The Honors Program at Southwestern Adventist University (SWAU) combines knowledge, faith, and service to enhance the university experience. For both new and transfer students, the Southwestern Adventist University Honors Program is exceptional! 

The Honors Program at SWAU seeks to provide interdisciplinary courses that will: 

• Strengthen mental skills
• Integrate faith with academics 
• Expand service opportunities in the local community 

We want to help students develop academically, culturally, and spiritually to offer Christ-like service to our community. 

Participate in the Honors Program to: 

• Join a cohort of high-achieving students
• Travel as part of the honors curriculum in the annual study tours 
• Participate in challenging and creative interdisciplinary courses
• Receive tuition scholarships ($500 sophomore year, $1000 junior year, and $2000 senior year)
• Partner with a faculty mentor to develop an original honors thesis project

The SWAU Honors Program offers education enrichment and opportunities for cultural appreciation and spiritual growth. 

Honors Program Qualifications and Requirements

To be eligible to join the Honors Program, you must meet one or more of the following criteria: 

• High school GPA of 3.5 or 3.4 college transfer GPA
• Composite ACT score of 24 
• SAT composite score of 1130 in critical reading and math 

Honors students must maintain a minimum university GPA of 3.4 to remain eligible for the Honors Program. 

The following courses are required for all Honors students: 

• HNRS 200 Honors Perspective (taken fall semester of freshman or sophomore year) 
• HNRS 301 Thesis Proposal Seminar (taken spring semester of junior year) 
• HNRS 400 Senior Seminar (taken fall semester of senior year) 
• HNRS 401 Senior Thesis (taken spring semester of senior year) 

 
Additionally, Honors students will take at least three of the following Honors General Education courses: 

• HNRS 104 Human Communication (fulfills communication competency requirement) 
• HNRS 204 Advanced American History 1866- Present (partially fulfills history requirement) 
• HNRS 208 Advanced World Civilizations, early times to the 16th Century (partially fulfills history requirement) 
• HNRS 315 Political Thought 
• HNRS 325 World Religions 
• HNRS 345 Environmental Studies (fulfills life science requirement) 
• HNRS 355 Survey of Christian Worship 
• HNRS 375 Honors Study Tour (varies from year to year, previous options have fulfilled requirements for literature, religion, history, or fine arts) 
• HNRS 404 Science & Belief (partially fulfills religion general education requirement, alternatively can be taken in place of BIOL 419 for Biological Sciences majors only)