FAQs
Academics
Faculty and/or staff in each Honors College program assist all Honors College students in academic advisement during Orientation and each semester thereafter.
The University automatically considers high-achieving students, such as National Merit Finalists, for academic scholarships in addition to various other scholarship opportunities. The Honors College also offers scholarships to high-achieving students. To learn more information about the affordability of a Baylor education, visit the Financial Services bill estimator.
Yes! There are a variety of Prehealth opportunities for students to apply to through the Honors College. The Honors Program offers a series of workshops and a course (BIO 1125 Biological Research Preparedness) to assist students with becoming familiar with research in the first year. The Summer Undergraduate Research Program with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research. It is a nine-week internship designed to provide research experience and mentorship for students interested in biomedical research. The Heal the City Summer Internship allows students to work with a free medical clinic that provides healthcare to the uninsured in Amarillo, Texas, and the Panhandle. The MD Anderson Undergraduate Cancer Research Internship is a 10-week program for outstanding undergraduates interested in learning more about cancer research and treatment. Additionally, we encourage you to seek out professors within your specific field of interest who are working on their own research. Often, though not always, professors are eager to accept undergraduate students as research assistants and give them the opportunity to do so while on-campus.
The Honors Program curriculum culminates in a Senior Thesis. For this project, you choose and work with a mentor who guides you in choosing and pursuing a research question. A required course in research methods during your sophomore or junior year is meant to guide you as you formulate your project. A thesis might consist of bench research in the sciences, archeological field research in Italy, creating original artwork, or writing a business plan -- the possibilities are practically endless! By the end of your senior year, you will have produced and defended this substantial piece of original research or creative expression. Many students tell us that this is the most challenging and rewarding part of their college experience.
AP, IB, and Dual Credits
Baylor University accepts credits earned through exams, dual-credit, and transfer courses. If Baylor accepts your specific AP, IB, or dual credit, then you receive those hours and they will be noted on your transcript. Please read below for details on how these will be considered in each program in the Honors College, and speak with an advisor before selecting your courses. For a list of AP and IB credits accepted by Baylor, please visit the Student Testing website.
Visit the link below to learn more about how Summer of Discovery works with the Honors College.
AP, IB, and dual credit courses do not replace BIC courses. Since our courses are interdisciplinary, we cannot pull the history out of World Cultures or the literature out of World of Rhetoric. You would miss a valuable part of the BIC program. If the course for which you receive AP IB, or dual credit is required by your major, then your credit meets the major requirement. For example, if you receive credit for PSC 1305-American National Government, and are a political science major, then the credit meets a major requirement, but does not affect your BIC requirements.
For students who are considering a Great Texts major and are wondering about the applicability of transfer credits (dual Credit, AP) there are generally no equivalents for GTX courses. We recommend consulting with your advisor regarding substitutions for your general education core requirements.
The Honors Program is an enhancement to your major, so you can take any class required for your degree, major, or preprofessional program (like premed or prelaw) this summer! Please talk to your academic advisor about the best options for you.
All courses accepted for Baylor University credit will count toward graduation hours in the University Scholars program. To learn more about what scores are required to receive AP and similar exam-based credits visit Student Testing Services. If you are interested in learning more about transfering dual-credit courses, please speak with Undergraduate Admissions.
Applications/Application Deadlines
Yes. The Honors College application is a separate process from the general Baylor Application for Admission. All Baylor applicants are welcome to apply to one or more of the Honors College opportunities through the Elite Academic Programs Application (EAPA), available in your goBaylor portal. You do not need to wait until you are accepted to Baylor to apply for the Honors College or our scholarships. However, we will not be able to view or process your Honors College application until you have been admitted to the University.
Students apply to one or more specific opportunities within the Honors College through the Elite Academic Programs Application (EAPA) in their goBAYLOR portal.
The Honors College is home to several distinctive academic opportunities: the Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) degree, Great Texts of the Western Tradition, University Scholars, the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, and the Honors Program. The EAPA allows you to apply to multiple opportunities at once and explore which best aligns with your academic goals.
When you submit your EAPA, you’ll be considered for admission to each of the Honors College opportunities you select.
