The Honors Program at AUM offers an intellectual and social environment that empowers students to navigate the complexities of global citizenship. Our highly motivated, well-rounded and accomplished honors students develop and demonstrate creative and critical thinking as well as teamwork and leadership through:
Seminar-style courses with esteemed faculty
A unique and engaging curriculum that helps fulfill Core requirements
Study abroad and other travel opportunities
Prestigious scholarship eligibility
Undergraduate research opportunities that build a resume for graduate school
A community of motivated and scholarly peers and faculty
One of our Honors students told us, “I feel surrounded by people who want to grow and learn, and that kind of environment is the best kind. I feel like I am part of something bigger than myself, which rocks!”
Honors courses are taught by some of AUM’s most effective and innovative faculty. We invite course proposals from AUM faculty members, and we invite recommendations from Honors students about faculty and topics for future seminars and colloquia.
The AUM University Honors program adds value to every major in each of AUM’s five colleges so that you can optimize your learning and your AUM college experience. Our honors students are a select group who comprise less than 3% of the university population.
The University Honors Program is very proud to be responsible for AUM’s Food Pantry. First opened in 2016, AUM’s Food Pantry was the idea of Honors alumna Sonni Gunnels and continues to be run by the AUM University Honors Program. We opened a second location in Warhawk Hall during the pandemic spring of 2020. We are thankful to the AUM community, our alumni, and other donors for their generous contributions, particularly during the pandemic.
According to the National Collegiate Honors Council (nchchonors.org), Honors education “provides opportunities for measurably broader, deeper, and more complex learning-centered and learner-directed experiences for its students than are available elsewhere in the institution.”
– Lynn Stallings, Ph.D. Director, University Honors Program
Welcome! Thanks for taking the time to learn more about the AUM Honors Program.
What is Honors?
According to the National Collegiate Honors Council (nchchonors.org), Honors education “provides opportunities for measurably broader, deeper, and more complex learning-centered and learner-directed experiences for its students than are available elsewhere in the institution.”
The AUM University Honors program is not a major; instead the Honors program adds value to every major in each of AUM’s five colleges so that you can optimize your learning and your AUM college experience.
Honors includes two pathways to allow you flexibility in reaching your goals: University Honors and Warhawk Honors. Either Program Coordinator Ms. Jackie Hall or I will be glad to advise you on which path might be the best choice for you.
At its core, the AUM University Honors Program is committed to the three principal values:
Critical and creative thinking
Teamwork and leadership
Global citizenship
Everything we do, from in-class assignments to service projects to study abroad trips, is designed with these values in mind.
Honors courses at AUM are taught as seminars, usually with a student/teacher ratio even lower than AUM’s overall rate of 16:1, and our courses emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to the topics being studied.
Almost all of the coursework (21/27 hours) required for Honors can fulfill AUM’s Core Curriculum requirements. The other two courses are the Honors thesis courses and often can count as electives. We also have a non-thesis path, Warhawk Honors, which is more appropriate for some students, depending on their goals after graduation.
Honors faculty members are some of the most effective instructors at the university, selected because of their commitment to mentoring Honors students. And the Honors community is a vibrant one, providing not only intellectual, but also social and service opportunities for its members.
All AUM Honors students are recognized at graduation with special cords and recognition in the program. Their transcripts will also identify graduates as University Honors Scholars or Warhawk Honors Scholars. University Honors Scholars also wear a special medallion at graduation.
Who are Honors students?
AUM’s Honors students are a select group who comprise less than than 3% of the university population. Characteristics of AUM’s current and potential Honors students include:
intellectual curiosity,
desire to learn more broadly or deeply than is required,
tendency to take initiative and responsibility for their learning,
grit in pursuing their goals, and
interest in multiple disciplines and interdisciplinary approaches to questions, which all result in impressive accomplishments.
How do I learn more?
If the idea of participating in a diverse community of students and faculty dedicated to achieving these goals is as exciting to you as it is to us, we invite you to apply to the AUM Honors Program at this link: AUM University Honors Application.
Thanks for taking the time to explore our website and the AUM Honors Program. If you have any questions or if you would like any additional details about the AUM Honors Program, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me or Ms. Jackie Hall by email phone, or coming by Library Tower, room 801. I look forward to meeting you.
