Honors Program

The USF Honors Program strives to encourage exceptional students to explore widely, to think creatively and critically, to study earnestly, to live enthusiastically, to serve sincerely—to engage wholeheartedly and with integrity the world of ideas, scholarship, culture and service. In so doing, the USF Honors Program seeks to further enhance the culture of scholarship and service at the University.

• Competitive grants for study abroad and research travel up to $1500
• Honors designation upon graduation
• Honors designation on USF transcript
• Social, cultural and academic activities
• Preferred registration status
• Preferred housing status

LAR 211/212, University Honors Core

The University Honors Core is an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to the liberal arts core. In a two-course, yearlong sequence, Honors students will receive credit for six courses out of the liberal arts core. The University Honors Core courses are team taught by full-time faculty who are committed to the vigorous inquiry and exploration of the Christian liberal arts in a community devoted to the development and curiosity of high-achieving students.

University Honors Thesis

At the conclusion of Honors students’ academic careers at USF, they have the opportunity to engage in an individually designed research, creative, or applied project, mentored by faculty. This research serves as the culmination of academic pursuits at USF and as a means to demonstrate achievement in academic and professional life beyond USF.  Examples of prior Honors thesis projects include:  El Cacao: A Nursing Community Health Assessment;  Mind Games - Writing a Novel; A Deeper Look at Food Insecurity; Bridge Marketing to Hispanic Segments in Omaha, Nebraska; and Use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to tag Foxi1 in intercalated cells.

Other Honors Coursework

After their freshmen year, Honors students pursue upper-level coursework in a variety of fields. To graduate with Honors, students must complete one designated research class, one designated interdisciplinary class and one additional class designated as either research or interdisciplinary. Honor students may take up to two of these three classes within their major.

Requirements

• 26 ACT (preferred)
• 3.2 GPA (preferred)
• Admission to the University of Sioux Falls

If your ACT and/or GPA do not meet the preferred minimums yet you are willing to challenge yourself with the goals of the USF Honors Program, we invite you to apply and to explain in your application materials how you will embrace the challenges and opportunities of the program.

To complete your application for the USF Honors Program, please click on the Honors Program Application button at the top of this page to begin.

References

Please complete the Honors Program application form with name and contact information for one reference who is not a member of your family. This reference should be able to speak to your intention and ability to be part of an academic community.

If you are a transfer student interested in the USF Honors Program, please contact the school for more information and how to apply throughout the year.