Shackouls Honors College

Thomas P. Anderson, Dean
tanderson@honors.msstate.edu

Anastasia D. Elder, Associate Dean
aelder@honors.msstate.edu

George K. Dunn, Assistant Dean
gdunn@honors.msstate.edu

Office: C210 Griffis Hall
Telephone: (662) 325-2522
Mailing Address: P.O. Box #EH, Mississippi State, MS 39762
Website: http://www.honors.msstate.edu

The Shackouls Honors College supports a university-wide program that reports to the Provost. It serves all undergraduate majors and cooperates with academic departments in tailoring programs for talented students. The Shackouls Honors College allows talented undergraduate students throughout the University to enrich their academic experiences. By offering small, discussion-based Honors sections of core and elective courses taught by distinguished faculty, as well as exclusive interdisciplinary seminars and faculty-led research experiences, the College fosters an intellectually rigorous learning environment. Students interested in enrolling in Honors courses must have been admitted to the College or obtain permission from the Dean.

The Shackouls Honors College is a residential College within Zacharias Village, where students may choose to live together in the living-learning communities of Griffis Hall and Hurst Hall. Housing placements are managed in coordination with the Office of Housing and Residence Life. The Honors College invites incoming first-year students, current MSU students, and transfer students with outstanding academic records to apply. To remain in the College, Honors students must maintain a 3.40 GPA, earn credit for at least one 3-hour Honors course per academic year, and complete a capstone requirement in their senior year.

Honors students are encouraged to engage in original research through competitive grants provided by the College, which support faculty-mentored projects. Honors students may also apply for travel grants to allow them to present their research at regional and national meetings, giving them invaluable experience and networking opportunities for future graduate work or careers. Students undertaking research are encouraged to take part in one of Mississippi State University's twice-annual undergraduate research symposia, which are co-sponsored by the Honors College.

The Shackouls Honors College is home to the Office of Prestigious External Scholarships, which mentors all Mississippi State students who look to apply for national, merit-based scholarships and fellowships. These prestigious scholarships and fellowships include Rhodes, Gates-Cambridge, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, Astronaut, Knight-Hennessy, Fulbright, Udall, and more. The office has helped Mississippi State consistently produce finalists and winners of these scholarships by individually advising prospective applicants.

The Shackouls Honors College strongly encourages Mississippi State students to develop a global perspective through study abroad. Honors-only scholarships are available to support study abroad. Honors students have studied in England, Scotland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Iceland and Scandinavia, Morocco, South Korea, and the Netherlands. The College offers a unique Shackouls Summer Study at the University of Oxford, where students live and study at Oxford colleges under the tutelage of Mississippi State and Oxford faculty.

The Shackouls Honors College contributes meaningfully to campus intellectual and cultural life through partnerships with programs and institutes such as the Holmes Center for Student Success, the Stennis Center for Public Service, the Institute for the Humanities, Gender Studies, African American Studies, and the Center for International Security and Strategic Studies as well as every one of the University colleges. The Orators Series, launched in 2018, brings prominent scholars and public intellectuals to campus for lectures, panels, and workshops. Speakers have included Norma Thompson, Corey Keyes, Melvin Rogers, Roosevelt Montas, Terrence Johnson, Michele Elam, and David Cameron.

The Shackouls Honors College supports several student-led organizations that cater to the different interests of Honors students.
                               
· Honors Ambassadors promote the Honors College to current and prospective students, faculty, staff, alumni and donors of the University.
· The Honors Council is an elected group of students who advise the Dean and organize activities for Honors students.
· Honors OnStage offers creative opportunities in the performing arts.
· The Honors College also hosts The Streetcar, Mississippi State’s only student-run creative arts journal.
· The Undergraduate Research Journal, Endeavors, and URSA, the Undergraduate Research Student Ambassadors, originated in the Shackouls Honors College and all serve the wider student population.

          

The Cursus Honorum

To graduate with the Honors designation (Collegium Honorum) on their diploma, students must complete the Cursus Honorum. This distinctive, rigorous liberal arts curriculum includes 24-27 Honors credits with a 3.4 average in Honors courses and requires students to:

1. Complete the first-year Honors "Quest" sequence (6 credits);
2. Complete two interdisciplinary Honors courses (6 credits);
3. Complete three discipline-specific Honors courses or tutorials (9 credits);
4. Complete a for-credit Study Abroad or other approved cultural immersion course (3 credits); and
5. Successfully write and defend an honors thesis (0-6 credits).

First-year Honors sequence¹

HON 1163	The Quest Begins	3
HON 1173	The West and the Wider World	3

 

¹

Students who complete HON 1163 Quest 1 and HON 1173 Quest 2 and earn a grade of C or higher will receive the following general educations credits:

• 3 humanities credits
• 3 Social Sciences credits

Students who complete Quest 1 and Quest 2 will have integrated fine arts into the Quest sequence and are exempt from taking a fine arts course as part of their general education requirements. Please note that any additional 3-credit course must be completed in place of the fine arts in order to meet total degree hours for the major.

Interdisciplinary Courses

Honors students are encouraged to take innovative courses individually designed by faculty. These courses may revolve around a specific topic or a broader subject area and give students the opportunity to address complex issues through an interdisciplinary lens. Students will receive the appropriate General Education credit for these courses..

Discipline-Specific Courses

Students may enroll in Honors versions of major courses, take part in Honors tutorials, or complete Oxbridge-style instruction in their fields.

Honors Capstone Experience

All Shackouls Honors College students are required to complete an Honors Capstone, which provides a structured opportunity to apply academic learning to a focused project. Students select from a range of formats and submit a final product along with a reflection that highlights the significance of the work.

Honors Thesis

Those students intending to graduate with the Honors designation (Collegium Honorum), at the beginning of their junior year, should identify a faculty mentor and a thesis topic. The student may register for Honors Thesis credit during their junior and/or senior years, depending on the complexity of the research project. The Honors Thesis serves as the Honors Capstone experience for these students

Honors Students in Good Standing

To be considered in good standing in the Honors College, students must complete one Honors course during the first semester at Mississippi State and at least one 3 credit hour course per academic year. All students must also keep a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or above to be in good standing. Each student must file with the Honors College Office a declaration of intent to complete the senior Capstone experience with a tentative plan of their chosen path