The Departmental Honors Program is designed for students who have begun upper division course work within a declared major. Twenty-two departments on campus offer this advanced specialization within their discipline. The program permits eligible students to participate in the Honors College by taking 12-hours of advanced work within their major and/or area of interest.
Departmental Honors classes are primarily individualized course sections, research, and independent study supervised by professors who are distinguished in their field. Departmental Honors allows students to pursue areas of personal interest by delving deeply and independently into a topic.
Students who are part of the Honors College have the privilege of being first on campus to register for classes. Honors students are encouraged to use Priority Registration to plan their academics around Honors course offerings. Honors students are also eligible for scholarships, special programming, research projects and Honors Housing. Students may join the Association of Honors Students, a student-led campus social and philanthropic organization.
Students who have completed the Departmental Honors requirements and have a 3.5 GPA at graduation will be certified as graduates of the Honors College.
Research Protocol and Compliance
Institutional policies require that research conducted by faculty, staff, and students follow basic professional standards. In accordance with this policy, The Honors College expects students to comply with institutional regulations, ethical and protective requirements, and discipline-specific protocols.
All research conducted by faculty, staff, and students that involves human or animal subjects must be approved by the appropriate EIU compliance committee. Verification of approval must be included in the publication and/or presentation of the project. More information on compliance issues may be obtained from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
Students are also urged to contact their Departmental Honors Coordinator for program level procedures.
Students must meet the following criteria for admission to Departmental Honors:
- Attain a 3.5 or higher GPA on a 4.0 scale for least 12 hours of coursework undertaken at Eastern Illinois University
- Permission of both the Departmental Honors Coordinator and the Dean of the Honors College.
Transfer students who have not completed 12 hours at EIU may obtain probationary admittance with the recommendation of the Departmental Honors Coordinator.
Departmental Honors Application (PDF)
Program requirements vary slightly within the departments, but generally require 12 hours of coursework in independent study, research, graduate work, and thesis. Courses typically substitute for major requirements.
The Departmental Honors Coordinator is the primary supervisor for the program. Departmental Honors provides students with an exceptional opportunity for interaction and mentoring by faculty who are paramount in their field.
For more details on specific program requirements, see the EIU Undergraduate Catalog. See the 2004-2005 Undergraduate Catalog or click here for the list of programs and coordinators.
Students who wish to be certified as graduates of the Honors College should complete a Graduation Check Sheet by mid-term of the semester in which they graduate. Graduation Check Sheets may be obtained from the Honors Office in Booth House on 4th Street or downloaded from this website.
Students who complete the
25-hours of University Honors requirements and have a 3.5 at the time
of graduation will be considered graduates of the Honors College. Those
students will have a notation on their transcripts and will be recognized
at graduation ceremonies.
Departmental Honors Checksheet (Word)
