A DISTINGUISHING ACHIEVEMENT

Williams Honors Scholar

Graduate of the Honors College at The University of Akron

As a student in the Williams Honors College, your program of study will include unique opportunities that will provide you with a distinguished recognition of your achievements. Students completing the requirements to become a Williams Honors Scholar shall have this noted on their transcripts and diplomas, and they shall be appropriately recognized as Williams Honors Scholars at the graduation ceremony.

To graduate as a Williams Honors Scholar, you must

  • satisfy the requirements of your baccalaureate degree with a commencement GPA of at least 3.40. Your progress may be accelerated by:
    • Credit by examination
    • Credit awarded for satisfactory achievement (as defined by present University policies) on high school advanced placement tests and various other achievement tests (e.g. CLEP)
  • complete the Honors Distribution requirements, satisfying the four groups of disciplines. This is in lieu of the university's General Education requirements;
  • complete three  Honors Colloquia courses, one each in Humanities, Social Science and Natural Science;
  • complete an Honors Research Project, i.e., an Honors thesis, or an original or creative work appropriate to the student's area of interest and meeting high standards of scholarship. The student must be awarded a grade of B or above to satisfactorily meet this criteria. Research performed through an external experience (e.g., a study abroad program or through field experience) may be used in part as a basis for the project.
  • complete 17 hours of Honors credit (including colloquia, Honors sections, Honors credit by contract, and Honors Research project)

Although each Honors student will be encouraged to become proficient in a language other than English, the foreign language is mandatory only if required of all students in the student's major department or division. In addition, study abroad experience is encouraged but not mandatory to graduate as a Williams Honors Scholar.