University Honors is the highest recognition awarded by Lindenwood University at graduation. It is announced at commencement and recipients wear purple Honors cords at graduation ceremonies. Whether you are applying to graduate programs or embarking on your first careers, University Honors will set you apart. It will distinguish you because it signals your initiative, perseverance, and engagement. Be sure to list University Honors on your resume and highlight it in job or graduate school applications and letters!

Membership is by application only. Students must be formally admitted to Lindenwood University to apply for admission to the Honors Academy. Students with cumulative GPAs of 3.5 or above are eligible to apply:

• First-Time Students (FTS) with cumulative high school GPAs of 3.5 or above;
• Transfer students with cumulative college GPAs of 3.5 or above;
• Current/returning students with cumulative college GPAs of 3.5 or above. Current students also need a minimum of four semesters left to degree to allow for time to complete the 24 Honors credit hours required for University Honors.

• Priority course registration
• Honors courses
• Access to the LARC Honors Lounge
• Honors Learning Communities
• Recognition at Honors Cord Ceremony
• University Honors at graduation
• University Honors on transcripts and diplomas

Maintain a cumulative college GPA of 3.5 or higher. Complete Honors courses or courses for Honors credit at a pace needed to graduate with University Honors (at least 24 Honors credit hours by graduation). Examples: If you began at Lindenwood as a first-year student and have earned a total of 60 credit hours toward your university degree, you should have also already earned at least 12 Honors credit hours. If you are a transfer student with four semesters to graduation, plan on completing 6 or more Honors credit hours every semester.

To graduate with University Honors, Honors Academy members must earn at least 24 Honors credit hours at various course levels (at least 12 Honors credit hours must be earned from 300- and/or 400-level courses) and maintain a cumulative university GPA of 3.5 or higher.

For transfer students, the 24 Honors credit hours may include up to 12 credit hours of Honors transfer credit. Acceptance of transfer credit is at the discretion of the Honors Academy.

The above reflects the 2021-2022 University Catalog of Entry.

Honors Academy members can earn Honors credit hours in one or both of the following ways:

• In Honors-designated courses, which are open to Honors Academy members only, students are automatically enrolled for Honors credit. Students must earn final grades of A or B to receive Honors credit hours in these courses.
• Any undergraduate course can be enhanced for Honors credit with the permission of the instructor. Students and instructors agree on projects that enhance courses and make them equivalent to Honors courses. Students complete Honors Course Agreements and email them to the Honors Academy by midterms. Students complete Honors-enhanced projects and earn final course grades of A to earn Honors credit hours in these courses.

HLCs are an amazing opportunity for outstanding students to engage in a personalized and enhanced learning experience. HLCs are clusters of two or three courses open only to Honors Academy members. They are taught by award-winning faculty members.

Honors-designated courses are designed for and open only to Honors Academy members. They are a wonderful way to create a community with other Honors students and to work with award-winning professors in small classes.

Deciding on which courses to complete for Honors credit gives students the opportunity to design their own Honors journey. Honors students can take courses inside and/or outside of their majors according to their interests. This means that as long as at least 12 Honors credit hours of the required 24 are earned at the 300- and 400-level classes, students choose the courses’ subject matter.

The 24 Honors credit hours required for graduating with University Honors may include up to 12 credit hours of Honors transfer credit. Acceptance of transfer credit is at the discretion of the Honors Academy Be sure these courses are clearly marked as such on your transcripts and contact the Honors Academy for approval.

Aside from having to earn at least 12 credit hours of upper-level courses (300- and 400-level), any undergraduate course can be completed for Honors credit with the permission of the course instructor. This flexibility allows students to personalize their Honors Journeys according to their interests. Honors students are also encouraged to find faculty mentors in their majors who can help them design their Honors Journeys.

Earn at least 24 Honors credit hours at various course levels (at least 12 Honors credit hours must be earned from 300- and/or 400-level courses). Maintain a cumulative college GPA of 3.5 or higher. Complete Honors courses or courses for Honors credit at a pace needed to graduate with University Honors (at least 24 Honors credit hours by graduation). Examples: If you began at Lindenwood as a first-year student and have earned a total of 60 credit hours toward your university degree, you should have also already earned at least 12 Honors credit hours. If you are a transfer student with four semesters to graduation, plan on earning at least 6 Honors credit hours each semester.

The academic year of your university catalog of entry is listed in your Student Portal. This is usually the academic year in which you began your studies at Lindenwood University. View current and archived university catalogs.