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:
- 95% high-school average OR
- High-school class valedictorian or salutatorian OR
- National Merit finalist or semi-finalist
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):
- Complete the one-credit-hour Advanced Honors colloquium (APLE 450)
- Complete an approved Advanced Honors project or thesis
- Minimum G.P.A. same as General Honors
Students may complete the Advanced Honors project or thesis by one of the following means:
- Presidential Scholars project
- Departmental honors course of study (either within or outside of their own major)
- Approved honors service-learning project
- Approved honors internship
- Approved honors independent-study project