Eligibility & Requirements

Program Goals:

Recognize, reward, and provide enhanced educational opportunities for our best students
Encourage honors students to pursue undergraduate research and creative endeavors
Provide intellectual enrichment for the campus community

Eligibility criteria for first-year students:

Eligibility criteria for transfer or current students:

3.50 cumulative G.P.A. and at least 13 credit hours completed at time of application

Requirements for General Honors (taken primarily during the freshman and sophomore years, but not limited to first- and second-year students):

Complete nine credit hours within the General Honors curriculum (usually three courses)
Complete the one-credit-hour General Honors Colloquium (APLE 150); students unable to take the colloquium in their initial semester at SUNY Potsdam must, instead, complete an approved Honors Independent-Study Service-Learning Course (APLE 192)
Complete at least one three-hour or four-hour honors course by the end of their second year in college; other than in exceptional circumstances (as determined by the director), students who fail to keep up in this way will be dropped from the program
Course grades below 2.7 may not be counted toward General Honors credit
Maintain a cumulative 3.25 G.P.A. in courses counting toward General Honors
Honors students who fall below a cumulative 3.0 G.P.A. for two consecutive semesters will be dropped from the program.
Achieve a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 minimum overall at the time of graduation.

Requirements for Advanced Honors (junior and senior years):

Students may complete the Advanced Honors project or thesis by one of the following means: