Cook Honors College Program Requirements for Entering First-Year Students

The Cook Honors College is IUP’s university-wide honors program for undergraduates of all majors who are accepted into the program. Its goal is to provide a unique educational environment in which students of high ability and motivation are challenged to achieve their potential in a supportive learning community. The Cook Honors College makes an intentional effort to see that students are provided with intellectually stimulating, interdisciplinary classes, an appreciation for multiple perspectives on important issues, and common learning experiences and cocurricular activities as part of their overall personal and preprofessional development.

Honors College Policies

Cook Honors College students are required to maintain a cumulative 3.25 GPA. A student who falls below 3.25 will have one semester of Cook Honors College probation in order to attempt to raise the GPA and remain in good standing. Students who do not maintain the minimum GPA will not be able to register for honors courses until they return to good standing.
All first-year students who are required to live on campus must live in the honors living-learning community. Exceptions to this policy are considered only under unusual circumstances, and requests for exceptions must be made to the director at the time of application.
Students receiving honors scholarships agree in their contract to complete forty hours of community service during the academic year as a condition of their scholarship.
Students may apply to transfer into the program from within IUP or other institutions and should meet with honors advisors to ensure all requirements can be met.

Cook Honors College Requirements: 22-23

Required Courses: 16 credits

HONR 101- Honors Core I Credits 6 (1)

HONR 102- Honors Core II Credits 6 (2)

HONR 202- Honors Core Sciences Credits 4

Additional Honors Coursework/Experiential Education: 6-7 Credits

Select any two from:

HONR 201- The Educated Citizen and Social Change Credits 4 (3)

Any H-Designated Course Credits: 3

Any Course with an Individual Honors Contract Credits: 3

Departmental Honors Thesis Credits: 3

Completion of Experiential Education Opportunity Credits: 3 (3)

Cook Honors College Program Requirements: 22-23

(1) HONR 101 fulfills Crimson Core competencies in Written Communication and Values and Ethics

(2) HONR 102 fulfills Crimson Core competencies in Human and Creative Inquiry and Global Learning

(3) Students are encouraged to complete experiential activities that may count as an honors requirement. These include study abroad, an internship, honors independent studies, or, with permission, a graduate-level course. The experiential may or may not be a credit-bearing experience, and students should consult with the associate director to ensure any non-credit experiences are extensive enough to count.

SLOs

1. Engage in interdisciplinary inquiry by integrating insights from more than one research approach and by synthesizing diverse perspectives and modes of thinking

Assessment: thesis papers (HONR 102)

Capabilities

2. Apply critical reading and demonstrate critical reasoning through the use of appropriate evidence and methods

Assessment: thesis papers (HONR 101 or 202)

Skills

3. Use effective communication skills, both written and oral, by constructing coherent, logical, and persuasive arguments

Assessment: final core presentations (HONR 102 or 202)

Skills

4. Collaborate with others and demonstrate engaged experiential learning by exploring cocurricular opportunities

Assessment: self-reflection (HONR 201 or approved credit-bearing experiential)

Skills