No. Receiving a qualification letter does not guarantee admission. Students must still complete and submit the Elite Academic Programs Application through their goBaylor portal and apply to at least one of the Honors College opportunities within that application in order to be considered for admission.
The Honors College is comprised of four programs, and entrance into the Honors College is by way of a program. For each program that requires an application, its deadline is as follows:
BIC Application Deadline: Applicants are admitted on a rolling basis throughout the year, and acceptance e-mails are sent on a weekly basis following phone interviews. Interested students are encouraged to apply as early as possible for advising and housing purposes. (NOTE: You may only enter the BIC as an incoming first year.)
Great Texts is offered as a major/minor and does not have an application deadline. If you desire to major/minor in Great Texts, submit the Honors College application and simply select “Great Texts” when asked to indicate the program(s) in the Honors College to which you would like to apply. After submitting the Honors College application, you will be asked to select whether you would like to add Great Texts as a major or minor.
Honors Program Application Deadline: Applicants are admitted on a rolling basis throughout the year, and acceptance letters will be sent on a monthly basis. Interested students are encouraged to apply as early as possible for advising and housing purposes.
University Scholars Application Deadline: Applicants are admitted on a rolling basis throughout the year, and acceptance letters will be sent on a monthly basis. Interested students are encouraged to apply as early as possible for advising and housing purposes.
Honors Residential College Application Deadline: Admission is by special application only and is competitive; rooms in the HRC are in high demand. Therefore, we encourage you to apply, or to reapply, for admission early.
Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC): Because each entering BIC class of students progresses through the curriculum together, you must enroll in the BIC your first semester as a first year.
Great Texts: This is offered as a major/minor. You may declare it as such at any time. You may switch to or add Great Texts as a major/minor in the academic advisement office located on the first floor of the Paul L. Foster Success Center (Sid Richardson Building).
Honors Program: If you have at least a 3.5 GPA at the start of your first spring semester, you will be invited to join the Honors Program. The latest you can join this program is the first semester of your junior year.
University Scholars: This is offered as a major; however, in order that students derive the full benefit from the program, University Scholars will not accept students who have less than three years (e.g., juniors/seniors) or less than 90 hours remaining to complete their undergraduate degree at Baylor. All Scholars must therefore complete at least 90 hours as students within the program. Students who enter late are responsible for changing their majors to University Scholars. Students with less than 30 credit hours can change their major in the academic advisement office located on the first floor of the Paul L. Foster Success Center (Sid Richardson Building).
The Honors College does not have required test scores for admission. Applications are reviewed holistically, with test scores contributing as one part of a student’s application.
Baylor is test-optional for this application cycle, meaning that test scores are optional but not required. For more information on the test-optional process, contact Undergraduate Admissions.
The admission process for home school students is the same as it is for students who went to public high school. However, home school students are required to submit standardized test scores with their application; they cannot apply as test-optional.
Students will receive an email with steps on how to activate their goBAYLOR account about 48 hours after submitting their application via the Common App. Students do not need to be admitted before having access to goBAYLOR and are able to access the Elite Academic Programs Application once their application has been received. We recommend students wait until they receive this email to activate their goBAYLOR account as to not cause a duplicate which can delay the processing of their application.
Students that see this message have not yet submitted their Baylor University Application for admission (Common Application or Baylor Web Application). Once you submit your university application, you will be able to access the Honors College application in goBAYLOR.
Benefits of Being in the Honors College
Excellent Preparation for Further Academic Pursuits:
- Undertake rigorous, significant academic pursuits such as an undergraduate thesis or research with faculty that will pave the way for higher, post-graduate exploration
Living-Learning Residence Life:
- Take advantage of on-campus housing opportunities designed for Honors College students to strike a balance between social life and serious intellectual pursuits. More information can be found by visiting the Honors Residential College website.
Interdisciplinary Learning
- Take courses that bridge multiple departments and integrate the sciences and the humanities
Primary Texts
- Wrestle with the greatest books from the greatest minds rather than from textbooks or commentaries
Team Teaching
- Enter into, and learn from, conversations between faculty
Seminar Classes
- Rather than passive note-taking, participate actively in the exposition, analysis, and criticism of texts, arguments, and experiments
Research
- Participate in research with the best faculty at Baylor in various fields and disciplines.
