Questions?

What is the Honors Program?
How many students are in the Honors Program?
If a particular subject interests me, can I pursue it in the Honors Program?
Do Honors students need more credits to graduate?
Do Honors students have the same General Education requirements as other students?
Who are the Honors faculty?
Who advises Honors students?
How large are Honors classes?
What kinds of students do well in the Honors Program?
Does the Honors Program cost more?
Do Honors students have access to all of SUNY Oswego’s facilities?
Do Honors Program students have majors?
Are Honors Program classes graded according to higher standards than non-Honors classes?
Does the Honors Program require students to have studied a foreign language in high school?
If I try the Honors Program and don’t like it, can I withdraw?
Do Advanced Placement courses count towards Honors Program requirements?
How are students selected for the Honors Program?
Is there a grade requirement to graduate from the Honors Program?

What is the Honors Program?
The Honors Program consists of a core of six multi-disciplinary courses in the social sciences, the natural sciences, the humanities, and philosophy, as well as several other courses in math, English, and a foreign language. These courses emphasize the inter-relatedness of the disciplines, their historical and intellectual origins, their roles in modern society, and their potential impact on life in the future.
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How many students are in the Honors Program?
The program generally has 220–280 students at any given time.
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If a particular subject interests me, can I pursue it in the Honors Program?
Yes. Students in the Honors Program have the opportunity to explore a subject in depth - usually within their major - by writing an Honors thesis.
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Do Honors students need more credits to graduate?
No. All students at Oswego - including Honors students - must complete the same number of credits to graduate.
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Do Honors students have the same General Education requirements as other students?
No. Honors students meet Honors requirements instead of General Education requirements. Honors requirements substitute for General Education requirements.
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Who are the Honors faculty?
The Honors Program seeks out faculty who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, who are especially skilled in their fields, who are interested in thinking across disciplines, and who have a great interest in working with students in a variety of formal and informal settings. Several of the Honors faculty are recipients of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and all have terminal degrees appropriate for their areas.
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Who advises Honors students?
The Honors director and associate director serve as a student's first-year advisor and then continue as honors advisors. Students gain faculty advisors their major after the completion of the first year with all of the other first-year students.
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How large are Honors classes?
Most Honors classes are small - about twenty students or fewer. And this lends itself to the seminar approach.
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What kinds of students do well in the Honors Program?
Students who enjoy learning and who are eager to learn about a variety of things. Students who like to think outside of class. Students who want to take an active role in their own education. Students with inquiring minds. Students who want to learn more about the way the world works - and why. Students who are eager to work closely with faculty to help develop their own ideas.
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Does the Honors Program cost more?
No. Honors students pay the same tuition and fees as non-Honors students.
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Do Honors students have access to all of SUNY Oswego’s facilities?
Absolutely! This is one of the great benefits of the Honors Program: while you enjoy the advantages of a small, challenging program, you have access to all the resources of a major university, including an internationally-respected faculty, a library with over one million holdings, several fully-equipped computing centers, and a wide range of student services.
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Do Honors Program students have majors?
Yes. They may select from any of the majors offered at Oswego.
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Are Honors Program classes graded according to higher standards than non-Honors classes?
No. Honors course work is graded according to the same standards as non-Honors course work.
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Does the Honors Program require students to have studied a foreign language in high school?
No, but all students at Oswego must have the equivalent of two semesters of a foreign language.
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If I try the Honors Program and don’t like it, can I withdraw?
Yes. All Honors Program courses apply for regular college credit and most satisfy the college’s General Education requirements.
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Do Advanced Placement courses count towards Honors Program requirements?
Potentially. If an Advanced Placement course covers the same material as an Honors (HON) course we will discuss the possibility of deviating the HON course with individual students.
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How are students selected for the Honors Program?
Students are selected on the basis of their high school average and their SAT scores. Students may also apply for admission by emailing us.
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Is there a grade requirement to graduate from the Honors Program?
Yes. Students need a 3.0 (B) overall, a 3.3 (B+) in their major, and a 3.3 in the Honors Core (Honors 141, 150, 200, 201, 300, 301, PHL course and their thesis credits). These GPAs are calculated at graduation; students do not have to maintain them each semester.
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