Many students hesitate to join an honors program because they believe it gives them extra classes to take. At Heidelberg, the Honors Program curriculum is a substitution for the general education curriculum.

Admission Requirements

Entering the Program

To be eligible for the Honors Program, students must have at least a 27 ACT OR 1260 SAT, AND a 3.5 GPA OR be ranked in the top 10 percent of their class. Please note that students who do not submit test scores may request a review and will be asked to submit a writing sample.

Students who do not meet these criteria on coming to Heidelberg may apply for admission to the Honors Program if they have earned a 3.5 GPA after their first semester.

Transfer students are also invited to participate in the Honors Program provided they meet the high school entry criteria noted above, have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA from an accredited college or university, and can complete the full program in an appropriate time frame.

Continuing in the Program

To remain in good standing in the Honors Program, a student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher. If the cumulative GPA falls below 3.3, the student may appeal to the Director of Honors for an additional semester to improve his or her cumulative GPA.

If a student does not complete at least two Honors seminars by the end of the student’s fourth semester, then the Director of Honors will investigate the student’s intent to complete the Honors Program.

Withdrawal from the Program

If a student is dismissed or voluntarily withdraws from the Honors Program, the Director of the Honors Program, in consultation with the Honors Committee, will determine whether the student (1) may complete the honors requirements or approved substitutions, minus HNR 455 (Senior Honors Project), HNR 307 (Service Learning), and the honors portfolio, or (2) will be required to complete the General Education requirements. A student who disagrees with the decision of the Director of the Honors Program may appeal the decision in writing to the Provost within 14 days of receipt of the decision. A student in good standing in the Honors Program who wishes to withdraw from the program must submit a written request to withdraw to the Director of the Honors Program. The request must be submitted prior to the completion of 75 credit-hours applicable towards the student’s degree program. Exceptions may be made in cases of serious illness, hardship, or unusual personal circumstances.

Mission Statement

Since its founding in 1994, the Life of the Mind Honors Program has worked to create a community of scholars within the Heidelberg campus. The Life of the Mind fosters free and rigorous intellectual inquiry through an emphasis on interdisciplinarity, civic engagement, independent research, and individually-driven academic exploration. In this way, students of the program develop intellectual values that encourage reflection and personal growth, as well as engagement with the community and the larger world. Through four primary aspects of the Life of the Mind -- The Scholar, The Scientist, The Artist, and The Citizen -- students in the program encounter philosophical and theoretical questions that ask them to take intellectual risks and solve both real-world and theoretical problems that contribute to the greater good.