Honors Curriculum

The Thomas F. Freeman Honors College: 

• provides challenging courses and academic enhancement experiences for the scholars to achieve; and 
• promotes critical thinking skills, intellectual engagement, and the application of the scientific method as it prepares scholars to excel in graduate or professional schools. 

The Honors curriculum is designed to: 

• serve the needs of its scholars by providing a learning environment that fosters a commitment to excellence in education; 
• prepare community and global leaders; 
• represent itself as a flagship of the university; and, 
• instill ethical standards and establish meaningful exchanges with other learning communities locally, nationally, and internationally. 

The Honors experience strives to: 

• create an environment where academically talented scholars can grow; 
• provide mentoring, nurturing and academic support so scholars can reach their full potential; 
• promote scholars’ interest in international education; and 
• provide opportunities for internship and a service-learning environment. 

Honors College Requirements 

In order to earn the distinction of graduating from the Thomas F. Freeman Honors College, students must be admitted into the Honors College and meet its academic and other requirements, including maintaining both a semester and cumulative GPA of 3.25, and complete and pass a minimum of 15 semester credit hours in fall and spring of each year. 

General Education “Honors Core” Courses—at the Lower Division Level 

The institutional foundations come from the general education curriculum of the university. The Honors College provides “Honors” sections for general education core classes that are a required part of higher education by the State of Texas. The Honors core courses are specially designed for Honors scholars and emphasize Analysis, Synthesis, Oral Presentation, and Research. Scholars may select from the following courses to complete a minimum of 15 hours of Honors coursework. 

The Sophomore Course Augmentation Proposals (CAPs) 

Freeman Scholars must take six (6) credit hours equivalent in the sophomore year. In these courses, there will be a contract (Course Augmentation Proposal) between the scholar and the professor. They are required to complete a total of two (2) course augmentation proposals (CAPs) in their sophomore (one in the fall and one in the spring) year. The scholars are required to present their reports, research papers, and projects at the semi-annual Honors Undergraduate Research and Internships Symposium. CAPS is designed to help them explore topics of interest, develop a rapport with a potential mentor, and initiate research.  The CAPS can propel Freeman Scholar to the Junior Thesis Exploration Program, or JTEP. 

The Junior Thesis Exploration Program (JTEP) 

Freeman Scholars in the junior year start exploring ideas for their senior thesis. The Honors College links Freeman Scholars to Faculty Fellows, faculty researchers and adviser. For the first semester of the junior year, the Freeman Scholar will present their ideas to a panel. On the second semester of their junior year, Freeman Scholars will submit a 2 -3 pages thesis proposal, including an Introduction, plus a short presentation before a panel. The Honors College will also assist students in seeking summer internships.  

The Senior Thesis Program  

The Honors College firmly believes that real education comes when scholars can talk and write about ideas. Original ideas. Freeman Scholars are required to write a thesis during their last two years, beginning at the junior year when they start the Junior Thesis Exploration Program (JTEP). Seniors will complete the thesis and submit it to the Honors College one month before their graduation. The senior scholars are required to present their thesis before a panel of Honors College faculty two (2) weeks before graduation. Deadlines to completion of the thesis are posted or sent to thesis candidates for strict adherence. Noncompliance to the schedule deadlines can affect student scholarships.  

Completion of thesis is based upon approval by the Honors Faculty Fellow or adviser assigned to the senior scholar. For the thesis format and guidelines,  A Handbook to Writing an Undergraduate Honors Thesis can be downloaded at https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/frj/handbook.pdf . After rigorous reviews, acceptable theses are uploaded and published in The Freeman Research Journal (https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/frj/). 

TSU TALK/ A Frederick Douglass Lecture  

All Honors scholars are required to attend two (2) lectures each semester, sponsored by the Honors College, featuring experts at the university as well as renowned local, regional, national and/or international scholars or creative artists. These lectures have a community or global focus and are designed for students to experience intellectual interaction with renowned scholars. 

Other Enrichment Programs  

Research & Recruitment Trips and International Travel 

The Research and Recruitment trips involve students visiting cities outside of Houston, Texas with the goal of conducting and sharing research with another college's Honors program. While on the trip, scholars will recruit at area high schools. 

Scholars have the opportunity to study abroad through the University's Office of International Programs in partnership with the Honors College.