How do I become a Member?

Admission to the Honors Program at Ouachita can occur in two ways.  Each year, entering freshmen with a 3.5 High School GPA and a 27 ACT (or equivalent on the SAT) are invited to join.  In addition, students who have earned a 3.5 OBU GPA in fifteen hours or more after their first semester in residence at Ouachita are also invited to join. 

What are the Requirements to Complete the Program?

In addition to keeping a continual 3.5 GPA, students may graduate as with the distinction of an honors program student by successfully completing the following:

CORE Honors Classes

During the fall and spring semesters, select CORE courses are designated for students entering the Honors Program.  These courses are organized in a way to create special learning activities for the students enrolled.  Entering freshman are required to take at least one CORE Honors class.  These courses have included Honors sections of Contemporary World, Introduction to the Liberal Arts, Composition I and II, Bible Survey and Bible Interpretation. 

Honors Seminars

Who would like to take a course in the After Life, World War II, the 1980s, the history of film, China, Race and Racism, the history of archeology, or the human genome project?  These and many more topics are offered through the Honors Seminars at Ouachita.

The one-hour seminars are designed to give honor students a study in some exciting and interesting topics that are not ordinarily offered in the Ouachita curriculum.  Each semester, faculty members offer these weekly seminars that integrate two or more academic disciplines.  Honors students must take at least two of these seminars.

Directed Study

This one-hour course offers the opportunity for study in areas that are of particular interest to you.  A student may select the faculty member under whom he or she wishes to study.  This course usually involves a series of readings and of research by the student and the professor with a one-hour meeting once a week to discuss the information.  Often the directed study is directly related to the subject that a student wishes to pursue with his or her senior thesis.

Honors Thesis

The thesis is the crowning achievement for students participating in the Honors Program.  Working with three professors, you will research and create an in-depth study of a topic of special interest to you.  This study is conducted over a period of two to three semesters.  Once completed the thesis is presented to other Honors students at Senior Colloquia in the fall semester or during Scholars Day in the spring.  Sometimes faculty members work with their students to have the thesis published in scholarly journals of magazines.

What Other Activies are Involved with the Program?

HONORS RETREAT

Each year, members of the Honors Program travel as a group to interesting destinations in our region.  This is a wonderful opportunity to become acquainted with other members of the program and with members of the faculty Honors Council.  Some past retreats have included historic Jefferson, Texas, canoeing on the scenic Buffalo River, museum and historic sites in Memphis, Tennessee, and the Clinton Presidential Library.

SCHOLARS' DAY

In April, the Honors Program hosts a stimulating event on Ouachita’s campus.  Scholars' Day brings the campus community together to hear and experience the academic work completed by Ouachita students.  Students from every academic school participate in this event where papers and poems are read, research and artwork are presented, and musical performances are given.  During Scholars' Day, senior honor students also present their honors theses.

“DINNER AND A PROF”

Once each year, all members of the Honors Program meet over dinner to hear about the research of a professor on campus.  Not only does this professor talk about her or his latest work, but she or he also shares with the students what it is like to be a professor in that field of study.  This is a fascinating way to learn more about the life of the mind.

What Will the Program do for Me?

The Honors Program will give you broadening academic experiences not available to all Ouachita students.  These experiences, academic and social, allow you to join a community of scholars, many of whom will become life-long friends.  It also provides a means by which you can study subjects of specific interest to you.  Through special courses, activities, scholarships and even travel-study opportunities, the Carl Goodson Honors Program can enrich your time at Ouachita in memorable ways.