Honors Eligibility and Enrollment

Students who are enrolled in the honors program in the Fisher College of Business have the opportunity to enrich their program of study through honors or upper division General Education Curriculum course work, to apply for special honors programs in Fisher College, to participate in programming that is offered through the Honors & Scholars Center, and to apply for honors housing. In addition, honors students receive priority scheduling.

Having honors enrollment does not entitle students to receive Latin or College honors at graduation. The only way to graduate “with honors” from Fisher College of Business is to be selected for and successfully complete the Accounting Honors Program, the Business Administration Honors Cohort Program, or the Business Administration Honors Contract Program.

For more information on Latin and College honors, visit the Recognition for Academic Achievement page.

Honors Eligibility

The following requirements apply to students earning honors enrollment beginning Autumn 2012:

1. Incoming freshmen can apply for the University Honors Program prior to starting at The Ohio State University.  Interested students must complete the Honors & Scholars Application, which is available on the Honors and Scholars website.
2. First year Pre-Business students interested in honors must complete 15 hours of course work at Ohio State, have a cumulative GPA of 3.5, and have an interest in taking honors course work. Eligible students will receive an invitation (by email) and will be required to complete a Fisher College of Business Application for Honors Enrollment.
3. Transfer students (new to OSU) -- in Pre-Business or in the major -- need 15 hours of course work at OSU, a 3.5 cumulative GPA, and no more than 60 earned hours to be eligible for honors. In addition, students must have not only an interest in taking honors course work but also must have an opportunity in the curriculum to take honors courses without taking additional elective hours. Transfer students who do not meet these criteria and have a strong interest in pursuing an enriched curriculum should schedule an appointment with an honors advisor.
4. Current OSU students (with honors enrollment) who transfer into Fisher College of Business from other academic units will be evaluated at entry to determine eligibility for honors in Fisher College. The same criteria for maintaining honors enrollment (see below) pertain to these students. Students who meet the requirements for honors should schedule an appointment with an honors advisor to learn about honors opportunities in Fisher College.

Maintaining Honors Enrollment

In order to maintain honors enrollment, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Earn a 3.5 cumulative GPA.
2. Complete a minimum of three honors or upper division enrichment course in each year of enrollment during the freshman and sophomore years.
3. Be admitted to Honors Accounting, Business Administration Contract, or Business Administration Cohort or pursue a Distinction Research Project by the end of the junior year.

Upper division enrichment courses are defined as 4000 and 5000 level General Education Courses. Upper division business core courses are not considered upper division for the purposes of maintaining honors status, since these upper division courses are taken by all business students (honors and non-honors). Substituting an upper division course for a General Education Course requirement must be approved by an honors advisor.

For a sample list of honors courses and the semesters in which they are typically offered, visit the University Honors & Scholars site.

Reviews of academic records are conducted each summer (beginning after the freshmen year) to confirm that students meet the criteria. Students who transfer into Fisher College of Business from other academic units will be reviewed for honors eligibility at the point of entry.  These students must meet with an Honors advisor within their first semester of enrollment in Fisher College.