Honors - Barrett, the Honors College policies

Students who have demonstrated high levels of academic achievement in high school or college may apply for admission to Barrett, The Honors College. Each candidate must file an application to the college separate from the ASU application, in accordance with the appropriate Barrett deadlines.

Applicants are evaluated on the basis of their academic records and high school class ranking within their graduating class. Barrett continues to be ACT and SAT “test blind” for spring 2024 and fall 2024; scores are not considered even if submitted. Students are, however, asked to share their Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate test results on the Barrett application and to indicate instances in which test-sitting cancellations impacted their plans to complete an AP or IB examination. The college also values students who have special talents and aptitudes, exhibit leadership qualities, have unusual life experiences, and display community involvement. High school GPAs used in the evaluation process are calculated in accordance with the Arizona Board of Regents competency requirements, pursuant to ABOR Policy 2-121 Undergraduate Admission (PDF).

The Barrett admission application and additional information about the college and its activities are available at the Barrett website.

Notice of nondiscrimination

ASU prohibits all forms of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Students should review ASU’s policy ACD 401: Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation.

Title IX protects individuals from discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity operated by recipients of federal financial assistance. As required by Title IX, ASU does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education programs or activities that we operate, including in admission and employment. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX may be referred to the ASU Title IX coordinator or to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights or to both. For more information, students should email titleixcoordinator@asu.edu, call 480-965-0696, or visit the office located at 1120 S. Cady Mall, INTDSB 284. For information on making a report, students should reference the Report It website.

Undergraduate policies

Advising

Barrett students have advisors in their major, an assigned Barrett honors advisor, and faculty honors advisors in departments throughout the university. Students are encouraged to stay in regular contact with all these resources, and they are required to complete mandatory advising sessions with their Barrett honors advisor during the first, second and third year of study. To schedule an appointment with a Barrett honors advisor, students should visit the online Barrett Appointment Scheduling System.

Students can review honors opportunities in majors through the Faculty Honors Advisors page. There are also special preprofessional advising opportunities for Barrett students. Students should contact the Barrett advising office for more information.

Degree requirements

Barrett academic course requirements

Honors students must maintain high standards of academic performance and show progress toward completion of graduation requirements in their disciplinary majors and in Barrett.

To graduate from Barrett, students must complete the following, which include 36 credit hours of honors coursework:

HON 171 The Human Event and HON 272 The Human Event are expected to be completed in sequence during a student's first two semesters in the college.
Thirty additional credit hours of honors coursework must be earned with a letter grade of "C" (2.00) or higher. This may include HON prefix classes, honors sections of classes, honors enrichment contracts, internship and research credit, honors study abroad programs, and graduate-level coursework.
Included in the 36 credit hours of honors coursework are at least 18 hours of upper-division or graduate-level honors credits for an earned letter grade of “C” (2.00) or higher. Students should investigate specialized honors, upper-division tracks within their majors.
Students are required to complete an honors thesis project, for which they earn a maximum of six credit hours. These credit hours are included in the 18 required hours of upper-division honors coursework. The honors thesis is launched with a prospectus that is due one academic semester before the defense. Prior to enrolling for credit for a thesis work, students must complete a required preparatory workshop or course. The final copy of the honors thesis must be filed by the posted deadline during the student’s graduation semester.
ASU graduation requirements in an academic major must be met.
Students must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher by graduation.

Barrett course requirements may be met in a variety of ways. Only courses in which a student receives a grade of “C” (2.00) or higher may be used to meet Barrett requirements.

Those entering the college as lower-division students may take as many as 18 lower-division honors credits, which include HON 171 The Human Event and HON 272 The Human Event, and at least 18 upper-division credits (total honors credits must be 36). HON 171 and HON 272 are transdisciplinary seminars that acquaint students with ideas that form the foundation of a university education and emphasize critical thinking, discussion and writing.

Those who enter as upper-division students must take 21 upper-division honors credits, including HON 370 History of Ideas taught by an Honors Faculty Fellow, 18 credit hours of upper-division honors coursework, and an honors thesis. Upper-division transfer students are required to complete 21 credit hours of upper-division honors coursework.

Those who enter as Barrett Online students must take 21 upper-division honors credits, including HON 370 History of Ideas taught by an Honors Faculty Fellow, 18 credit hours of honors coursework, and an honors thesis. Lower- and upper-division credits may apply toward the 18 hours of honors coursework through oCourses.

Departmental honors-only courses are limited to honors students. Compared with their nonhonors equivalents, these courses are designed to offer a richer, more complex intellectual experience appropriate to the discipline and the level of the course for all students enrolled. Other disciplinary honors courses group honors students in small cohorts to work on research projects of common interest or offer mixed classes of honors and nonhonors students with specific honors opportunities.

Honors enrichment contracts are available in many departmental courses, allowing honors students to contract with the instructors of designated nonhonors courses to earn honors credit by pursuing enrichment activities, which include supplemental sessions with the instructor. Honors enrichment contracts are filed during the first weeks of the session and are to be completed during the semester in which the course is offered. The enrichment contract form offers guidelines to aid students and faculty in developing appropriate contracts. Contract work is due on the last day of the session unless otherwise indicated by the supervising faculty member.

Courses reserved for students in Barrett and that always count for honors credit are those listed in the online ASU Class Search and Course Catalog as course numbers 492 Honors Directed Study, 493 Honors Thesis, and 497 Honors Colloquium; all classes with the HON prefix; and those with a departmental prefix or course note that carries the honors designation. Barrett recognizes internships, research, teaching assistant courses and 500-level graduate courses for honors credit. Students may consult with the Barrett advising office for additional honors course credit opportunities, including courses coded for automatic honors credit, such as ENG 105. The Honors courses webpage provides guidance on honors courses.

Departmental courses numbered 492 and 493 are reserved for honors students completing their honors thesis. A student may enroll in these courses with approval from the sponsoring academic department and the faculty member who serves as the student’s thesis project director. Passing credit in 492 and 493 courses counts as upper-division honors credit for Barrett students.