Program Planning
The wise exercise of the freedom given to Honors College members is the responsibility of the student. It involves active participation in the planning of individualized programs and frequent consultation with Honors advisers. Students who take this responsibility seriously assure themselves an undergraduate experience and education of the highest quality.
There are several publications that will be helpful in planning. The Honors College Bulletin of Course Descriptions is an essential "in-house" tool. MSU publications such as Academic Programs, which contains most of the information about standard requirements for the major, and Descriptions of Courses, which supplies the basic facts about all MSU courses, are two other important sources.
Freshmen/First-Year Students
You will need to meet with your departmental Honors adviser, and probably with an Honor College staff adviser, early in Fall Semester to make final course plans for Spring. Bring along your tentative program plans made during Academic Orientation and any changes to those plans you may be considering. When you and your departmental Honors adviser have agreed on your plans for Spring Semester, complete an online Academic Progress Plan (APP) for your first year and submit it to that adviser, who will approve it and send it on to the Honors College. An Honors College staff adviser then will look over your course selections and determine whether the courses planned for general education adequately meet the requirements for which they are intended.
You will need to meet with your Honors adviser(s) again in spring to make plans for the following academic year.
Returning Students
During Spring Semester you will need to plan courses for the following year in consultation with your departmental Honors adviser, record these plans on your online APP, and submit the APP to your departmental Honors adviser. That adviser will then review the APP and submit it to the Honors College.
If you intend to spend part or all of a year away from campus, either enrolled in classes or participating in a cooperative education program, prepare an APP noting where you will be and, if possible, which classes you will be taking. If you are away during Spring Semester when APPs are normally due, contact your departmental Honors adviser by e-mail to make plans for the following year as best you can and submit the APP online as usual. When you return to campus, see your Honors adviser in person.
