Contents
Catalog Links

2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog

The Honors Programs

The Marietta College Honors Program offers students with high scholastic ability and keen intellectual curiosity a stimulating and challenging academic environment in which to pursue their education. The Program consists of two components:

  1. The Curriculum Honors Program for incoming freshmen and beginning second-year students;
  2. The Research Honors Program by which students earn Honors in a Discipline.

Students may earn official recognition by completing either (I) or (II). Students who complete both (I) and (II) will graduate with College Honors.

In addition to specialized coursework, students in the Honors Program have the opportunity to participate in cultural events through organized trips to theatrical, musical and artistic events in nearby cities, such as Cleveland, Columbus, and Pittsburgh.

I. The Curriculum Honors Program

A. Eligibility and Application:

Incoming Freshmen

Incoming freshmen with at least a 3.500 high school GPA and 1280 SAT or 27 ACT are invited to apply on a competitive basis for admission to the Curriculum Honors Program.

Incoming Transfer Students

Transfer students entering Marietta College with fewer than 37 credit hours are eligible. Inquire to the Admissions Office or the Honors Program Director regarding special considerations (e.g., whether to take HONR 101)..

Returning Students

Current students who have completed two full-time semesters  at Marietta College with a minimum of 24 graded credit hours and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher may contact the Honors Program Director to apply.

B. Program Requirements:

The course work of the Curriculum Honors Program consists of 9-12 hours. It is highly recommended that students complete the Curriculum Honors program prior to the start of their senior year. The specific topics in the Honors courses will vary by term.

  1. First-Year Students:
    1. HONR 101 Honors Seminar I is taken in the fall and serves as the PIO 101 requirement for incoming first-year students admitted into the Curriculum Honors Program.
    2. HONR 201 Honors Seminar II is taken in the spring semester of the first or second year.
  2. Transfer and Returning Students:
    1. HONR 201 Honors Seminar II serves as the initial course in the Curriculum Honors Program for students admitted after their first year of college enrollment.
    2. HONR 202 Honors Seminar III serves as the second Honors Seminar and may be taken concurrently with HONR 201.
  3. In addition to the Honors Seminars outlined above (1 or 2), all students will complete the elective portion of the program through one of the following:
    1. Two honors-designated electives (honors sections of select courses enhanced to provide students with research or other enhanced skills). (6 credits)
    2. HONR 202 Honors Seminar III (a second topic for transfer and returning students) (3 credits)
    3. A 3-credit honors fellowship (HONR 295) may be substituted into the elective requirement with approval of the Honors Program Director. Honors fellowships are applied for through the Honors and Investigative Studies Committee and are intended to support creative or research projects conducted with a faculty mentor.

To complete the Curriculum Honors Program, students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.30 (3.00 for first-year freshman only). Students whose GPA falls below these levels may request readmission to the Curriculum Honors Program when their GPA returns above 3.30.

II. The Research Honors Program

The Research Honors Program allows any senior with a GPA of 3.300 in the discipline and a 3.300 overall to do advanced work under the close guidance of a member of the faculty, typically in the student’s major or minor. Such students present a senior thesis to a thesis committee that includes the thesis director, a member of the Honors and Investigative Studies Committee, and a third (optional) faculty member of the student’s choosing. With this committee’s final approval of the thesis, the student is awarded Honors in a Discipline.

A. Eligibility:

  1. An overall cumulative GPA of 3.30 and a cumulative GPA in the discipline of 3.30 is required at the time of the proposal to the thesis committee.
  2. The student must have a thesis director in the field of study in which the thesis work is to be done. The thesis director must, of course, be willing to support the student’s proposal.

B. Program Requirements:

  1. The senior thesis proposal is typically submitted by the student during the second semester of the junior year (or 2-3 semesters prior to the semester in which they will graduate). The proposal must be approved by the student’s thesis committee (see above).
  2. During their final semester, students must register for 1 to 3 credit hours of honors coursework in the department in which they are pursuing their thesis work (“DEPT” 493). Upon completion of the senior thesis, it must be approved by the student’s thesis committee.
  3. An overall cumulative GPA of 3.30 and a cumulative GPA in the discipline of 3.30 is required at graduation.
  4. Approved theses are archived and made available on-line through OhioLink.

III. Graduation with College Honors

Students who complete the Curriculum Honors and Research Honors Programs with a final overall GPA of 3.30 or greater will graduate with College Honors.

For more information, contact:

 

Mitchell Krumm (mdkrumm@marietta.edu)

Associate Professor, Political Science

Thomas Hall - Room 308