Admission Requirements

For current ETSU students:

• An overall GPA of 3.2 or a minimum GPA of 3.5 in department/college courses
• The student must have declared a philosophy major
• The philosophy faculty must agree to admit the student

For entering freshmen:

• High school GPA of 3.2 overall on a 4.0 scale or an ACT composite score of 25/SAT 1180
  

Download an application: Word | .pdf and submit it to Prof. Leslie MacAvoy in the Philosophy Department

Requirements for Completion of the Program

15 credit hours:

(a) 9 hours of honors-enriched sections of existing courses or honors classes:

Students enrolled in existing courses under the -088 section will be required to complete assignments over and above those required of students in -001 sections. These assignments will be left to the discretion of the instructor; they might include (but are not limited to) an analysis of the current literature on a topic, a final paper, or a class presentation.

Courses for which we offer an -088 section:
3010 History of Ancient Philosophy
3030 History of Modern Philosophy
3050 Symbolic Logic
3061-3 Philosophy Colloquium
3261-3 Religion Colloquium
4017 Ethical Theory
4027 Contemporary Philosophy
4047 Philosophy of Religion
4957 Special topics

Two of the honors-in-discipline courses must be chosen from among:
3010 History of Ancient Philosophy
3030 History of Modern Philosophy
4017 Ethical Theory
4027 Contemporary Philosophy

As enrollment in the program grows, we hope to be able to offer honors sections of existing courses (such as PHIL 1030 and 2040) and new courses designed for the honors program, as the exigencies of staffing allow.

(b) PHIL 4950-088, a 3-credit senior capstone course:

Students will be required to write a senior thesis, starting in the first semester of their senior year. In the Fall, the department will offer 4950 as a capstone course, for which all senior students must register. Be sure to register under the -088 section. A faculty member will be assigned to teach this class, which will serve as a capstone experience and as a means of evaluating learning outcomes. The course will involve a short paper on a topic assigned by the instructor, due early in the semester; this will require students to demonstrate an ability to conduct original research. During the remainder of the semester, students will work on their theses, presenting portions of their work as they progress for the rest of the class and the instructor to critique. At the end of the student’s final semester, she will be required to present her thesis publicly.

(c) Three hours of research on the honors thesis, under PHIL 4018. Students will typically register for this the semester after they have completed 4950.

THESIS GUIDELINES AND CHECKLIST

Retention Requirements

To remain in good standing in an Honors program, students must complete all required Honors-in-Discipline classes, complete at least 12 hours per semester, and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75 for their first 30 hours, 3.0 for 30 to 45 hours, 3.15 for 45 to 60 hours, and 3.25 for the remainder of their academic careers at ETSU. Students are allowed one probationary semester to meet the applicable GPA requirement before they are suspended from an Honors program and out-of-state tuition waivers and/or Honors-in-Discipline scholarships are withdrawn. In these circumstances, the Program Coordinator will notify the Associate Director of University Honors Programs immediately.

No grade lower than a B- in an honors course will count toward completion of the program.

Honors-in-Discipline scholarship and out-of-state waiver receipt and retention requirements: In order to minimally qualify for an Honors-in-Discipline scholarship or out-of-state fee waiver, an incoming freshman ETSU student must have an ACT score of 25 or higher and a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher. A student receiving an Honors-in-Discipline scholarship or out-of-state waiver must (a) enroll in at least 15 credit hours per semester, with the exception of the semester in which she is writing her thesis, during which she must enroll in at least 12 credit hours; and (b) maintain a cumulative grade point average consistent with program standards to retain that scholarship. Students who fail to meet program standards are allowed one probationary semester before scholarships are revoked.

Graduation Requirements

Students must have a minimum 3.25 GPA, complete all required courses (Honors, General Education, Academic Proficiencies), and complete and orally present the senior Honors thesis. In addition, all thesis grades must be B or higher.

For more information, contact the Program Coordinator, Dr Leslie MacAvoy