Dutile Honors Program at SBU
The Gordon & Judy Dutile Honors program offers you an enriching academic and social environment where intellectuals, self learners, and motivated thinkers can thrive. Become part of a community of academically driven peers and take part in an experience that will challenge you to grow personally and professionally.
Become an Honors Scholar
Participate in discussion-based honors courses designed around autonomous learning and that extend beyond the standard curriculum.
Apply your classroom studies to understanding the world around you through cultural events and learning outside of the classroom. Recent trips include the Kansas City Symphony, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
While in the honors program, you ll network and professionally develop through the Ozarks Technical College Honors Conference and Great Plains Honors Council Conference. Finally, when you graduate, it will be with the recognition as a Dutile Honors Scholar.
"The Honors Program at SBU has immersed me in a number of cultural experiences and
has granted me with a more diverse way of thinking. Faculty is a great source of help
in obtaining goals whether they be academically or personally. It is the backbone
of my experience at SBU."
Paige Dillon
Honors Program Student
"The Honors Program at SBU has immersed me in a number of cultural experiences and
has granted me with a more diverse way of thinking. Faculty is a great source of help
in obtaining goals whether they be academically or personally. It is the backbone
of my experience at SBU."
Paige Dillon
Honors Program Student
The Honors College Experience
Explore groundbreaking curriculum on topics like Conspiracy Theories, History of the Early American Suffragists, The Nature of Innovation, Environmental Ethics, and Technology and Culture.
Plan ahead for your Honors Capstone, an independent study project that each honors student completes under the supervision of a faculty member. A capstone can be disciplinary, directly related to your major or interdisciplinary.
Expect 3–5 additional credit hours on top of your other degree requirements. These include two one hour honors colloquiums and the Honors Capstone project, which can be 1–3 credit hours.
Join a legacy of self learners who advance their knowledge beyond their classroom topics and get exclusive access to network with honors alumni and with fellow honors students at other colleges.
How to Apply to the SBU Honors Program
The SBU Honors Program is an invitation only application process. Qualifying high school seniors and transfers will be invited to attend Scholars Day to compete for additional scholarships. Scholars Day will serve as a student s interview for the Honors Program if they desire to be considered for the program.
The Scholars Day competition is comprised of an essay, interview, and application. Students desiring to be considered for the Honors Program will indicate this on their application.
Students are guaranteed an additional scholarship for participating in Scholars Day and will be notified two weeks after the event of their scholarship amount and if they have been accepted into the Honors Program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility criteria for first-time freshmen include:
- 28+ ACT, 1230+ SAT (verbal and quantitative), or 86+ CLT test score
- 3.5+ high school GPA
Applicants must first complete an application for admission to SBU. Eligible students will then receive a Scholars Day application and will attend Scholars Day. Selection is limited to 1<% of the freshman cohort and includes consideration of high school student s leadership, scholarship and service, as well as their Scholars Day essay and interview
For most honors students, there are only three to five extra credit hours in addition to their other degree requirements. These include two one hour honors colloquiums and the Honors Capstone project, which can be 1–3 credit hours. Honors courses are not designed to be more difficult; however, they are designed with an Honors Scholar in mind. The format of the class and the teaching style of the professor stimulates discussion and challenges students to apply higher order thinking skills.
Students who have completed fewer than 30 credit hours when they enter SBU will take the traditional honors track. Students who have completed 30 or more credit hours will take the accelerated honors track. Both tracks will complete 15 – 20% of their SBU curriculum in honors coursework. Both tracks take the Honors Core. Traditional track takes at least 12 hours of Honors Electives. Accelerated Track takes at least 6 hours of Honors Electives.
Honors Core:
- Honors University Seminar (HON 1111)
- Honors Introduction to Critical Thinking (HON 1121)
- Honors Intro to Fine Arts (HON
- At least two hours selected from Honors Colloquium (HON 3771), Honors Reading Symposium (HON 2661), and/or Honors Journal Club (HON 2771)
- Honors Capstone (HON 4771)
Honors Electives:
- Honors New Testament History (HON 1223)
- HON Old Testament History (HON 1213)
- HON U.S. History (HON 2013)
- HON American Government (HON 1013)
- HON Composition (HON 1123)
- HON Fundamentals of Speech (HON 2213)
- HON Life Economics (HON 2003)
- HON Service Learning (HON 3883)
- HON Colloquium (HON 3771)
- HON Reading Symposium (HON 2661)
- HON Journal Club (HON 2771)