Pre-Health Opportunities
- Take advantage of priority registration, reserved places in labs and science classes, and summer internships through our pre-health programming.
Extracurricular Intellectual Pursuits
- Attend lectures and join book or film discussion groups specifically designed for Honors College students
Scholarship/Fellowship Opportunities
- Pursue, with the aid of academic advisors, a range of scholarship and fellowship opportunities for post-undergraduate study.
Graduation
"Graduating with Honors" may mean different things. One form of this, called Latin honors, reflects academic success as evidenced by a high Baylor GPA at graduation. Latin Honors can be earned by all Baylor undergraduates regardless of their participation in the Honors College. The breakdown for Latin honors is as follows:
Cum Laude: 3.75
Magna Cum Laude: 3.85
Summa Cum Laude: 3.95
Students who successfully complete the Honors Program sometimes also speak of graduating with Honors. More precisely, those students will be recognized as "Honors Program graduates" on their diploma and transcript after having completed all the requirements of the Honors Program.
Honors College Programs
No, the Honors Program is one of four programs within the Honors College. The others are the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC), the Great Texts Program (GTX), and the University Scholars Program (UNSC).
Yes, depending on the program or major, is possible to integrate multiple programs into one degree plan. As a variation of the university’s core program, BIC can be combined with all other Honors College Programs. The Honors Program is a supplementary plan open to all majors, including Great Texts. University Scholars are already part of the Honors Program, but can choose to opt into BIC or Great Texts. University Scholars students are part of the Honors Program but can opt to include BIC or Great Texts into their degree plan.
The Honors Program and the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) are complementary, allowing students to enroll in both (which many of our students do).
Yes! Take a look at our Honors College Quick Sheet.
Housing
The priority deadline for students wishing to live in the HRC is April 15.
No, but it is a highly desirable place to live for Honors College students.
Given the close interaction with distinguished faculty, the distinct privilege to live among peers who cherish learning and growing, on-site lectures by world-renowned speakers, and the never-ending opportunities to fellowship and create close bonds with mentors and students alike.
Hear first-hand from our Faculty Steward and current HRC students.
The HRC is comprised of Memorial and Alexander Halls. The HRC houses 300+ honors students.
The number of acceptances varies depending on the number of current residents who re-apply.
The HRC is one of three residential colleges on campus; it is the only community specifically designed with honors students in mind. Modeled after the college systems of Oxford and Cambridge in England, the HRC emphasizes student and staff faculty involvement within the community, special programs and lectures offered to its residents, as well as greater attention to the holistic formation of students.
Orientation
Orientation is a two-day program that is essential for all incoming and transfer students. During orientation, students meet with an advisor to discuss degree plans and register for classes, but there is so much more. It is an opportunity to explore academics, campus life, and begin developing important relationships with faculty, staff, and students. There are also opportunities to hear important information and have all of your questions answered.
2. What is Honors Line Camp and is it mandatory to attend?
Incoming honors students are invited to attend Honors Line Camp, a four-day summer camp in which they will meet other honors students, partake in well-loved Baylor traditions, and engage in community and friendship-building experiences. Line Camp is not mandatory but recommended. Line Camp can also be combined with Orientation.
If you have more questions, New Student Programs is a great resource.
Scholarships
Baylor’s Cost of Attendance can be found using Baylor's cost of attendance calculator. However, there are a lot of opportunities to bring the cost down, including scholarships that are exclusive to the Honors College.
The Honors College offers scholarships for both incoming and current students.
Many Honors College students achieve great success in various study abroad programs. The Honors College offers scholarships to help defray the cost of studying abroad. Applications are reviewed on the basis of need and merit.
Yes, students who are not recipients of Honors College scholarships in their first year are eligible to apply for a variety of Honors College scholarships as current students. These scholarship opportunities include the Honors Residential College Leadership Scholarship, study abroad scholarships, and a limited number of need-based scholarships. Students can re-apply for Honors College scholarships for as many years as they attend Baylor as an undergraduate and remain in good standing with the Honors College.
The Honors College scholarship page describes the scholarship application process and information for applicants.