Honors Program

The Honors Program at Embry-Riddle is a highly selective academic opportunity designed to offer students an enriched educational experience. The program enrolls top students who are committed to positive, tangible change and fosters the development of critical communication, analytical, research, and problem-solving skills, laying a foundation for life-long learning, leadership, and service. Honors students participate in small, student-centered, discussion-oriented general education seminars that focus on stimulating, interdisciplinary topics to encourage critical and creative thinking. Faculty are carefully selected, and students benefit from close collaboration with them through research opportunities and individually tailored projects. Students may also petition to “honorize” select courses by completing additional research-based assignments. The Honors Program enhances both virtual and in-person campus life through co-curricular opportunities, guest speaker series, and student-led initiatives sponsored by the Honors Student Association. Graduates of the program are recognized as models of academic excellence and student leadership.

For more information for the Honors Program on your campus, please visit:

Daytona Beach: https://erau.edu/academics/academic-experience/honors-programs

Worldwide: https://worldwide.erau.edu/degrees/honors

 

Daytona Beach Campus

The Honors Program at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus is highly selective and offers an enriched, in-person academic experience for motivated students. Through small interdisciplinary seminars, close collaboration with faculty, and opportunities for research and leadership, Honors students deepen their education while contributing to campus and community life.

Some Features of the Honors Program:

  • Honors seminars typically have no more than 24 students.
  • Guest speakers of national/international notoriety who spend time with students in specially scheduled sessions.
  • Honors Living Learning Community housing for first-year and second-year Honors Program students.
  • Priority registration for classes.
  • Research opportunities.
  • Summer study-abroad opportunities.
  • Exploring the Arts Program provides opportunities to attend local arts events.
  • Honors student-led initiatives that promote leadership, scholarship, and community engagement. 

Admission Into The Program

Students are eligible if they have a minimum SAT score of 1360 or an ACT composite score of 29, along with a minimum GPA of 3.75. Prospective Aerospace Engineering students must meet higher testing criteria, including a minimum SAT score of 1390 or ACT composite score of 31.

All students must apply to be considered. Applicants admitted to the university by December 1 are eligible to apply. If space remains available, students admitted between December 2 and February 1 may be invited to apply. All criteria must be met for consideration.

After you apply to ERAU, assuming you meet the baseline criteria for consideration, you will be invited to apply to the Honors Program. Once we have your application, it will be reviewed and a decision made. (We have two sets of application considerations - one in late fall/winter, the other in early spring). You must observe the published application deadline.

Late Admission

Upon entering your second year at Embry-Riddle if you have a CGPA of at least a 3.8 and less than 60 degree applicable credit hours, you may be invited to apply to the Honors Program. Each year, during the Fall semester, students who meet these criteria are notified that they are eligible to apply. Applications are then reviewed by a small committee within the student’s respective college, and selections made. It is a very competitive process but, yes, it is possible to join “late.”

Program Requirements

All degree programs at Embry-Riddle have a well-defined Honors curriculum for Honors Program students in their respective areas. Between 24-27 credit hours of Honors are embedded within the student’s overall curriculum (NOT additional to existing requirements). Honors courses replace some general education requirements, as well as meet standard requirements specific to the major.

The Embry-Riddle Honors Program consists of at least 24-27 credit hours of Honors. These requirements are embedded in (not added to) the existing curriculum:

  • 12-13 credit hours applicable to General Education requirements (HONR 150, HONR 250, HONR 350, plus math).
  • At least 12-14 credit hours within the student’s major.

The Honors curriculum emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to education by requiring students to enroll in three three-credit hour seminars (nine credit hours total) that encourages a global perspective and places disciplines in dialogue.

The seminars typically have no more than 24 students (all members of the Honors program) and are discussion based, and focus on developing students’ communicative, critical, research and leadership skills, and require text and web-based original research, written essays, and oral presentations.

Continuing in the Honors Program

Honors Program students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20, earn a semester GPA of at least 2.75, and complete all required co-curricular activities. The semester GPA requirement is monitored each term. Students who fall below the cumulative GPA requirement or fail to meet co-curricular requirements will be placed on Honors probation and given an opportunity to return to good standing. Failure to meet the minimum standards within the designated timeframe may result in removal from the Honors Program.

