Honors Program

Program Overview

The Honors Program at Penn State Harrisburg is designed to meet the intellectual needs of students who want a little more out of college than is provided by the standard curriculum. The major components of the Program include: interdisciplinary seminars, community service, international travel, supervised undergraduate research, access to an Honors Lounge (library), invitations to enjoy guest speakers, and cultural outings. In short, by entering the Honors Program, you will be joining a community of scholars.

Upon completing the requirements of the Program, you will graduate "with Honors" from Penn State Harrisburg, a special distinction that will appear on your transcript and stand out on your résumé as you enter the job market or apply to graduate schools.

Program Requirements

As a student in the Honors Program, you must maintain a 3.3 grade-point average. In addition, you will take the required Honors courses, including the interdisciplinary gateway course (Honor 301), one credit of service learning (Honor 493), and two courses totaling 3 credit hours that prepare you for your capstone project (Honor 494 and 495). Finally, you will work closely with a supervisor to produce your capstone project. Though most students decide to write a research-driven thesis for this capstone project, you are free to pursue other options in areas such as creative writing, engineering design, photographic expression, or documentary film.

Students beginning in the program as a freshman will take a total of 26 credits of honors course work prior to graduating (assuming they remain at Penn State Harrisburg through graduation). Students who enter the program at the sophomore year will take a total of 20 credits of honors course work, again this is assuming they will graduate from this campus. For those students who enter the program at the junior level, 14 credits of honors work are required. In close consultation with the Honors Director and the student's academic adviser within the major, honors course work should become a part of the regular course load and should not be an "add on" that results in delaying graduation (e.g. because of needing to take additional credits above the 120 needed for graduation in most majors). The Honors Program is not intended to add more work to the student's undergraduate experience; rather, it is intended to add depth to the already-existing requirements for graduation.

Once in the Honors Program, students will work closely with Dr. Sims (bas4@psu.edu) for all advising issues, the filing of an annual Academic Plan of Study, information about opportunities associated with the Program, and any other issues that might arise. Students should also consult with Stephanie Ponnett, Honors Program Staff Assistant, at slp29@psu.edu or in C118 Olmsted. Further, there is an honors site on the PSU ANGEL system with lots of information for honors students.

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying for admission to the Penn State Harrisburg Honors Program, please submit the following application materials to the Honors Program Staff Assistant (see contact information below). You may send these items either in paper form or as electronic documents attached to an e-mail message. Applicants who are promising candidates will be invited for an on-campus interview.

Incoming freshmen to Penn State Harrisburg should submit:

• Official scores from the SAT test
• Two-page essay (double spaced) explaining why you want to join the Honors Program
• Copy of your most recent high school transcript
• Letter of reference from a high school guidance counselor or adviser
• Letter of reference from a high school teacher
• Sheet containing your contact information (mailing address, telephone, and e-mail)

Students transferring to Penn State Harrisburg from another institution should submit:

• Two-page essay (double spaced) explaining why you want to join the Honors Program
• Copy of your most recent college transcript
• Sheet containing your contact information (mailing address, telephone, and e-mail)

Current students at Penn State Harrisburg should submit:

• Two-page essay (double spaced) explaining why you want to join the Honors Program
• Copy of your most recent college transcript
• Sheet containing your contact information (mailing address, telephone, and e-mail)

For more Information

You can obtain an Honors brochure either by visiting the Honors Office (Olmsted W-160) or by clicking on the link below.

Download the most recent edition of the Honors brochure (available in PDF format).

You may also contact any of the following individuals: