Honors Program

The College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CPPS) offers a College Honors Program for eligible students in all its undergraduate programs as part of the Jesup Scott Honors College (JSHC). Highly qualified students entering the University in the CPPS will be considered for entry into honors courses and honors sections of courses offered throughout the undergraduate curriculum after submission of their honors application. Decisions regarding entry of students into the Honors College will be made after evaluation of the honors application by the JSHC. During the first two years of study, the CPPS offers courses that orient the student toward the profession of pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences. Many honors students take a majority of their honors course work (required and elective courses) during the first two years of the curriculum.

A variety of required and elective courses also are offered with honors sections or Honors Learning Contracts in the professional division. A specific honors seminar and an honors thesis course are required to fulfill the requirements for graduation with the Honors College medallion. These courses also can fulfill requirements for electives within the major.

For students accepted in JSHC, The Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences with the College Honors Medallion is attainable by all students who follow the Blue Track (Gold optional) in the JSHC and meet the following criteria:

  • Cumulative GPA of at least 3.3.
  • Completion of at least 27 semester hours of honors course work with a grade of C or better. Required courses included in this criterion are:
    • 1) HON 1010 – Ideas and Society (Humanities requirement)
    • 2) HON 2010 – Multicultural Toledo (U.S. Diversity and Social Sciences requirement)
    • 3) HON 3010 – Community Engagement. 
    • Other honors credit hours can be fulfilled by coursework in any college or department (except for the thesis and seminar, which must be completed in the CPPS). 
    • Fulfillment of Departmental Honors described below.

Additionally, any CPPS student may be considered for Departmental Honors in Medicinal & Biological Chemistry, Pharmaceutical & Policy Sciences, Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, or Pharmacy Practice by meeting the following requirements in the professional division:

  • Cumulative GPA of at least 3.2
  • Completion of 8 credit hours of Honors work in one department. This includes 4-5 hours of Honors Thesis (4 hours minimum) and 1-3 hours of Honors Seminar (1 hour minimum). To meet the 8-hour total if needed, an additional honors course in the chosen department (MBC, PHCL, PHPR) may be taken. This can be done by taking a specific Honors section of the course or by filing an Honors contract with your faculty in the first 2 weeks of the semester.
    • Honors Thesis MBC, PHCL, or PHPR 4960
    • Honors Seminar MBC, PHCL, or PHPR 4900
  • Completion of an acceptable written thesis under the direction of a thesis faculty advisor. The department of the faculty mentor determines the department of honors designation.