The Honors College at SAU
Those of us involved with the Honors College are delighted you want to learn more about us by visiting this website. We hope the information provided here will allow you to understand the scope and depth of SAU’s Honors College and our commitment to academic achievement.
Students in the Honors College take up to eighteen hours of General Education classes together. The Honors College General Education classes allow Honors College students to learn and achieve together in small classes designed to enhance their academic preparation for whatever career goals they may have. Some of the classes available in the General Education curriculum are world history, literature, art appreciation, film appreciation, psychology, U.S. history, philosophy, and Honors Seminar, the first class taken by all Honors College students. Honors College students must complete a minimum of 24 total hours of honors courses in order to receive an honors degree.
The Honors College student population is quite diverse. While most come from Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and other states, some come from around the world. Honors students have traveled from Canada, Bulgaria, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Yugoslavia, Nigeria, Vietnam, China,Venezuela, Cameroon, Malaysia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Korea, Tunisia, Togo, Bahamas, and India to participate in our program.
Students in the Honors College have an opportunity to take trips together. In the past students have visited historic and educational places, including Vicksburg and Natchez, Mississippi, and Arkansas’ own Eureka Springs. More recently, honors students visited three museums in Ft. Worth, the Clinton Presidential Library, and the Heifer buidling. Honors students also receive full financial support to attend professional meetings in order to present their academic work or research. In 2010, four students traveled by train to Greenville, SC in order to present papers at the Southern Regional Honors Council (SRHC). In 2011, eight students traveled to Little Rock to present papers at the SRHC meeting. Students have presented posters at the last three meetings of the National Collegiate Honors Council held in New Orleans, Denver, and Chicago. Six students will present posters in Seattle in 2016.
Students in the Honors College have an opportunity to live together in Honors Hall, a residence hall for Honors College students. This residence hall offers them a quiet environment in which to live and learn. Honors Hall also has a computer lab and a classroom, where some Honors College classes are taught.
Students who qualify and participate in the honors program will also receive a $600 a year stipend in addition to their academic scholarships.
Students who complete the course requirements of the Honors College will receive special recognition at graduation and will receive the distinction as “Southern Arkansas University Honors College Graduate” on their transcripts and diplomas.
Recent Blog Posts
- Austin McDonald Breaks Record
As a freshman, Austin told himself, "Don't sweat the small stuff." Looks like he took his own advice. Like many students he switched majors along the way from Animal Science to History. Recent Honors College graduate just broke the record number of honors hours taken with 60 honors hours.SAU Honors College students are required to take 24 honors hours.Austin is from Pine Bluff, Arkansas […]
- Bucket List: Megan Green
Bucket lists are windows into the minds and hearts of others. Knowing what is on someone's bucket list is telling of where their priorities truly lie. I have many items on my list, most of which are extreme sports, but the important items are more long term. Before I die, I want to go skydiving. While this is very basic and unoriginal, it’s very important to me to be able […]
- Bucket List: Finley Blair
I have been writing bucket lists as long as I can remember, ever since my best friend moved to Florida in the third grade. Now, the only time we see each other is during the summer when she visits Texas for a month. Then, we compile everything we hope to do in those short four weeks into a bucket list. It's our very own tradition that we have continued it for years. […]
- Bucket List: Julia Gallagher
Prior to this class, I had never formally written a bucket list. My mindset was that whatever I had the time to accomplish in my life was what I was meant to do, regardless of what my goals were. For me, a bucket list is an enumeration of hopes rather than a to do list with an expiration date. One of my more traditional goals for […]
