Honors at Radford University is an academic program and vibrant community defined by intellectual curiosity and active engagement in the educational process. In turn, these qualities are expected to result in the pursuit of excellence in one's scholarly and creative activities.

Honors students are selected in a competitive application process. Students admitted to the Honors College are eligible for a number of benefits, including enrollment in honors classes, honors housing, honors programming, honors advising. and a study abroad scholarship. Students who complete the 27-credit hour honors curriculum graduate as Highlander Honors Scholars, the highest academic distinction for Radford undergraduates. Students who complete the 15-credit honors curriculum graduate with the Highlander Honors Distinction. These achievements appear on the student’s diploma and are recognized with special regalia at graduation.

The Honors College at Radford University is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council, the Southern Regional Honors Council and the Virginias Collegiate Honors Council.

Honors College in the News

  1. Radford, SWCC enter honors transfer agreement »

    11/8/2023

    Representatives from Radford University and Southwest Virginia Community College signed a transfer agreement on Nov. 3 that will guarantee admission into Radford’s prestigious Honors College for qualified SWCC honors students.

  2. Highlanders in the News: Week of May 8, 2023 »

    5/12/2023

    This week in Highlanders in the News: The 110th Spring Commencement ceremonies and its graduates hit the papers; “Mountain Stage” executive producer Adam Harris ’05 helps public radio’s venerable music show celebrate its big 4-0; Professor of Psychology Niels Christensen is a guest of “honors” on the “Alma Matters” podcast; and Jon Murrill, M.F.A. ’12, paints the town (or at least a part of Vinton, Virginia).

  3. Students Share Highlander Spirit in Richmond on Advocacy Day »

    2/3/2023

    A tradition that is in its 23rd year, Advocacy Day allows students to share the importance of their state-supported education with General Assembly members, and to ask elected representatives to consider voting for legislation that would benefit the university.

  4. Philosophy professor to examine ‘monsterology’ in Honors Lecture »

    2/15/2022

    Stephen T. Asma, a professor of philosophy at Columbia College in Chicago, will be the guest speaker at the annual Honors Lecture on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at Radford University. Asma’s talk, “Thinking about Monsters: A Philosophy of Horror and Vulnerability,” is scheduled for 4 p.m. in the Bonnie Hurlburt Student Center auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

  5. Wicked Festival presenters take on tough issues »

    12/8/2021

    The inaugural Wicked Festival brought together almost 100 students from courses in political science, philosophy, peace studies and Appalachian studies to present their possible solutions for persistent public problems, also known as wicked problems.