The mission of the Honors College is to provide an enriched educational experience for academically motivated and talented students at Kent State University. We welcome students of diverse backgrounds and are firmly committed to advancing a diverse, inclusive and equitable community of scholars. We affirm that all members of the Honors College community are valued for their contributions and treated with dignity and respect. Each student in the college plays a vital role in enhancing and influencing critical debate, critical thinking and learning from each other through their individual stories and lived experiences. This synergy creates a unique and inclusive foundation on which students can explore and develop their sense of belonging.

 

  • Welcome from the Dean

    Welcome from the Dean

    Greetings from Dean Alison J. Smith! Welcome to the Honors College! Kent State University's Honors program is one of the oldest in the country, and today is a thriving and exciting community with students from every college within the university.  

  • Freshman Honors Colloquium

    Freshman Honors Colloquium

    Designed to be a rigorous course for incoming honors students, Freshman Honors Colloquium is a required two-semester sequence that stresses works, ideas, and values significant in literary and intellectual history, as they shape and are shaped by today's culture.  

  • Honors Leadership Academy

    Honors Leadership Academy

    The Kent State University Honors College established the Honors Leadership Academy in 2018, which connects incoming Honors College freshmen to leadership learning and civic engagement in our local community.  Students are selected to apply for this new initiative based on excellent high school leadership experiences.  

     

  • Senior Honors Thesis/Project

    Senior Honors Thesis/Project

    The Senior Honors Thesis/Project is a 6-credit-hour independent project. It may be a research, creative, or applied project and is completed under the direction of a faculty member.

  • Nationally Competitive Scholarships

    Nationally Competitive Scholarships

    Students with high academic excellence, and evidence of leadership, community service and/or research experience should seriously consider applying for a scholarship. The scholarships listed here are intensely competitive, but serious applicants reap plentiful rewards from the process. 

  • Phi Beta Kappa

    Phi Beta Kappa

    Each year faculty members who themselves were chosen for membership in Phi Beta Kappa at their undergraduate institutions meet and discuss exceptional Kent State students in the liberal arts.  There are over half a million members, but only about 10 percent of the nation's institutions of higher learning have Phi Beta Kappa chapters and only about 10 percent of the arts and sciences graduates at these institutions are selected for membership.