Worldwide Campus

The Honors Program at Embry-Riddle’s Worldwide campus is a selective program that offers an enriched learning experience for motivated students. The Honors Program emphasizes close involvement with selected faculty, research opportunities, and individually tailored projects. 

Admission Into The Program

Interested students will be required to submit their CV along a brief application essay (at most 500 words) to the honors program director by email (WWHonors@erau.edu) explaining their desire to join into the program and how they feel it will benefit their studies in addition to why they are a good candidate for this advanced academic experience.

Direct Admission

  • Students coming directly from high school require at least a 3.75 unweighted GPA from high school.
  • Current students with a current ERAU cumulative GPA of 3.5
  • Students with a transfer GPA of 3.5
  • Students transferring from the Daytona Beach Campus who were in the Honors Program are automatically eligible. Daytona Beach Campus honors seminars and honors contracted courses are fully transferable into the Worldwide Honors Program.

Admission by Petition

  • Students transferring from another university who were in an honors program may submit a request to the Honors Program Director.

Program Requirements

The Honors Program does not automatically add credit hours to any major and has a requirement 12 credit hours of Honors in general education; in addition, 4 courses (12 credit hours) of upper level courses within the students major degree program will be honorized. 

Summer Seminars (9 hours)

Three seminar classes are required. These seminars, generally offered in summer, are special topics courses which will be taught by our senior faculty and will replace specific general education requirements as described below. For students who enter the university with transfer credit already covering these general education requirements, please contact the honors program director to discuss alternate resolutions.

HONR 150 (3 hours)—will also count as lower-level humanities general education requirement

HONR 250 (3 hours)—will also count as lower-level social sciences general education requirement

HONR 350 (3 hours)—will also count as upper-level social sciences or humanities general education requirement (depending on topic)

Honors-Designated Courses (12 hours)

Students will individually contract with instructors to “honorize” four 300- or 400-level program or elective courses (12 hours). Honorizing a course involves an agreement between a student and instructor on a set of additional requirements which will allow the student to demonstrate advanced knowledge in the subject area. Honorized courses will appear with an “Honors Program” course notation on the student’s transcript, via a transcript note. Students must submit the contract to honorize the course—signed by the instructor—to the Honors Program Director for approval prior to the term start date. The project/paper/experience that elevates the course to an “honors” class should be clearly indicated. The Honors Program Director will notify the Worldwide Office of the Registrar at the point of student completion in the program to approve the notation on the diploma.

The Honors Program Director will work with a designated faculty point of contact at each Embry-Riddle Worldwide college to co-ordinate course honorizations.

Non-credit Requirements

Students must be active in the Program by participating in at least one honors event per academic year. Those events may include but are not limited to:

  • Attendance of an honors program event or other honors society event of which the honors student is a member
  • Participation in an ERAU study abroad program
  • Student researcher role in a grant where the student works in a group with other students
  • Participation in an Embry-Riddle Worldwide C.A.R.E.E.R. Ready Club event
  • Prestigious award or fellowship (through the Office of Prestigious Award & Fellowships)
  • Participation in an activity of the Virtual Collaboratory for Security and Resilience Education, Research & Engagement
  • Other events as approved by the Honors Program Director

Additionally, Honors Program students will be enrolled in a moderated online interactive space where they will be able to engage in virtual events and social opportunities with other students in the program.

Satisfaction of these requirements will be documented by the faculty/staff member in charge of the chosen activity and reported to the Honors Program Director.

Honors Culminating Scholastic Experience (3 hours)

Students will enroll in HONR 400 for their Honors Culminating Experience. This individually designed experience in lieu of a thesis allows the student to focus on a specific area of interest and demonstrate advanced mastery of a subject matter as well as competency for defensible analysis. Students will submit a capstone research paper, an electronic research portfolio, or a documented research-focused internship as well as a piece of reflective writing that demonstrates critical analysis of the experience. The deliverable of the Honors Culminating Experience will be virtually presented to Honors Program peers and other interested students and faculty prior to graduation. The Honors Culminating Experience process will be organized and supervised by the Honors Program Director or a designee.

Continuing in the Honors Program

To remain in good standing in the Honors Program, students must maintain a 3.50 CGPA. If the student falls below this requirement, the student will be placed on “Honors probation,” after which the student will have two terms to raise the CGPA to the minimum standard. Failure to do so will result in removal from the Honors Program. Academic progress and continuing eligibility will be monitored and enforced by the Honors Program Director.