Honors College
Undergraduate Programs
The Honors College at Montana State University allows students from all majors to pursue a specialized course of study marked by interdisciplinary coursework and discussion-based learning within a supportive community. Students may choose one of three academic pathways to complement classes in their majors, satisfy some general education requirements, and even fulfill major-specific requirements through Honors College classes. Dedicated Honors College housing helps students develop connections with similarly motivated peers while making the move to university life, and Honors College staff serve as additional advisors to assist with that transition.
Entering Honors College students enroll in "Texts and Critics: Knowledge and Imagination," a two-semester seminar that address fundamental issues in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and the fine arts through critical reading and analysis of seminal texts which serve as a foundation for advanced studies in major disciplinary fields. Instructed by faculty representing every college at the university, Texts and Critics earns University Seminar and Inquiry-Humanities core credits. Student voices are centered in the “Texts and Critics” classroom, as enrollment is restricted to 16-18 students per section.
The Honors College also offers a variety of upper-division interdisciplinary seminars led by dynamic faculty interested in exploring specialized topics like design thinking, leadership, the art of medicine, human endurance, nuclear energy, wolves of Yellowstone, Indigenous perceptions of property, and the meaning of mortality, among others.
Special Honors College sections of departmental courses in programs like Architecture, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Earth Sciences, Physics, Math, Biology, Sociology, Psychology, and Electrical Engineering are also regularly offered. Limited enrollment in seminars and classes encourages lively discussion and interactive study among faculty and students.
"Great Expeditions" courses include 10-14 days of international travel following a semester of study pertinent to the expedition theme. After travel is completed, students typically present a public symposium highlighting the results of their journey.
"Mentoring Gifted Students," a service-learning course, enables students to work with gifted and talented students in public schools.
Another feature of the Honors College curriculum includes experiential learning opportunities that help students learn outside the classroom. “Hike and Read” and “Ski and Read” bring discussions of compelling texts into the stunning natural environment of Montana; “Tippet Rise” exposes students to the world-class art and music of that Western Montana site; and the “Honors Research Symposium” connects Honors College students with some of the university's top researchers, ensuring that motivated students have access to undergraduate research opportunities at the start of their university careers. That is one of the reasons that Honors College students have been so successful in securing major fellowships like the Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, and Udall, to name a few.
Additional opportunities for independent study are available through Honors contracts, which are offered at both the lower- and upper-division level. Contracts prepare students to accept the special challenges and benefits of an Honors thesis. Upper-class students may also qualify to undertake supervised tutorial study.
The Honors College also features a robust co-curriculum that helps students connect with each other outside the classroom. These include regular social events, leadership development opportunities, lecture series, and chances to interact with the college staff.
Enrollment in Honors College courses is restricted to students officially admitted to the Honors College. Admission is normally granted to students in the upper ten percent of their high school class or to those already enrolled in the University who have demonstrated academic achievement and personal initiative.
To maintain good standing, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and demonstrate significant and continuing progress toward their specific degree in addition to satisfying the particular standards of Honors coursework or research. Graduation from the Honors College requires the accumulation of a specific number of credits as determined by the category of distinction the student pursues. All such credits may be acquired through successful completion of Honors courses, a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade-point average, and one-year (or its equivalent) of a second language. To graduate with Highest Distinction, a thesis and a minimum cumulative 3.7 GPA are required. For details about admission and graduation requirements, contact the Honors College Office in Norm Asbjornson Hall, Room 347 or by calling 406-994-4110, sending an e-mail to honors@montana.edu, or by visiting the Honors website at www.montana.edu/honors.
Undergraduate Programs