Skip to content
Contact USI

Honors Program Eligibility & Requirements

Honors Program Eligibility

If you meet the following criteria, we want you to apply to the Honors Program! Students from all majors are welcome.

Incoming Freshmen

SAT score of 1220 or higher on the Math and Critical Reading sections or ACT composite of 25 or higher, AND High school grade-point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher

If you're a strong student with a high school GPA of 3.5 or above, but you do not meet the test score requirement above, we welcome you to apply to the Honors Program to receive conditional admittance. This group includes international students who may not have taken a standardized test. 

Transfer Students and Current USI Students

Completion of a minimum of 15 credit hours at USI or elsewhere with a cumulative 3.4 GPA  If you have taken Honors courses at another college or university, your Honors credits may transfer. Please email  and inquire!

For further information, contact the Honors Program at 812-464-1833 or @usi.edu.

Essay

The application contains a short essay (250-400 words). You may want to prepare your essay ahead of time and copy/paste into the application. 

Essay Prompt: Why do you want to be part of the Honors Program? Why is academic excellence important to you?

Honors Program Requirements

To earn a University Honors Scholar diploma and complete the Honors Program, students must meet the following requirements:

  • Take 7 classes for Honors credit, including the following:
    • One Honors Seminar Class. 
    • One Honors Capstone contract must be added to a 300 or 400 level class in your major or minor. If your major is Biology, you must contract another 300 or 400 level class towards that major. Biology majors cannot add an Honors contract to their Biology synthesis class. 
  • Students must earn an A or B in an Honors class to receive Honors credit for that class.
  • Students starting Fall 2018 or after must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.4. Previous students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25.
    • If a student's GPA falls below the minimum, they will be put on probation and have one semester to increase their cumulative GPA to the minimum.
    • If the student does not increase cumulative GPA to the minimum after one semester of probation, they will be dismissed from the program.
  • Honors Activity Requirement:  All Honors students will be required to get three activity points each semester. The Honors Program sends out a weekly email with point opportunities. 

    • If a student does not get their three activity points in a semester they will be put on points probation, they will have to get four points the next semester.

    • If the student does not get their four points after one semester of being on probation, they will be dismissed from the program.