Established in 1985, the Honors Scholar Program at High Point University is now home to 300+ student scholars dedicated to pursuing intellectual curiosity and educational excellence. Honors students engage in multidisciplinary, collaborative project-based learning experiences throughout their courses and co-curriculum, and they reside for their first two years in a living-learning community in Finch Hall, forging meaningful relationships with one another both inside and outside the classroom.
With a commitment to the rich traditions of the liberal arts, the High Point University Honors Scholar Program takes a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to higher education, empowering students to cultivate contemplative selves and to build meaningful public lives.
To be recognized as a leader in interdisciplinary, project-based learning, as evidenced by our students’ post-undergraduate successes and our program’s role in the national dialogue on honors education.
The Honors Scholar Program has five principles that inform its scope, structure, and delivery.
Students who complete the program’s core curriculum will demonstrate high levels of competency in the areas described below. They will showcase these competencies through personalized online portfolios.
The Honors Scholar Program outcomes are informed greatly by the AAC&U’s Essential Learning Outcomes for liberal education.
Honors students complete their own core curriculum, one that provides discussion-based courses, hands-on projects, and cross-disciplinary research. At 39 credits, the core curriculum gives honors students more space to explore their academic interests and the opportunity to start their major courses sooner.
Honors students form an immediate community in Finch Hall, which is centrally located on campus. Finch Hall contains multi-use common rooms to promote collaboration, creative expression, and even meditation and mindfulness. Students are required to reside in Finch Hall for their first two academic years.
Honors Scholars at High Point University have access to a dedicated Faculty-in-Residence (FIR) in Finch Hall as part of the Honors living community. The FIR is available to discuss academic and professional topics, provide research and career development support, and lead a blend of experiential, community-focused academic, social, cultural, and networking opportunities.
Honor Scholars register for courses at the start of every registration period. This enables honors students to build schedules that best fit their co- and extra-curricular activities.
Every year, many honors students work closely with faculty across the disciplines on projects that lead to presentations and publications.
The Honors Scholar Program will offer financial support to cover conference travel to local, regional, and national academic events.
The Honors Scholar Program regularly invites and sponsors renowned scholars and artists to speak at High Point University on a variety of topics. Honors students receive priority access to these events, as well as to other on- and off-campus cultural events.
Honor Scholars can access non-circulated DVDs and receive extended check-out time for books with High Point University Libraries.
Students in the Honors Scholars Program receive a $3,000 scholarship in addition to any High Point University Presidential Scholarship. The award is automatically renewable for all four years as long as students remain in good standing in the Honors Scholars Program.
The Honors Scholar Program awards one annual scholarship to the rising senior with a high GPA, evidence of student leadership, and active membership in the Odyssey Club.
