Honors Program

Goals of the Program:

The School of Agriculture established an Honors Program in 1988 with the goal of providing extra opportunities and challenges for students who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishment in their chosen field. The Honors Program provides an opportunity for a student to pursue an independent line of study that is of particular interest to them. With the guidance of a faculty mentor, you would carry out an honors project and prepare a written report of your findings. In recent years, most projects have involved laboratory, greenhouse, or field research into some facet of horticultural plants, but other scholarly, creative activities also may be acceptable.

Honors Program Admission, Retention, and Completion Criteria:

0. You must have a Graduation Index of 3.25 at the time of application.
1. You must have completed 32 credits at Purdue (West Lafayette campus).
2. After admission to the program, you must complete at least 30 credit hours in residence at Purdue (West Lafayette campus). This includes credits completed in the semester in which you apply for admission.
3. While in the Honors Program, you must achieve a Semester Index of 3.00 each semester.
4. You must submit acceptable written documentation pertaining to your Honors Project.

How to Apply to the Program:

If you satisfy the above criteria, you will be contacted by Professor Robert Joly, coordinator of the Honors Program, and encouraged to apply. His role is to assist you in choosing a faculty mentor for your honors project. Considering your interests, he will suggest several faculty members who could best provide guidance and direction in your area. After talking with these individuals, you would decide with whom you'd like to work, and that person would serve as your mentor until the project is completed.

While You are Enrolled in the Program:

In the past, most students have worked on their project for two or three semesters, but some projects have had a longer lifetime. You would sign up for a variable number of credit hours (usually 2 to 4) of HORT 499H (Honors Thesis Research) during each semester that you are actively engaged in the project. Upon successfully completing your honors project, you will be entitled to receive an Honors Certificate at commencement, and your transcript will reflect that you were a participant in this program.