Honors Program

From the Missouri Western directory, Sep 7, 2026

Missouri Western’s Honors program offers high-achieving students the opportunity to enhance their college experience through interesting guest speakers, conferences across the country, a semester of study abroad, scholarship opportunities, in-depth research and study of a variety of topics, museum visits and close friendships. The Honors program has been a part of the campus community since 1988.General Studies HonorsTo earn General Studies Honors, students must:12 hours General Studies Honors Credits,4 hours Honors Colloquia (HON 195 for 2 credits and HON 395 for 2 credits)2 credits of UNV 201 (Community Service Learning)Minimum A or B in all courses (and CR for UNV 201) to count toward General Studies HonorsTotal 18 hoursThe achievement of General Studies Honors appears on the student’s transcript. Students receive graduation medals during their graduating semester to wear at the commencement ceremony.Each semester, departments across campus offer a variety of general studies honors courses designed for 10 to 20 students. One of the unique features of the Honors program is the colloquia, which are theme-based experiences involving panel discussions, presentations, guest speakers, outside readings, films and field trips. Different colloquia are offered each semester, and recent colloquia topics included Election Law and Voting Practices, Mental Side of Greatness, The Cold War, China’s History and Culture, Global Amphibian Decline, and The Puzzle of Plant Communication.Major HonorsTo earn Majors Honors, students must:2 hours Honors Colloquia (HON 395 for 2 credits)1 credit hour of UNV 201 (Community Service Learning)6 hours Upper-Level majors course pre-approved by Honors Director with research component.Minimum A or B in all courses (and CR for UNV 201) to count toward Honors in the Major.Total 24 hours (with GSH) or 9 hoursStudents must receive a grade of A or B in all Honors Courses in order for them to count toward Majors Honors.Students wishing to pursue this option need to complete the “Majors Honors Approval Form” before the onset of the project, which is available in the Forms tab.The Majors Honors designation will appear on the student’s transcript. Students receive graduation medals during their graduating semester to wear at the commencement ceremony.CoursesCourses offered in the Fall (even years)Courses offered in the Fall (odd years)Courses offered in the Spring (even years)Courses offered in the Spring (odd years)Rotation of General Studies Honors Courses. The General Studies Honors Program follows a two-year cycle of courses which ensures that courses from the various categories in General Studies are available at least once in every four-year cycle. General Studies Honors courses carry a section number ending with -80 or -81 with the exception of ENG112, MAT165, MAT167, and PHY210. Honors classes with labs such as BIO105, CHE111 and PED101 may have only the lecture offered as -80 or -81. In that case, Honors Students can enter into a lab without this designation.Colloquia. Different colloquia are offered each semester. In Fall, both first-semester freshman colloquia (HON195) and general colloquia (HON395) are offered. Professors from across campus apply to teach colloquia which are selected by the Honors Committee.Fall 2022 Colloquia offeringsHON 195-02 Freedom, Identity, and the Good LifeHON 195-03 Science CommunicationsHON 395-01 Seven Glasses: The Chemistry and History of BeveragesHON 395-03 Healthy Relationships: Yes, It Does Matter