The "Honors Experience" is designed to promote a continuous learning environment, making optimum use of our outstanding faculty, campus facilities, and the numerous resources available in the Washington, D.C. area and abroad. Our students enjoy small classes, proven instructors, cultural events, a wide range of social activities and the option of living in Honors housing. Our students' experiences are centered on their engagement with our faculty both inside and outside of the classroom, interaction with political, economic and media leaders and involvement in cutting-edge scientific research. AU’s applicant pool for Fall 2008 was the most academically accomplished in our history. Simultaneously, efforts have been made to decrease the size of our Honors program, with the aim of increasing the overall quality of the Honors experience. Hence, competition for a position in the Honors program among our admitted class was extremely rigorous, with invitations typically extended to the top 15% of the admitted class. Please be aware that students who perform at a high standard in their freshman year at AU do have the opportunity to nominate themselves for consideration in the Honors program for the following year.
Honors Cheat sheet - A brief summary of the main features of the Honors program.
Ghost credits - Students in the Honors program are given 10 "Ghost" credits when registering for classes, allowing them to register for classes earlier than their non-honors counterparts.
Honors floors - Floors reserved within some residence halls reserved for Honors students.
Honors Colloqiua - These classes are typically taught only one semester by faculty with a specific interest in the subject. They usually cover much more specific topics than regular classes.
Honors sections - Some classes have Honors sections, which guarantee class sizes under 20 (a great perk) and more challenging coursework. Changes to the coursework could include an additional book for required reading or a faster pace that allows the class to cover more material. Sometimes the difference between Honors and regular sections is quite minimal, however.
Honors 101 - Led by their older peers in the Honors program, first-year students are divided into groups of a dozen or so to go on trips into D.C. See some sights and make a friend or two.
Cake day! - Held about once a month, cake days are afternoon affairs organized for meeting new honors students or professors. Cake is served.
Capstones - A large senior year research project is required to graduate with Honors.
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