is offered in conjunction with the University of Toledo Jesup Scott Honors College. To graduate with College Honors, a minimum of 27 hours of Honors credits, a minimum cumulative UT GPA of 3.3, and completion of departmental or interdisciplinary program specific requirements for Honors in one of the departments or interdisciplinary programs of NSM are required. Departmental honors alone can be earned by completing the Departmental Honors requirements alone. The departmental honors requirements and curriculum offered by individual departments within the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is described under the departmental entries in this catalog.
Student Selection and Admission Criteria
Admission to the Honors College is competitive and limited to academically talented students. Students entering directly from high school are admitted based on a review of application materials, which include a high school transcript, a reference, an essay, and an extracurricular resume. Motivated students a minimum high school GPA of 3.5 are encouraged to apply. Currently enrolled University of Toledo students and transfer students may apply for admission to the Honors College if they have completed at approximately 15 but not more than 60 graded semester hours of college work, and earned a minimum GPA of 3.3 (on a 4.0 scale).
Program Requirements
In order to graduate with the Honors College diploma, a student must:
- Complete all requirements for an approved degree program within the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
- Complete a minimum of 27 semester hours of honors courses. Honors courses are of two kinds – those offered by the Honors College and those offered by various departments and colleges. Of the 27 hours required, the following must be completed by all Honors College students:
Course List Code Title Hours Three semester hours of Honors Reading Conference: 3 Ideas and Society A minimum of three semester hours of the following: 3 Multicultural Toledo Multicultural Literatures: The North American Experience-Honors-WAC Multicultural Literatures: The Non-European World-Honors-WAC A minimum of three semester hours of the following: 3 Community Engagement Honors Seminar Honors Seminar All requirements for departmental or interdiscipnary honors in their major. This includes the completion of an honors thesis or project supervised by a faculty member in the major department. - Earn a minimum overall GPA of 3.3
Note: For a student pursuing more than one major, or an interdepartmental major, the Honors College’s departmental honors requirement may be fulfilled through meeting requirements for one of the majors.
Retention Standards
To remain in good standing in the Honors College, a student must:
- Earn a minimum overall GPA of:
- 3.0 by the end of the first year (typically at least 30 semester hours);
- 3.1 by the end of the second year (typically at least 60 semester hours); and
- 3.2 by the end of the third year (typically at least 90 semester hours).
- Make satisfactory progress toward fulfillment of the requirements for a degree with honors in the college.
Departmental Honors
Requirements for departmental honors designations are set by the various departments of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and are described under the departmental entries in this catalog. All departments, however, require successful completion of an honors thesis or project supervised by a faculty member in that department. It is possible for a student to fulfill all departmental requirements and earn the departmental honors citation upon graduation without participating in the Honors College. The reverse is not possible, however, as departmental honors is required to earn the Honors College diploma. Interdisciplinary majors are not eligible for stand-alone Departmental Honors recognition, and must be aligned with the Jesup Scott Honors College designation.