AP Equivalency Credit (How do your AP scores transfer to CSU as credits?)

IB Equivalency Credit (How do your IB scores transfer to CSU as credits?)

Visit the following link to determine which university classes you may receive credit for based on your IB exam scores: https://registrar.colostate.edu/international-baccalaureate-ib/

Track 1 Requirements

• HONR 192, Honors First Year Seminar (4 credits)
• HONR 193, Honors Seminar (3 credits) 
• HONR 292, Honors Sophomore Seminar (3 credits) 
• HONR 392, Honors Seminar (3 credits) 
• HONR 492, Honors Senior Seminar (3 credits) 
• Honors course in the major (200 or 300 level) (3 credits) 
• Honors course in the major (300 or 400 level) (3 credits) 
• HONR 399, Honors Pre-Thesis (1 credit) 
• HONR 499, Senior Honors Thesis (3 credits)

Track 2 Requirements

Track 1 or Track 2 – How to Decide?

Both Honors tracks are excellent; one is not “better” than the other. As all incoming first year students will take the same first semester seminar (HONR192), you have some time to decide which track is best for you. One of the most important factors in your decision is how much AP/IB/college credit you anticipate you will have in the Liberal Arts/Social Science areas (18 credits) of the AUCC when you enter CSU.

Track 1:
Track 1 students satisfy many of the University’s core requirements by taking five Honors seminars, two Honors courses in their major, a pre-thesis class and a senior Honors thesis. When completed, the Honors core satisfies 18 credits in the following categories of the AUCC:

• 1A Intermediate Writing (CO 150 College Composition) (3 cr.)
• 1C Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (3 cr.)
• 3B Arts/Humanities (6 cr.)
• 3C Social/Behavioral Sciences (3 cr.)
• 3D Historical Perspectives (3 cr.)

The seminars are spread out over four years (two the first year and one each year after that); they are interdisciplinary, small, and discussion-based.

Track 2:

Track 2 was designed for students who enter the Honors Program after the first year (either as transfer students or CSU currently enrolled students). It also accommodates first-year students who have at least 30 incoming AP, IB, or college credits before entering CSU. Track 2 consists of a 4-credit first year Honors seminar, a 3 credit second year Honors seminar, 15 credits of Honors courses in the major/discipline (12 credits must be from upper division (300-400) level courses), a 1-credit pre-thesis class, and a 3-credit senior honors thesis.

Track 2 students fulfill remaining AUCC curriculum requirements by completing courses in those categories.

First year students with 30+ AP/IB/dual enrollment credits

Since all incoming first year students are required to take the first semester Honors seminar required for both tracks, that decision is not made until fall semester or later. Students who would like to discuss whether Track 2 might be an appropriate path for them should make an appointment to meet with an honors advisor later in the first or second semester of their first year.

Honors Advising at Ram Orientation

As an Honors student, you will have two academic advisers at Ram Orientation: one adviser from the Honors Program and one adviser from your college. Together, your advisers will help you create a schedule of approximately 15-18 credits (usually four to six courses).

Step 1: Attend the Honors Presentation
Attend the Honors presentation for an overview of the Honors program and registration.

Step 2: Meet with your College Representative(s)
Attend the college advising session for your major. Your college adviser will recommend appropriate courses for your major and answer any questions you may have about the major. Your college representative will normally give you a list of suggested courses.

Step 3: Register for Classes
In some cases, Honors students register with their college advisors. Other colleges prefer that their Honors students register with the Honors staff. Normally, all students from the colleges of Engineering, and Business will register with us, as well as most of the College of Natural Science majors (except for Physics, Data Science, Chemistry, and Statistics). We also register Health and Exercise Science majors. Exploratory Studies students can choose to register with Honors or with their Exploratory Studies advisor.

Step 4: Follow Up
We will review every honors student schedule after you have completed registration, and if we have any questions or concerns, we will email you.

