Description
The Honors Program offers an academically challenging program and financial support to highly qualified students seeking an enriched undergraduate education. Each year, 40-50 lower-division applicants and 20-25 juniors are admitted to the program. Students in the program must maintain an overall gpa of 3.5, enroll in special Honors general education courses, and complete augmented academic majors that offer the opportunity to work directly with faculty and to develop research and other intellectual and practical skills. Honors students receive special advising services and are encouraged to pursue intellectual challenges, to perform community service, to travel and to aspire to graduate and professional education.
Scholarship Opportunities: Renewable scholarships covering full tuition, books and academic fees will be offered to lower-division and upper-division-entry Honors Program students.
Who May Apply
First-year students
For lower-division students, the minimum criteria for admission include:
- 30 ACT composite score or above OR
- Comparable SAT total score (1300 or 1950) OR
- Top 10 percent of high-school class ranking
- Admission to Cleveland State University
- Submission of a written essay
Funding for Honors Scholarships comes from a variety of sources. To allow us to fund as many students as possible, we require that all students file a FAFSA.
Students are expected to complete a college preparatory curriculum in high school. High schools vary in the advanced courses they offer. Honors applicants are expected to complete the most rigorous curriculum available at their high school. Applicants who participate in the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Program are expected to have completed the standard high-school college preparatory curriculum in addition to their college work.
Preferred applicants will have four years of high school English; four years of high school mathematics including pre-calculus and in some cases calculus; at least three years of natural science, usually biology, physics and chemistry; at least three years of social science courses; three or more years of a foreign language; and additional classes in the visual or performing arts. There will be students admitted who have not met all of these criteria; however, it should be noted that a student without high school physics, for example, is generally not prepared for a college-level course in the subject.
A very small number of international students are admitted to the program each year. Successful applicants are exceptionally well-qualified.
The application for the Honors Program may be downloaded from the Honors website at www.csuohio.edu/honors/.
Juniors
Students applying to the Honors Program for admission as juniors must satisfy the following minimum criteria:
- 3.5 GPA or higher on college courses
- Admission to Cleveland State University
- Junior-level standing by fall of entry into program (60 semester credit hours completed)
- Submission of a written essay
Preferred applicants will be on track to graduate in two years. College transcripts will reflect a rigorous course of study both in the student's preferred major and in his or her choices for general education and elective courses. Students should have made good progress toward completion of general-education course requirements and lower-division prerequisites for courses in their major.
The application for the Honors Program may be downloaded from the Honors website at www.csuohio.edu/honors/Application Deadlines
Applicants entering as lower-division students are encouraged to apply by January 15. The Honors Program Admissions Committee reserves a limited number of spaces for exceptionally well-qualified students applying after January 15.
Applicants entering as juniors are encouraged to apply by February 28. Applicants who apply later will be considered based on academic excellence and space availability.
Curriculum
Universal Honors Experience: Students entering the Honors Program as lower-division students are required to complete a total of EIGHT Universal Honors Experience courses, of which four must be credit-bearing courses. Those entering as upper-division students must complete FOUR such courses, of which two must be credit-bearing courses. A range of Universal Honors Experience courses is offered each semester. These are designed to bring together students in the program and engage them in a variety of academic and recreational activities as a group.
Lower-Division Program: All Honors students who begin as entering first-year students will be required to take at least FOUR general education honors courses (16 credit hours). Students are strongly advised to complete these in their first two years at CSU. Honors general education courses are restricted to Honors and University Scholars students, are taught in small sections by outstanding members of the faculty, and are designed to give students a more challenging experience than a standard, introductory-level general education course. As an example, an honors history class first offered fall, 2004 - The History of Cleveland, the Last Fifty Years - explores the city’s past 50 years with the leaders and participants who experienced the events first-hand. These individuals will join the class to discuss their roles, giving students in the class the opportunity to become active participants in the discussions rather than just being listeners. Students find out what options city leaders had and why they chose certain paths and rejected others. In addition, the course uses the city’s myriad available resources to inform understanding of the key crises and opportunities the city faced and how it dealt with them.
Upper-Division Program: The honors experience for upper-division Honors students is tailored to the requirements of each student’s chosen major(s) and specific goals. Junior and senior Honors students’ courses are selected through consultation with faculty members in their major(s). Students develop an Honors Academic Plan Contract, which must be approved by their Honors Advisor and the Director of the Honors Program. Upper-division Honors students have the opportunity to do additional honors work under faculty supervision in established courses; enroll in graduate courses; participate in a faculty member’s research project or laboratory; complete an independent research project or a service learning project; and/or engage in an internship, co-op experience, or job. In some departments, students will also be encouraged to attend professional meetings.
Consult our Web site for the most current information: www.csuohio.edu/honors/.
Contact Information:
Dr. Peter Meiksins, Director
Cleveland State University Honors Program, MC 412
1899 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115-9897
Telephone: 216-687-5559
Departmental Programs
Students with high grade-point averages and a desire for academic challenge should be aware that several departments offer separate, departmental honors programs for their students. These include: Art; Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences; Economics; History; Modern Languages; Physics; Psychology; and Sociology. Details can be found in the program descriptions for these departments.
