Honors Program Options

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The Honors Track is an interdisciplinary, discussion-dependent, reading- and writing-intensive alternative to Drake's Areas of Inquiry (AOI) general education curriculum.

Honors Program Track requirements:

• One Quantitative Literacy AOI course or Transfer credit alternative-- 3 credits
• One Artistic Literacy AOI course or Transfer credit alternative -- 3 credits
• One Physical or Life Science course with lab or Transfer credit alternative -- 4 credits
• HONR 100: Paths to Knowledge (must be taken prior to, or latest alongside, Honors Senior Thesis enrollment)
• 15 additional Honors elective credits*
  *equivalent to 5 Honors seminars from 3 different disciplines*

Total = 29 credit hours

To graduate with a "University Honors" distinction on Drake degree:

• Complete the Honors Program Track (above)
• Complete an Honors Senior Thesis
• Graduate with a 3.2 cumulative GPA or higher

NOTE:

• Students on the Honors Track should take a diversified curriculum from at least three different disciplines: no more than 2 Honors or Honors cross-listed courses from the same major designation or school (i.e., SJMC) may be counted toward the five Honors elective courses.
• Students are limited to two (3 credit hours each) study-away experiences as counting towards the Honors Track.  (See section on Education Abroad for Honors and Drake faculty led travel seminars.)
• Paths to Knowledge (HONR 100) is required and in addition to the five elective Honors courses for the Honors Track.
• A student may apply only one summer web course (cross-listed with Honors) toward Honors Track requirements.
• Courses satisfying the required Areas of Inquiry (AOIs) for Artistic Literacy, Quantitative Literacy, and Life/Physical Lab Science also meet the required Honors Track AOIs. Post secondary degree options (college credit, AP and IB approved courses) transferred as credit to Drake also meet these requirements. The college Dean's Office professional advisor(s), in conjuction with the Transfer Student Advisor, determine the transfer credit equivalencies.
• The Honors Senior Thesis (3 credit hour broadly interdisciplinary independent study) for University Honors is also in addition to the five elective Honors courses.  The Honors Thesis must have received a "B or better" for the University Honors designation to appear on the Drake transcript and diploma. A cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.2 is also required in order to graduate with University Honors.