Honors Tracks

All Honors students join a research or creative performance track. Track courses provide many-sided reflection on social issues and problems, and/or intellectual or scientific issues and problems. The courses develop sophisticated and complex problem solving skills necessary to do deep research or sophisticated creative projects.

Each track begins with one or two courses that develop the background knowledge necessary to exercise deep thinking about social, intellectual, scientific and creative projects. There also is a course in research methods (or creative methods) in which students develop literature reviews necessary to understand data, describe results, and to develop or design a project. In the senior year, each student develops and presents an individual project in a two-semester thesis sequence. The requirements of each track can be found in the track descriptions. Choosing a track is a big part of determining the kind of thesis the student will complete.

The Honors College requires all students to pursue a disciplinary major and an Honors track. The track may parallel the major, relate to the major, or be very different from the major. Different tracks have different requirements, and students are encouraged to speak with the track directors before applying to a track.

There are currently eleven Honors tracks. Each track is directed by a faculty member who determines the appropriate courses for the track, admits students, and guides the students through the track and thesis project.

Honors students must apply to an Honors Track and be accepted to it by the start of their junior year in order to be in good standing in the Honors College. Transfer students enter a track before the start of their junior year or in their second semester at WP. Students must earn a WP cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher before they can apply to a track. Some tracks require that a student be in a specific major. Some tracks are not open to transfer students or online only students.Tracks have a certain capacity and can fill. Students not currently enrolled in the Honors College must first apply to the Honors College before they apply to an Honors track.

Track Directors

Track Directors run individual tracks, mentor many of the Honors students, and help determine the College's curriculum requirements and oversee its mission.