DescriptionThe University Scholars Program exists to provide additional scholastic opportunity to very talented students. Students who may want to participate in the Scholars Program include traditional students who took honors courses in high school, or students with high grade point averages or standardized exam scores. The University Scholars Program recognizes and rewards high-performing students. Upon successful completion of a rigorous Scholars curriculum, academic honors are listed on the student’s transcript and diploma. Scholars must meet several benchmarks to stay in the program. As a Scholar, a student has the opportunity to take more challenging courses, work directly with professors on scholarship-related projects, and enroll in special sections of designated courses. Opportunities for internship experiences will also be available for Scholars with certain majors.
Who May Apply
Students meeting any of the following criteria will be automatically invited to join the University Scholars Program:
- Top 10% high school class rank
- High school GPA of 3.5 or better
- 90th percentile on ACT exam (approximate score of 27 or greater)
- 90th percentile on SAT exam (critical reading and math combined score of 1300 or greater)
Students not automatically invited are encouraged to make application to the program. Transfer students may also apply to the program if they have fewer than 90 credit hours and can demonstrate that they can complete the upper division requirements for their major. A minimum cumulative 3.35 GPA from previous college-level work is required.
Scholarship Opportunities
While acceptance into the Scholars Program does not automatically include financial aid, many students in the program are awarded merit-based financial aid. Interested students should apply early each calendar year through the university’s financial aid office.
Lower-Division Program
The lower division portion of the Scholars Program must be completed before earning 60 credit hours at Cleveland State University. Students are expected to take two honors-designated general education courses. Incoming lower-division students must enroll in a special Scholars section of ASC 101 – Introduction to University Life. University Scholars students are expected to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25.
Upper Division Program
The upper division portion of the Scholars Program is completed after the student has completed 60 credit hours of university coursework. The upper division requirements vary by major; students can contact the Scholars advisor or their faculty advisor for details on the specific upper division requirements. Students are expected to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25.
Consult our Web site for the most current information: www.csuohio.edu/scholars
Contact Information:
Lauren A. Davis, M.Ed.
Cleveland State University Honors Program, MC 412
2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115-9897
Telephone: 216-687-5559
High School Programs
Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Program (PSEOP)
The Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Program (PSEOP) is a state-funded program which offers qualified high-school students the opportunity to gain valuable college life experience and earn credit while supplementing their high-school college preparatory curriculum during the fall and spring semesters. Cleveland State University believes that motivated and dedicated high-school students who participate in this program will profit immensely from the opportunity to interact with college students, faculty, and staff, and experience firsthand the benefits and advantages of a metropolitan university. PSEOP is intended to complement rather than replace the high-school college preparatory curriculum.
Admission to the PSEO program is based on the student's high-school grade performance and PSAT, SAT, PLAN, or ACT examination scores. Students who are admitted to PSEOP are eligible to enroll in courses for both high-school and college credit. Once enrolled at Cleveland State, PSEOP students are held to the same standards as regular undergraduate students and must maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 to continue in the program.
Admission Criteria
(for high school seniors, juniors and sophomores)
- 3.4 high school cumulative GPA
- Minimum PSAT scores of 52 or SAT scores of 520 on each section or minimum PLAN or ACT scores of 22 on each section
Students planning to participate in their freshman year are admitted only under special circumstances. Freshman applicants must meet the admission criteria stated above; in addition, they must submit two letters of recommendation and a written essay. Please see the application for more details http://www.csuohio.edu/admissions/forms/pseop.pdf
Application Deadlines
High school students interested in participating in PSEOP for the full academic year (fall and spring semesters) must notify their high school counselors by March 30 and apply to CSU by June 15. Students submitting applications by April 1 will receive their decision by early May. Students who wish to participate during the Spring semester must apply to CSU by November 1.
Orientation and Course Selection
Students admitted into PSEOP are required to attend an orientation session to become acclimated to Cleveland State and to learn more about the program requirements and policies. After attending orientation, students will be permitted to schedule courses at a later date with a PSEOP adviser.
Viking Bridge to College Program
The Viking Bridge to College Program offers qualified high-school students, who are uninterested or unable to participate in the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options A or B, the opportunity to take courses during the fall, spring, or summer semesters. Unlike PSEOP Option B, all tuition, fees, and books for students enrolled in Viking Bridge must be paid by the individual student or parent. Admissions requirements for this program are the same as the PSEOP criteria. Individual school districts decide whether or not to accept college credits earned under Viking Bridge.
For more information contact our PSEOP Admissions Liaison (students who have not yet been accepted to CSU’s PSEO Program) at 216-687-9336 or c.graham59@csuohio.edu, or contact the PSEOP Coordinator (students who have been accepted to the program) at 216-687-2279 or f.feola@csuohio.edu.
