Your Future
Starts Here
Unlock your full academic potential by joining the ACU Honors College, where intellectual curiosity meets unparalleled opportunities for growth and success.
What is Honors?
The Honors College seeks to provide students with the opportunity to go deeper in their studies and to have richer experiences than the typical college student. Through Honors courses, colloquia, mentored research, our living learning community, and other programs such as internships, travel grants, and major scholarships, we give our talented students access to the best resources and experiences available.
Choose from one of our two Honors designations today.
Admission Criteria
Wessel Hall
Living and Learning Community
Our Honors Living Learning Community in Wessel Hall is an intentional community of belonging, a place to build deep and rich connections for freshmen students. Residents will learn from each other, have fun and serve together, encourage one another’s academic success, and deepen their understanding of themselves and the world they inhabit. Our desire is for Wessel Hall to be a place of holistic integration of head, heart and soul, a place to begin crafting a purposeful life.
Learn More
Honors Designations
One College. Two Designations.
Honors Scholar is the highest distinction in the Honors College. Honors Scholars receive special recognition in the commencement program and the Honors Scholar notation on their transcript. The major difference between the two is that Honors Scholars must complete a project thesis.
Honors Scholar
Honors Scholar is the highest distinction in the Honors College. Honors Scholars receive special recognition in the commencement program and the Honors Scholar notation on their transcript. The major difference between the two is that Honors Scholars must complete a project thesis.
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Step 1: Application
In order to gain admission to the Honors College, prospective students must complete and submit a comprehensive application, which serves as a crucial prerequisite for acceptance into Honors. In other words, Students must apply and be admitted to ACU before they can apply to the Honors College.
Step 2: Admission
Upon admission into the Honors college, students must complete four requirements to achieve the Honors Scholar Distinction.
Requirement 1: 6 Honors Courses
These credits are fulfilled through participation in Honors sections of ACU course or through course Honors Contracts. Honors sections typically fit within the students’ General Education criteria in their degree plan. Honors contracts may be taken in either General Education courses or Majors courses.
Requirement 2: 2 Honors Colloquia
All students must take two colloquia to graduate with Honors. These single credit hour courses cover a wide range of topics and change year-to-year. The College Colloquiua Guid is sent out every spring for the upcoming year.
Requirement 3: 4 Honors Activity Credits
Activity credits recognize students for work they do in research, assistant teaching, grant applications, fellowships and more. To see if an activity qualifies as an activity credit, contact the Honors College advisor. Examples include:
- Honors contract in 300 or 400-level course
- Additional Honors class
- Additional Honors colloquium
- Philosophy class (BIBP or PHIL)
- Project in a student’s major
- Research
- Internship
- Leadership in a student organization
- Completion of a Major Scholarships/Fellowships application
- Presentation at a research conference
- Significant work with the Optimist or Shinnery Review
- Original creative work or performance
- Other ideas suggested by student and approved by a committee
Requirement 4: Thesis Project
During their junior or senior year, students work alongside a faculty mentor to complete a project thesis. Each will take a zero-credit project thesis seminar. The major thesis project must be completed prior to the 13th week of their final semester.
Honors Graduate
Honors Graduate is the most basic and common Honors distinction. To receive the Honors graduate distinction, students must complete all three requirements. Honors graduates receive notation on their transcript. Honors Graduates are not required to complete an Honors project thesis.
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Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Step 1: Application
In order to gain admission to the honors college, prospective students must complete and submit a comprehensive application, which serves as a crucial prerequisite for embarking on an enriching academic journey characterized by exceptional opportunities for growth and achievement.
Step 2: Admission
Upon admission into the Honors college, students must complete four requirements to achieve the Honors Scholar Distinction.
Requirement 1: 6 Honors Courses
These credits are fulfilled through participation in Honors sections of ACU course or through course Honors Contracts. Honors sections typically fit within the students’ General Education criteria in their degree plan. Honors contracts may be taken in either General Education courses or Majors courses.
Requirement 2: 2 Honors Colloquia
All students must take two colloquia to graduate with Honors. These single credit hour courses cover a wide range of topics and change year-to-year. The College Colloquia Guid is sent out every spring for the upcoming year.
