To graduate from the Honors Academy as a Highlander Scholar, students must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average and complete at least 27 hours of Honors work in accordance with the requirements listed below:

• 6-12 credit hours of honors core curriculum courses
• 12-15 credit hours of courses with honors contracts in your major
  
• 3-6 credit hours for your honors capstone project

Most students take four core curriculum courses (around 12 credit hours), four major courses with honors contracts (around 12 credit hours), and a 3-hour honors capstone. The timeline below is designed for students who enter the Honors Academy the first semester of their freshman year. Students who do not enter the Honors Academy their first semester at Radford University should have no problem completing their Honors requirements. Note, however, that students who take the minimum 6 credit hours of Honors Core Curriculum courses would be required to contract the maximum 15 credit hours in their major and complete a 6 credit hour Capstone Project.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Honors Academy if you have questions about staying on track.

Freshman Year (Fall Semester): Take Core 103 and one or two other Honors Core Curriculum classes if possible.

Freshman Year (Spring Semester): Take one or two Honors Core Curriculum classes. Meet with a graduate assistant advisor to fill out an Honors Plan of Study. The Plan of Study is a form that allows you to plan which classes you are going to take to complete the Core Curriculum and which classes you will contract in your major. This form needs to be completed and signed by your Academic Department Chair and turned back into the Honors Academy. Note: You must maintain a 3.2 cummulative GPA in all courses by the end of freshman year.

Sophomore Year: Take one or two Honors Core Curriculum classes each semester to fulfill remaining requirements. Even if you hit the number of credits you need in the Honors Core Curriculum, you are more than welcome to take the classes that you would otherwise need to complete to the Core Curriculum. Depending on your major and course-load, you might start contracting your classes. For more information, check out the "Contracts" link. Note: You must maintain a 3.3 cummulative GPA in all courses by the end of sophomore year.

Junior Year (Fall Semester): If you haven't already, you should begin to contracting one or two classes that are in your major each semester. Begin to think about which of your professors you would like to work with on your capstone. Continue taking Honors Core Curriculum classes if you want or need to do so.

*** Education Majors: Since you will be blocking/student teaching your senior year, you need to begin working on your capstone the Fall semester of your Junior year - at the latest!

Juniors Year (Spring Semester):  Find a faculty mentor and begun discussing capstone project ideas. Meet with Dr. King or Dr. Christensen to dicuss the capstone project (for more information, view the link "Capstone Project"). You must also submit a 488 proposal for approval by your department and Department Curriculum Committee in order to register for their capstone (DEPT 488) course. You can sign up for the 488 credits either in the fall or spring semester (dependent upon when you are doing a majority of your work). Have everything ready to go before you leave for the summer if you will be working on it in the fall semester.  Note: You must maintain a 3.4 cummulative GPA in all courses by the end of junior year. Continue contracting one or two courses in your major.

Senior Year: Turn in your capstone paperwork (if you haven't already done so!) and begin working on your project.  You must present your project at the annual Undergraduate Research Forum in April or another approved professional meeting. Attend the Honors Academy spring banquet and look great in your Highlander Scholar stole!!! Note: You must maintain a 3.5 cummulative GPA in all courses by the time you graduate.