Honors Program

This program provides educational opportunities that challenge the academic abilities of outstanding undergraduate engineering students. Students who have high Math SAT (700+), Verbal SAT (600+), and combined SAT score (1350+) will be eligible for consideration as participants. A high score on the math placement test is also required, so that the student may begin study in the Honors Calculus course. Class rank in high school must normally be 90th percentile or greater.

Honors students are also eligible for Honors housing. Interested incoming First-Year students should remit the Honors Housing application found in their Honors Program packet. Honors housing is allocated on a first-come first-serve basis. After the first year, students who remain academically eligible can sign up for Honors housing. Seniors get first priority, then juniors, sophomores, and first-years. In the past, there has normally been enough space for the majority, if not all, of the Honors student applicants.

A. During the first year of the undergraduate program, students will register for the Honors Calculus sequence (640:151:H1, 152:H1), Honors Physics and Laboratory (750:271, 272, 275, 276), Exposition and Argument (355:103), and Honors Introduction to Engineering (440:191). It will be expected that students will achieve a "B" or better in each of the Honors courses to continue their registration in the program.

B. During the second year, students will register for the second year Honors Calculus course (640:251:H1), Honors Physics (750:273), and Honors Mechanics (440:291, 292). With special permission, they may register in a college Honors Seminar given by their college of affiliation. All students completing the first two years (A & B) will receive a certificate of participation.

C. In the third year, if the student has maintained a 3.200 grade point average he or she may apply to the chairperson of his or her major department to be admitted into the James J. Slade Scholars portion of the Honors Program.

D. During the third and fourth years, depending on the curriculum, the designated Slade Scholars may register for the Honors Special Problems courses, such as 650:491, 492. During this time, Slade Scholars will conduct extensive reading and study in a particular problem area in their chosen discipline under the guidance of a faculty member.

Each Slade Scholar prepares a plan of study under the guidance of a three-member faculty committee and the Honors Committee of the School of Engineering. The chairperson of the student's committee shall be the research thesis adviser and should be a member of his or her major department. The student applies by completing a form available in the Office of Academic Affairs.

While permitting considerable flexibility each program is planned to meet the definition of an engineering curriculum as stated by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. A Slade Scholar's program requires independent research and a thesis giving a total of six semester credits beyond the minimum required for graduation. With the approval of the student's committee, courses of equivalent stature may be substituted for any four of the required technical courses in the regular program.

At the middle and the end of each term during the program, the student's committee will report formally to the Honors Committee of the School of Engineering on his or her progress. Satisfactory progress is a condition for continued participation in this program. Candidates will prepare a scholarly thesis describing their investigations and will present this at a public seminar of the college.

Upon successful completion of the honors program and with the recommendation of the Committee, Department, and the Honors Committee of the School of Engineering the student will receive a special honors certificate. Successful completion of the honors program is also noted in the conferred degrees and honors listed in the commencement program.