Requirement 3: 3 Honors Activity Credits
Activity credits recognize students for work they do in research, assistant teaching, grant applications, fellowships and more. To see if an activity qualifies as an activity credit, contact the Honors College advisor.
Four Tracks,
Endless Possibilities.
DeSign Thinking & Innovation
Gain the tools and knowledge to become an innovative problem solver by learning the principles of design thinking, no matter what your major is.
Global service & leadership
See the world and face its challenges from an international perspective while growing through travel, research, and study.
Social & Environmental justice
Learn the skills from multiple fields to help bring about social change and sustainable environmental solutions.
Scholarship & research
Delve into topics of your own interest more deeply to gain new insights, develop new perspectives, and make new discoveries.
Admission Criteria
NEW FIRST TIME STUDENTS
To be considered for admission to the Honors program, the following criteria are evaluated.
- Honors Application with two essay questions.
- High School GPA (3.5 minimum required in high school core classes)
- Test Scores: A recommended SAT composite score of 1270 or higher (or the ACT or CLT equivalent)**
- Class Rank
- Evidence of high aptitude and motivation, including academic accomplishments and extracurricular experiences, as indicated on the Honors application
- Two Academic References: Recommenders should be familiar with your academic performance. For high school students, these could include your guidance counselor, principal, and/or current and former teachers.
* Students who do not meet one of these criteria but who can demonstrate substantial merit or capacity for success in this program are still encouraged to submit an application.
**While test scores are not mandatory for admission to the Honors College, we strongly advise applicants to submit them. Our evaluation process considers multiple factors, including academic achievements, extracurricular activities, community service involvement, personal motivation, leadership qualities, and essays. If applicants choose to provide test scores, we will consider them alongside these criteria.
Admission Timeline
Dec. 15 – Early Application Decision Date
March 1 – Regular Application Deadline*
April 1 – Regular Application Decision Date
May 15 – Decision deadline for the ACU Honors College
* Applications received after March 1 may be considered if space permits. However, there are no guarantees after this date.
CURRENT AND TRANSFER STUDENTS
High-achieving transfer and current students who have completed 12 hours at ACU are encouraged to apply to the Honors College. Consideration is based on the following:
- Completed Current and Transfer Student Application: Includes information about extracurricular involvement and two short essay questions
- Minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA
- Evidence of high aptitude and motivation, including academic accomplishments and extracurricular experiences.
- College faculty recommendation: Please arrange to have a letter of recommendation from one of your college professors. Letters should not be submitted by the student. Your recommenders will not receive communication from the Honors College—it is entirely your responsibility to provide the following guidelines to your recommender:
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- Submit a recommendation letter in PDF format to honors@acu.edu
- Address the letter to the Admission Review Committee
- Letters are due to the email provided by July 1 for fall admission or December 1 for spring admission.
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Admission Timeline
Submit all application materials to the Honors College by July 1 for Fall semester admission or December 1 for Spring semester admission.
* Honors classes are taught as in-person seminars, most of which take place on the Abilene campus; thus, students who are in fully online degree programs are not eligible to participate in the Honors College.
Student Testimonies
Real stories, real impact: Hear from our students’ transformative experiences.
Preston Moss
Nursing
“My favorite Honors course was the Propaganda Colloquium, which included a trip to visit the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. I enjoyed the small community we formed and the friends I made through this experience. Overall, Honors courses and colloquia provide more personable classes to help create a close-knit learning community.”
Alayah Jones
Biochemistry
“My experience with the Honors College has been amazing! The faculty understand the stresses students face, especially freshmen making the transition to college life. Honors allowed me to take a few courses with even smaller class sizes and register for classes early. I’ve met many amazing people who have helped deepen my faith and broaden my perspective on many topics.”
Morgen Maltby
Accounting
“The Honors College has been pivotal in shaping my experience at ACU. It does an incredible job of making sure I am getting the most out of my college experience. Being part of an Honors Cornerstone and Bible class during my freshman year helped create connections with professors and put an emphasis on learning that set the precedent for my education at ACU.”
Expand Your Horizons with ACU HONORS
Honors College
Historic Zellner Hall
790 Campus Ct.
ACU Box 29142
Abilene, Texas 79699
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Please contact us if you have any questions or would like more info.
Phone:
325-674-2728
Email:
honors@acu.edu
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Current Students