about the honors college

excelere ultra

“to excel beyond” – that’s the motto our honors college students have chosen to designate our mission. students in the honors college have already proven their ability to excel beyond the expectations of the academy, and we want to catalyze that spirit of academic adventure! as a part of the lipscomb honors college, our students “excel beyond” – academically, spiritually, in service, in research, and in just having fun!

a unique, faith-based honors curriculum 

our liberal arts heritage curriculum exposes students to the liberal arts, which form the foundation of the tradition of the academy. in addition to our attention to the great ideas, thinkers, writers, and philosophers of our history, we explore the christian intellectual tradition, to examine how a biblical worldview may address our society’s most wicked problems. 

outside-the-box learning

honors courses go beyond the standard lecture course to convey knowledge. our curriculum targets experiences that capitalize on unique didactic strategies, particularly with small, discussion-based or project-based classes, global learning, and service-learning. we also provide students with the opportunity to compete for prestigious scholarships like the fulbright award that can extend an immersive educational experience in a different culture.

deeper engagement 

students in the lipscomb honors college take courses in the liberal arts heritage curriculum, in which they explore the ancient world, the modern world, literature, the sciences, society & perspectives, and faith & reason. although these courses provide general education credit, they invite our students to excel beyond the typical gen ed curriculum, with content typically covered by majors in the respective disciplines these courses cover. class sizes are smaller with greater access to the world-class honors faculty who teach them. and learning pedagogies in these courses are cutting-edge and engaging. 

a focus on the liberal arts

in the tradition of the academy, liberal arts are the subjects that one was expected to have mastered to be considered an “educated person.” the word “liberal” connotes that such education liberates one from the constraints implied by a lack of education; the liberal arts liberate a person to be the fullest expression of themselves. the liberal arts can be contrasted with the servile arts (primarily trade-based knowledge) and share common ground with the fine arts (knowledge for creative and artistic expression). although different classification schemes exist, the liberal arts originated with the trivium, consisting of rhetoric, grammar, and logic – with the quadrivium of astronomy, arithmetic, geometry, and music added later. in modern usage, the liberal arts are usually understood to mean the humanities, sciences, mathematics, social sciences, and fine arts that form many general education curricula at higher education institutions. 

the lipscomb liberal arts heritage curriculum allows students to explore the liberal arts through six core areas of study: the ancient world, the modern world, literature, the sciences, society & perspectives, and faith & reason. 
 

dedicated honors courses

in addition to the courses in the liberal arts heritage curriculum required for graduation from the honors college, we offer dedicated honors general education courses in lipscomb experience, bible, english, the sciences, communication, and engagements. these courses offer in-depth, discussion-based, and experiential learning opportunities with lipscomb’s outstanding honors faculty.
 

honors housing

honors college freshmen may elect honors housing, a block of rooms on a specific floor of the freshman dormitories. while your immediate neighbors will be fellow honors college students, you’ll also live with other non-honors freshmen allowing you to build a strong campus community. additionally, we are piloting a program that provides honors housing for juniors and seniors in one of our newest dorms.
 

advance registration

honors college students enjoy priority registration for courses, so you can be sure you’ll get the courses you need to stay on track!

activities and events

we host a wide variety of activities and events both on- and off-campus throughout the year. join us for international dinner night, movies on the lawn, a trip to see the nashville symphony, or broadway shows that come to town. you’ll also enjoy stimulating lectures, poetry readings, and other intellectually satisfying events.

opportunities for leadership

we have an active honors student council that leads our academic, social, spiritual, and service endeavors. membership on the council is an excellent opportunity to develop leadership skills that follow you for years to come!

opportunities for service

lipscomb honors college students have a heart for service, and we find and develop many opportunities both on- and off-campus to serve our community. the service committee of the honors council offers several such opportunities each semester.

undergraduate research support

the honors college offers financial support on an application basis for research, including support for projects and travel support to present research at national and international conferences. learn more about undergraduate research.

post-graduate scholarship support

our students are very likely to go on to graduate school or even become a fullbright scholar abroad.  many scholarships are available and our staff offers the guidance and support to make your future goals a reality.  see our competitive scholarships page for more information.

student mentoring program

peer-to-peer mentoring is priceless as a student moves through everything from choosing courses to managing stress/perfectionism, spiritual growth and setting professional goals.  we pair upperclassmen with younger students to help guide them through four years in honors college. 

the honors house

our students love to study, converse, play, and just “hang out” in the honors house – a home away from home! 

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in addition to the mentoring opportunities we provide, we sponsor a breakout chapel for honors college students, and we enjoy worship evenings together on the honors house lawn. learn more about 世界杯2022世界杯时间 at 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 .

if you’re a new student applying to lipscomb, just check the box on your application to indicate your interest in the honors college. current students may contact the program director to begin the application process to apply.

for new students, admission to the honors college requires a high-school gpa of 3.85 or above; along with a minimum act score of 28, or a minimum sat score of 1310. transfer students who bring a strong academic record from their previous institution are also eligible. and we make exceptions for exceptional students with other notable qualifications! just honors [at] lipscomb.edu (contact us) if you have concerns about admissions requirements. 

current students with a lipscomb gpa of 3.5 or above may apply for admission to the honors college. two letters of recommendation from lipscomb professors are required.

graduation from the honors college requires a minimum 3.5 gpa. graduation as an honors scholar requires completion of the liberal arts heritage curriculum, and graduation as an honors fellow requires completion of the liberal arts heritage curriculum and an honors thesis.

the liberal arts heritage curriculum recognizes an expectation that honors college students are engaged across the academic and intellectual spectrum, and so offers the opportunity for in-depth exploration of disciplines outside one’s chosen major. many honors college students matriculate at lipscomb having already satisfied a significant portion of a standard general education curriculum, so the liberal arts heritage curriculum invites them to a methodical exposure to the significant thoughts, ideas, and problems covered in many “great books” or “great ideas” programs.

in short, honors college students emerge with a well-grounded liberal arts education by satisfying six liberal arts heritage cores, selecting courses that address: the ancient world and the modern world (history, politics, and philosophy), literature (english and modern languages), the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, space science), society & perspectives (social sciences, psychology, law, economics, diverse perspectives), and faith & reason (ethics, vocation, religion). 

the curriculum specifics:

download pdf

often, we meet prospective students who are reluctant to apply for the honors college because their honors experience in high school meant simply that they did more work than non-honors students. at lipscomb, that’s not the objective. lipscomb honors courses may well be more challenging, more intellectually engaging, and certainly more in-depth, but they’re not just more work. they’ll invite you to excel beyond an ordinary approach to education – to learn to educate yourself – to be an independent critical thinker ready to tackle the wicked problems we all face.