Things to think about before you register:

• Are you in the right major? If you want to change majors, let us know immediately.
• Although you cannot declare a second major or a minor at Orientation, you can plan for it. It is a good idea to choose at least one course that will satisfy a major/minor requirement rather than a free elective.
• If you have room in your schedule for a foreign language, you might want to consider building on a language you started in high school or learning a new one. Foreign language is NOT required at CSU for most majors but learning a foreign language can help prepare you for living in a global society.
• If you are not a morning person, try to avoid 8 a.m. classes!
• As tempting as it may be to have all your classes in the morning, four or five hours of classes in a row may not be the best idea when your stomach starts growling around 11:30. One or two hours of back-to-back classes is ok, but build in a break to keep your sanity.
• We suggest between 15-18 credits for the first semester for two reasons. First, you will be more likely to manage your time wisely if you’re busy. Second, a full schedule gives you some flexibility if you decide to drop a class but want to retain full-time status (12 credits) which is usually necessary to keep your scholarships. Students are not able to register for more than 18 credits at CSU without credit overload approval. We will be happy to approve credit overloads after the first semester, but generally are not willing to do that for your first semester.
• If you plan to be involved in band, sports, etc., tell your advisors. You will need to allow time for practice.

Advising and Registration Guidelines for Honors First Year Students

• Complete the Online Orientation Modules, starting with the Welcome Module. Do not skip over anything;
  it’s all important (especially the information about classes and registration).
• Take any Placement Exams that are appropriate for your major. Honors students do NOT need to take the Composition Placement Exam, but all students will need to complete the Math Placement Tool unless they
  have AP/IB/college math credit on their transcripts when they are ready to register. If you have taken the AP/IB math exams this year, the scores will probably not be in yet. If you took the exam last year and your scores have been sent to CSU, they MAY be on your transcript. You can check to see if that is the case by going to Ramweb and clicking the link for Transfer Courses or Unofficial Transcript. Math credit will show up in both places, assuming you score was high enough for transfer credit to be awarded. You do not need to take the Foreign Language Placement Exam unless you are planning to continue a language that you started in high school and you do not have (or expect) any college credit for that language.
• You will also need to complete the “Registration Ready” steps on RamWeb before you can proceed with registration. Do not worry about the advising code—you will receive that when you are ready to register.
• You must register for one of the sections of HONR 192 (4 credits). The seminars include two components: the instructor-led session, and a weekly 50-minute peer mentor-led section. You must register for both components.
• Do not enroll in general education requirements that are fulfilled by Track 1 (Intermediate Writing,
  Arts/Humanities, Social/Behavioral Sciences, Historical Perspectives, and Diversity and Global Awareness) unless they are required by your major (or second major or minor) or you are genuinely interested in those subjects as electives.
• Enroll in courses that fulfill your remaining general education (AUCC) requirements in areas not fulfilled by Track 1 (such as Quantitative Reasoning, Biological/Physical Sciences) unless you have approved transfer credits in these areas.
• Register for at least one required course in your major.
• Consider taking elective courses in your areas of interest or exploratory courses to see if you might be
  interested in a second major or minor.
• Register for a full load (15 to 18 credits).
• Register for an Honors section of a major course (in addition to HONR 192) if an Honors section is
  available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Benefits of the Honors Program

• Receive a world class education without paying more tuition.
• A public ivy education which includes small Honors sections, one-on-one professional interaction with faculty, a community of support, and a “home away from home” in the Honors Residential Learning Communities.
• Individual attention and advising from the Honors staff to give you the information you need and to make you feel welcome.
• An emphasis on rigorous literate activities (e.g., formal, and informal writing, formal and informal speaking, critical reading, and analytical thinking) so that you will become knowledgeable and articulate graduates of Colorado State University.
• An Honors curriculum, with small Honors classes, Honors seminars, Honors courses in the major, and a senior year creative activity, that fulfills requirements instead of adding to your workload.
• Outstanding peers from all majors who value education, engage in campus activities, and may become your best friends.
• Priority registration for classes so you obtain the course schedule that works best for you.
• Renewable merit scholarships for Honors students who maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and meet Honors Program requirements.
• Additional (limited) Honors scholarships are available for junior and senior year students.
• Leadership, research, service, and study abroad opportunities in addition to Honors enrichment awards

Honors Ram Welcome