Skip to Main Content

From Miami Student to Miami Honors Student

The Miami University Honors College aspires to produce students who embody the concept of “citizen scholars,” using their honors education in ways that enhance existing knowledge and advance the common good. By joining the Honors College you will be given exclusive access to learning experiences both in the classroom through honors courses and course extensions; and outside of the classroom through leadership, teaching, study abroad, internships, and research. Take advantage of the opportunity to engage in an interdisciplinary and research-oriented curriculum that will empower you to take on great challenges, such as the year-long Honors Senior Project.

Check Your Eligibility

To be considered for admission to the Honors College as a current Miami student, you must:

  • have completed at least one full-time semester as a degree-seeking student at Miami University,
  • have at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA,
  • have at least four semesters remaining before earning your bachelor’s degree, and
  • have a member of Miami’s faculty or staff submit a recommendation on your behalf.

Process and Timeline

  1. Review the information about Honors College requirements and benefits below. Contact Teresa Radomski-Bomba at radomstm@miamioh.edu with questions.
  2. Complete the Honors College current student application. 
  3. Request a recommendation from a member of Miami University’s faculty or staff. Your recommendation should be submitted by the recommender using the form at this link.
  4. Submit the application and ensure that your recommendation is submitted by one of the review deadlines listed below.
  5. Admission decisions will be shared on the timeline listed below. Admitted students will work with their honors advisor to get started on their honors requirements that semester.

There are three current student application deadlines throughout the year. Both the application and recommendation must be received by the deadline to be considered.

  • September 15 deadline. Decisions will be communicated by September 30.
  • January 15 deadline. Decisions will be communicated by January 31.
  • May 15 deadline. Decisions will be communicated by May 31.

Students can submit an application to the Honors College prior to the end of their first semester at Miami. The application will be reviewed during the review period after which the student becomes eligible.

Points to Note Before Applying

  • Miami University Regional students should consult the CLAAS Divisional Honors Program for more information about that program.
  • Students nominated before their first semester is complete will be considered at the end of that semester.
  • Any student who declines admission into the Honors College directly from high school but still attends Miami University is automatically ineligible to apply for admission into the Honors College through our current student admission process.

More Information about the Application

The current student admission application has two three components: basic student information, an essay, and a recommendation from a Miami University faculty or staff member. Your recommender can use the form at this link to submit your recommendation.

The essay component of the application focuses on three things: Why you want to be part of the Honors College community, how participation in the Honors College supports your goals, and what your culminating honors requirement, the Honors Senior Project, might be. You can watch the video below to learn more about the essay questions.

 

Questions about the current student application process should be directed to Teresa Radomski-Bomba, associate director of the Honors College, at radomstm@MiamiOH.edu.

Honors Requirements To Remember After You're Admitted

In addition to the coursework required of all Miami students, current Miami students who are admitted to the Honors College must also complete at least two honors experiences and the Honors Senior Project by the end of their undergraduate studies. You can learn more about honors experiences from the Academics page of the Honors College website, but keep in mind that the timeline and total number of requirements will look different for you since you are being admitted as a current Miami student. You will meet with your Honors advisor to plan your honors experiences after your admittance into the Honors College.

Honors Senior Project

All students admitted to the Honors College produce a culminating Honors Senior Project in order to earn University Honors. The Honors Senior Project is a year-long intensive project that can assume the form of a traditional research thesis, or it can be achieved through an intensive and sustained creative, pre-professional, or co-curricular activity. Students have two project types to choose from, the Citizen option and Scholar option, however all Honors Senior Projects require inquiry based work that asks a question that produces the creation of new understanding or knowledge and a faculty or staff mentor to support the student. Take a look at what graduates have accomplished with the support of the Honors College on the Research page. See below for more information about the Honors Senior Project formats.

Two Options for Completing the Honors Senior Project

Citizen

This option will provide students with the opportunity to use intensive experiential learning activities as a basis for producing an inquiry based project with relevance to the common good. This can be realized through activities that encompass either:
  1. sustained leadership and service,
  2. pre-professional internships or practica, or
  3. design and creativity.
These projects should involve a minimum of 400 total hours of activity. The focus for all of these projects is activity that engages the world beyond the classroom through creative expression, community service and social impact, entrepreneurship and professional development and growth, and/or leadership and public service. Students will need to spend at least an additional 50 hours working on a reflective analysis component and an inquiry component, such as a professional report, exploration of an original research question, or literature review on a relevant topic. The completed project must be at least 20 double-spaced pages in total, either as one cohesive document or a portfolio of multiple documents. All components of Citizen Honors Senior Projects should be well written and executed to a professional level.

Final submission of completed Citizen projects can take the form of:
  • A written report, such as a business plan or lesson plans, with analytical reflection
  • A performance or other creative based display
  • A portfolio of works

Scholar

This option allows the student to delve into topics of interest to them through intensive research that results in a traditional thesis, written to the standards of their major field of study. The thesis is understood to be an academic product and it will always involve significant inquiry and research under the direction of a faculty mentor. Through their thesis, a student will present new ways of looking at the world, develop expert interest in a particular topic, and contribute to the ongoing scholarly conversation in their field. The thesis must contain original research and it must mirror the quality of writing and thought typically seen in publishable scholarship. A student is expected to produce some new insights or interpretations on the topic investigated. There is not a set minimum length for Scholar projects, however, most projects will be a minimum of 35-50 pages, dependent on the standards of the academic discipline. Students are strongly encouraged to present their work at Miami's Undergraduate Research Forum. 

Scholar projects can be completed through, but are not limited to:
  • Departmental Honors thesis
  • Yearlong independent studies
  • Research connected to on-campus research labs
  • Extended capstone projects 
  • Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program
  • Geoffrion Family Fellows program
  • CAS Dean's Scholar Program
  • Combined Bachelor's-Master's degree thesis completed as undergraduates