Advising

Honors student walking through Rawlings Conservatory

Honors Advising

The Honors College advisors are available to assist you in understanding and maintaining your Honors College curriculum. They can answer questions regarding your Honors curriculum requirements, Honors courses and course completion, and Honors graduation status.

Honors College Advisors

  • If you are a first-year student, your primary academic advisor will be your FYE (First-Year Experience) advisor. During Welcome to TU, TU's orientation program for new students, you will meet your FYE advisor who will help you make any needed adjustments to your schedule. All new Honors students are assigned to a Honors FYE advisor, a TU faculty member or professional academic adviser who understands the Honors curriculum. Your advisor can answer questions about curriculum, majors, special opportunities (research, internships, study abroad, etc.) or general adjustment to college, including crucial time management and study skills.
  • If you are a sophomore, your Honors advisor is Dr. Adam Rudolphi, Honors College Coordinator for Admissions and Enrollment, except for the following majors: sophomore POSC, LWAC, INST, FORL, MTRO, and NURS majors, your Honors advisor is Dr. Alison McCartney, Honors College Dean and Professor of Political Science; sophomore SOAN majors, your Honors advisor is Dr. Michael Elliott, Honors College Faculty Director and Professor of Sociology.
  • If you are a junior or senior majoring in ACCT, ACTG, BIOL, BUAD, CHEM, ECON, EXSC, FCHM, FORL, HCMN, HLTH, INST, LWAC, MBBB, MTRO, PACT, PBUA, PHYS, PNUR, POSC, or SPPA, your Honors advisor is Dr. Alison McCartney, Honors College Dean and Professor of Political Science. If you are a junior or senior majoring in ARED, COSC, DANC, ECED, ECSE, EESE, ELED, EMF, ENVS, FMST, ITEC, MATH, MSED, MUED, NURS, PECE, PECS, PELE, PEMF, PESE, PMSE, PMUE, PSPE, PSYC, SOAN, or SPED, your Honors advisor is Dr. Michael Elliott, Honors College Faculty Director and Professor of Sociology. If you are a junior or senior majoring in COMM, ENGL, HIST, MCOM, MUSC, or PHIL, your Honors advisor is Dr. Terry Cooney, former Honors College Rector and Professor of History. If you are a junior or senior majoring in ART or ARTH, your Honors advisor is Dr. Adam Rudolphi, Honors College Coordinator for Admissions and Enrollment.

You may schedule an appointment to meet with your Honors advisor by visiting the Honors College Office in the 7800 York Road building, Suite 134, or sending an email to . Your Honors advisor is supplemental to your primary academic advisor, who is assigned by your major department.

Frequently Asked Questions about Honors Advising

Honors Requirements


1. What are my Honors course requirements?

Most Honors College students are required to complete at total of 24 Honors units; however, students who join the Honors College after their first year may be exempt from certain requirements. For complete information, please see the TU Undergraduate Catalog or the Honors College Curriculum web page.

2. Do I have to take an Honors course every semester?


We recommend that entering first-year students take 3–4 Honors classes in their first year, as many of these courses overlap with Core and/or lower-level major requirements.

In order to remain in good standing, Honors College students must complete a minimum of 6 Honors units by the end of their first year in the college, a minimum of 12 Honors units by the end of the second year, and a minimum 18 Honors units by the end of the third year. Honors units are evaluated once per year, after the end of the spring semester.

First- and second-year students are encouraged to complete all Honors coursework by the end of their second year, especially those students in tightly regulated majors like Dance, Nursing, Education, and Computer Science, so they are prepared for experiential and advanced learning in their junior or senior year, depending on major. Keep in mind that Honors courses which also fulfill Core requirements are usually lower-level courses which are most appropriate to take during the first two years of study. Please contact your Honors advisor to discuss your progress through the Honors curriculum.

3. What are the GPA requirements to remain in the Honors College?


Honors College students must meet certain requirements for their cumulative GPA at Towson University as well as their GPA in all Honors courses. In Honors courses, the cumulative GPA requirement is 3.0. For a student's overall TU GPA, the requirement is a 3.0 from freshman through junior year (determined by completed college credits), followed by a 3.2 senior year and a 3.3 in order to graduate from Honors. GPAs are evaluated twice per year, at the end of the spring and fall terms.

