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Oklahoma State University
The Honors College

Helping students fully realize their intellectual and personal potential.

About Honors

Old Central Building

History of the Honors College

Honors education at Oklahoma State University began in the late 1950s, but it was not until the mid-1960s that the Arts and Sciences Honors Program was in a position to certify a Degree with Honors. The first class of Honors graduates (three students) earned Bachelor's Degrees with Honors in the 1968-1969 academic year, and the Arts & Sciences Honors Program formed the basis for the university-wide Honors Program that was created in 1989. The University Honors Program became the Honors College in 2000, and while 2,195 Honors Degrees have been awarded to date, 140 students earned Honors Degrees in the 2018-2019 academic year alone.

The Honors College Today

Housed in historic Old Central, the Honors College at Oklahoma State University serves approximately 2,100 students from all of the academic colleges every semester. The College provides high-achieving undergraduate students with small classes (most limited to 22 students) that challenge them to develop their oral and written communication skills, gather and synthesize information, approach problems in new and complex ways, and enrich their critical thinking ability. Taught by some of the top teaching faculty on campus, honors courses tend to be highly interactive, discussion-based classes that engage students in an active and supportive learning environment. Honors College students enjoy a more personalized academic experience in addition to having access to the numerous resources of a large land-grant institution.

Honors College Benefits

Honors College students enjoy a number of benefits for their participation, such as priority enrollment beginning in their second semester, the option to live in honors housing, use of the honors lounge and study lab in historic Old Central, extended library privileges, access to unique Honors College events, and special honors advising from an Honors College staff member. Honors students also have the opportunity to take advantage of learning experiences outside the classroom, including study away, service, research, leadership, and other activities.

For more information on what's been going on at the Honors College, please check out our 2018-2019 annual report by clicking here.