Program Overview
Introduction to the Honors College Curriculum
The Honors College curriculum provides students with the opportunity to experience more in-depth courses within their major and minor fields, as well as explore other disciplines that interest them. This culminates in a greater overall undergraduate experience.
Honors Designations
There are four Honors College graduation distinctions: University Honors Scholar, University Honors Research Scholar, Honors Scholar, and Honors Research Scholar. These are conferred at the time of graduation and printed on students' diplomas and transcripts.
University Honors Scholar
To earn the designation University Honors Scholar, students are required to complete a minimum of 30 hours of Honors College courses, including a minimum of:
- 3 hours of Honors Participation Courses, AND
- 6 hours of coursework identified as Signature Impact Experiences Students must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.4 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.
Honors Scholar
To earn the designation Honors Scholar, students are required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of Honors College coursework, including a minimum of:
- 3 hours of Honors Participation Courses Students must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.2 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.
University Honors Research Scholar
To earn the designation University Honors Research Scholar, students are required to complete a minimum of 30 hours of Honors College courses, including a minimum of:
- 3 hours of Honors Participation Courses; 1 hour of which must be "Honors Lyceum: Research at Auburn"
- 3 hours of Honors Research Methods
- 6 hours of Honors Seminars
- 6 hours of designated Honors Research Seminars
- 6 hours of coursework identified as Signature Impact Experiences Student must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.4 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.
Honors Research Scholar
To earn the designation Honors Research Scholar, students are required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of Honors College courses, including a minimum of:
- 3 hours of Honors Participation Courses; 1 hour of which must be "Honors Lyceum: Research at Auburn"
- 3 hours of Honors Research Methods
- 6 hours of Honors Seminars
- 6 hours of designated Honors Research Seminars Students must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.2 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.
Honors Course Types
Honors Academic Courses
Honors University Core Courses
Students may earn Honors credit by taking the Honors version of required University Core courses.
Honors Departmental Courses
Students may choose to complete the Honors version of major-specific, departmental courses.
Honors Study and Travel Courses
Study and Travel courses entail classroom-based study of a specific location for one hour a week during the Fall or Spring semester, followed by a faculty-led excursion to that country or region for 10 to 14 days at the end of the semester or over spring break.
Honors Seminars
Seminars, usually capped at 15 students, provide opportunities for intensive exploration of topics through critical reading and discussion.
Honors Research Seminars
Research Seminars, which usually have a capacity of 8 to 18 students depending on the field and topic, allow students to pursue collaborative research or creative endeavors under the close supervision of a faculty mentor.
Honors Contract Courses
Honors Contracts enable students to earn credit by incorporating an Honors component within a regularly offered class.
Honors Participation Courses
Honors Freshman Exploration, HONR 1077
The Freshmen Exploration course introduces students to Auburn University and the Honors College.
Honors Lyceum
Lyceums, named after the gymnasium in which the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle taught, provide a curricular setting for highly interactive discussion and the exchange of ideas.
Honors Book Club
Book Clubs bring together a small group of students with one instructor to discuss one-to-three books.
Honors Forum
Students enrolled in the Forum course select a minimum of ten campus lectures, films, and performances from a pre-approved list to attend.
Honors Signature Impact Experiences
Honors Research
Students work with a departmental professor in their major or minor to complete a project of their choosing.
Honors Thesis
Students work with a departmental professor in their major or minor to complete a project of their choosing and produce a written document or oral presentation.
Honors Special Topics
Students work with a departmental professor in their major or minor to complete a project of their choosing.
Graduate-level courses in the major field of study
Students who meet the required pre-requisites may take graduate-level courses within their field of study.
Specialized Minors
Honors Business Minor
The Honors Business minor consists of the five 3-hour courses below. Four of the five courses must be taken at the honors level to successfully complete the minor.
Honors Public Health Minor
The Honors Public Health Minor is 15 hours consisting of five 3-hour courses: four required courses (12 hours) and one elective course (3 hours).
Honors International Minor
Few places are more of an academic paradise than Italy. Incredible art, history, and culture are set against a backdrop of exquisite land and seascapes, amazing food, and friendly people.