4. Can I use the pass grading option for an Honors course?


Honors College students must earn a letter grade in Honors coursework in order for the course to count towards Honors requirements. If you select the pass grading option for an Honors course that course will not count towards your Honors requirements.

Registration and Enrollment

1. How do I register for courses?


Please visit the Registrar’s Office’s Registration website for complete instructions.

2. Can the Honors College remove my advising hold?


No. Students must meet with their major or FYE advisor prior to the registration period. Only the major or FYE advisor can remove an advising hold. If your Honors advisor is your FYE advisor then they can remove your advising hold.

3. Why can’t I enroll in the Honors seminar of my choice?


Even though Honors College students enjoy early registration, registration times are staggered throughout the registration day by class. In other words, Honors seniors register before Honors juniors, who register before Honors sophomores. As a result, some seminars fill before sophomores and freshmen have a chance to enroll. Sophomores and freshmen are strongly encouraged to have a “back up” plan ready at their registration time. The Honors College values opportunities for students to take courses outside their majors, and students should consider all open course options when the course they planned on taking is full.

4. Do I have to take an Honors Towson Seminar: TSEM 190 in order to fulfill my Core 1 requirement, or can I take a TSEM 102?


Beginning in fall 2016, all students who joined the Honors College as incoming freshmen are required to take a TSEM 190 to fulfill their Honors and Core requirements. Even if a student takes TSEM 102 after joining the Honors College, they will still need to take TSEM 190 as well.

Students who join the Honors College as current TU students who have already taken a TSEM 102 will be required to take an additional lower-level course instead of an Honors Towson Seminar.

5. Does ENGL 190 fulfill both my Foundations Honors English requirement and a lower-level honors coursework requirement?


No. Honors courses fulfill only one Honors requirement at a time.

6. Which courses count as seminars?


The following Honors courses count as Honors seminars. There are no exceptions or substitutions for Honors seminars. Please note: not all of these courses are offered every semester or every year.

  • ENGL 290 (see below): Honors Seminar in Literature
  • ENGL 332: Honors Writing Fiction
  • HONR 225: Honors Seminar in Creativity
  • HONR 227: Honors Seminar in Scientific Inquiry
  • HONR 229: Honors Seminar in Metropolitan Perspectives
  • HONR 230: Honors Seminar: United States as a Nation
  • HONR 233: Honors Seminar in Contemporary Issues
  • HONR 240: Honors Seminar in Western Heritage (Plurality and Diversity)
  • HONR 301: Honors Seminar in Scientific Inquiry
  • HONR 345: Honors Seminar in Ethical Issues
  • HONR 370: Honors Seminar Advanced Special Topics
  • IDFA 202: Honors American Vision: Baltimore Visual and Performing Arts (not currently offered)
  • KNES 354: Honors Sport & Society
  • PHIL 212: Honors: Special Studies in Philosophy
  • POSC 212: Honors in Political Science
7. Does ENGL 290 count as a lower-level Honors course?


It can! ENGL 290 counts as a Lower-Level Honors Course only for students who have fulfilled or are exempt from the Foundations Honors English requirement. ENGL can only be taken twice (for a maximum of 6 units) with different topics, whether for seminar credit, Honors English credit, or some combination thereof.

8. Can I take ENGL 290 or another Honors seminar more than once?


Yes. Students may take ENGL 290 twice as long as the course topics are different, and may take HONR 370 any number of times as long as the course topics are different. If a student wants to replace a grade received in an Honors seminar, they must take the exact same topic the second time.

Honors Electives/Experiential and Advanced learning

1. What are my choices for completing my Honors electives/experiential and advanced learning requirements?


Students may choose to do any combination of the following for a total of six units:

  • Complete a departmental honors Program
  • Enroll in an Honors capstone course
  • Create an Honors independent study
  • Enroll in an Honors internship
  • Complete an Honors Thesis
  • Enroll in an approved service-learning course
  • Enroll in additional upper-level Honors seminars

For complete details about the Honors electives/experiential and advanced learning options, please see the Experiential and Advanced Learning page.

3. What is an Honors capstone?


Honors capstone options are available for students in select majors. The Honors capstone allows students to complete the Honors electives as part of their major requirements, much like a departmental honors program. Students should contact the following faculty if they are interested in the Honors capstone.