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Honors Program


About the Honors Program


Unique General Education Courses:

Honors courses fulfill general education requirements but are specifically designed for honors students and differ from "regular" college courses. Examples include:

  • A history class that approaches American history through the lens of popular songs.

  • An economics course in which students create an economic development plan for the city of Lebanon and present it to local leaders.

  • A world politics course in which students put the president of Sudan on trial for genocide in Darfur.
  • A psychology course in which students review, critique, and edit Wikipedia pages on psychology topics.
  • An English course that incorporates computer software and hardware to facilitate an analysis of writing in the digital age.

Honors Thesis:

Students complete the program with an honors thesis, usually in their major field. Students work with a faculty mentor when researching and writing the thesis, and the program culminates with a public presentation of the honors thesis to the campus community.


Opportunities Beyond the Classroom:

  • Honors students are elected to the Honors Council and help develop all aspects of the program, including program requirements, honors courses, and social events.
  • Honors students attend cultural events like the St. Louis Speaker Series or shows at the Fox Theater.
  • Honors students present research at conferences like the Mideast Honors Association Conference.
  • Honors students register for courses prior to other students in their class.
  • Honors students have greater access to speakers and other VIPs that visit the campus.

Program Requirements:

To maintain eligibility and complete the program, all honors students must enroll in at least one honors course per semester, earn at least a C in each honors course, maintain at least an overall GPA of 3.3, and complete at least 16 credit hours in the honors program, including four hours for the honors thesis.


Admission Information:

  • All incoming high school students with at least a 3.75 GPA are eligible to apply for the honors program.
  • Transfer students may apply to the program director to enroll in the honors program; they should submit a letter of recommendation from a faculty or staff member at their previous institution or at McKendree and must have at least a 3.0 college GPA or be a member of a recognized honor society at their previous institution.