Current Honors Course List | Spring 2026
Honors Lyceums
- RVL Course: Can I research TikTok? Introducing Social Scientific Research Methods and Problematics through Social Media
- RVL Course: Solar Punk Futures: Auburn's Sustainable Path
- RVL Course: Introduction to Molecular Techniques
- RVL Course: Political Science in Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction
- Inside the Game: An Introduction to Sports Management
- The Prioritized Life
- Service Learning
- Research at Auburn (Engineering)
- Visual Notetaking
- Honors Interdisciplinary Exploration: Food
- Witchcraft in American History
- Service in Schools
- Research at Auburn: COSAM
- Cultures in Conversation
- Peer Instructors
- Economic Development: Local and Global Perspectives
- Career Success
- The Worlds of Dune
- Research at Auburn
- Going for the Gold: Preparing for National Scholarships, Graduate School, and other Opportunities
Honors Seminars
- AI Ethics Across Sectors - Iron Bowl Edition
- Edible Stories: Food in Immigrant Fiction and Film
- Wildlife in Focus: The Power of Film
- Lights, Camera, Action: Entertainment Public Relations
- From Pantheon to Page: World Mythology in Storytelling
- Week of Service 2026 Spring Leadership
- Be the Best You Career Planning
- Be The Change: Philanthropy, Nonprofits, and Civic Engagement
- Power Moves: Communication Skills for Career Growth
- The Leadership Challenge
- This Class is the Bomb: Nuclear Anxiety in American Culture from 1945 to the Present
- Happiness
- The Business of Creativity and Innovation
- Sick and Sovereign: The Evolution of Health Systems Worldwide
Honors Research Seminars
- Genomics and Personalized Medicine
- On Becoming: Student Motherhood
- Visualizing the Past: Community-Based History& Design
- Drug Use and Addiction: Research Across the Medical Humanities
- Database & AI Initiative Biomedical
Honors Book Club
- Rest as Resistance
- Reading about Dogs, with a Dog
- Capitalism and its Critics
- Blink: The power of thinking without thinking
- Understanding Behaviors for Making Better Choices in College
- It's the End of the World as We Know It
- Memoirs & Mirrors: Unlocking Truths in Personal Reflections
- Motivating Minds
- Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us
- Women at the Front: Historical Fiction
- Connections Are Everything
- Self Discovery through the Enneagram
- Mastering Grit: Perseverance in your Academic Journey and Passion
- Redrum & Reflection: The Shining from Page to Screen
- Choose your own Literary Adventure
- Climate Change
- Atomic Habits
Honors Study & Travel
- Ireland and Scotland
- Australia
Other Available Courses
- Honors Research Methods
- Honors Tech and Culture II
- Honors Freshmen Exploration
- Honors Forum
Past Honors Course List | Fall 2025
Honors Lyceums
- Student Org Leaders
- Peer Education in Higher Ed
- Service Learning
- Beyond Week of Service
- It's a Hard Knock Life: "Adulting" Post Graduation
- Where I Fit
- Going for the Gold
- Peer Instructors
- Research at Auburn: COSAM
- Community Engagement in Education
- Research at Auburn
- Introduction to Molecular Research
- Learning YOU through Assessment
- Honors Peer Mentors
- Economic Development: Local and Global Perspectives
Honors Seminars
- 3D Printing
- The History of Artificial Body Parts
- The Business of Creativity and Innovation
- The Power of Music (To Influence and Make Change)
- American Public Policy and Migrant Populations
- Introduction to Casinos and Club Management
- Genomics and Personalized Health
- Be the Best You Career Planning
- Games of International Relations
- Power Moves: Communication Skills for Career Growth
- Trust me, I'm a philosopher! Knowledge, trust, and skepticism in a social world
Honors Research Seminars
- A Novel Intro to Neuroscience
- Database & AI Initiative Biomedical
- Sports in America
- Caregiver Empowerment Lab
Honors Book Club
- The Psychology of Introverts
- Crossing Borders: Identity and the Immigrant Experience
- Understanding People: Insights into Leadership and Decision Making
- Reading about Dogs, with a Dog
- Against The Grain
- The Common Book
- Global IQ: Cultural Fluency for Future Leaders
- Plugging into the World
- The Comfort of a Classic: Little Women
- The Common Book
- Gender and Horror's Final Girl
- Leadership
- As Seen on TV (But You Read it Here First)
Honors Study & Travel
- Greece
- Japan
Other Available Courses
- Honors Tech and Culture I
- Honors Freshmen Exploration
- Honors Forum
- Honors Research Methods
Policies and Retention Criteria
A grade of "C" or better in Honors courses is required to earn Honors College credit.
In order to remain in good standing as a member of the Honors College, students must meet the following minimum criteria:
- Students are required to maintain satisfactory progress in completing the requirements of the Honors curriculum.
- First-year students must attain a minimum 3.0 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA and second, third, and fourth-year students must maintain a minimum 3.2 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA.
- All first-year students in the Honors College must meet with an Honors Academic Advisor in the fall semester and submit a Plan of Study prior to registration for spring courses.
- Second, third, and fourth-year students must meet with an Honors Academic Advisor at least once a year to ensure retention and understanding of the program and to confirm progress is being made toward the completion of the Honors requirements.
- Students who do not successfully maintain good standing will be suspended from the Honors College.
- Any scholarships awarded by the Honors College are contingent upon maintaining membership in good standing in the Honors College.