The Honors College

Message from the Dean

Dr. Christopher J. Keller, Dean, Honors College

The Honors College strives to enhance the academic experiences of its students by providing smaller classes, mentorship and research experiences with faculty, challenging coursework, flexibility in curricula, and meaningful interactions with peers. What happens inside classrooms, of course, is critical to student success, but the Honors College encourages students to think beyond just courses and grades.

Student academic development should be both deep and broad: we want to help students extend their expertise vertically into an area of academic specialization while simultaneously expanding their knowledge and abilities horizontally across a range of disciplines, experiences, and perspectives. To do so, honors students regularly participate in high-impact practices like study abroad programs, internships, community engagement, grants and fellowships, and senior thesis projects, among other possibilities. The Honors College not only helps connect students to impactful experiences but also helps them create interesting and compelling stories about those experiences to further students’ academic and professional success.

In short, the Honors College sees students as much more than their transcripts. We see them as innovators, problem solvers, international travelers, responsible leaders, and life-long learners. We know all of our students will journey down a wide range of interesting and important paths in their lives. They will help shape the world as well as have valuable stories to share with the world. The Honors College at ETSU wants to be part of those stories.  

I invite you to browse our website to learn more about the Honors College and to please contact me if I can answer any questions about honors academics or curricula.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Honors College at East Tennessee State University is to provide access to honors-distinctive academic, creative, and enrichment opportunities for a broad spectrum of qualified students and to provide recognition for undergraduate students who excel in distinct areas of academic achievement. The college promotes and supports ambitious academic goals for talented and motivated undergraduate students as well as innovative teaching, mentoring, and scholarship by our faculty. In addition, the college sponsors activities, events, and programs designed to enhance the collective cultural and intellectual environment and foster a more global perspective within the university community.

Changemaker Scholars

Incoming Freshmen: Are you interested in understanding the root causes of social problems and working with others on creative solutions that make a lasting impact? The Changemaker Scholars program helps students acquire the knowledge, skills, resources, and mindset to become creative problem-solvers, engaged citizens, and active agents for positive change in their communities. 

Global Citizen Scholars

Incoming Freshmen: Do you want to be challenged to grow in understanding the most important challenges facing humanity, exploring your ethical role in the world, and enacting changes to make a positive difference? Do you want to grow in your ability to engage meaningfully and positively with diverse people, places, events, opportunities, and challenges? The Global Citizen Scholars program is a cohort honors program with an exciting curriculum that will challenge you in these areas and that includes a funded, faculty-led study abroad experience the summer after the first year!

Quillen Honors Scholars

Incoming Freshmen: Have you already decided to dedicate yourself to a career as a medical professional? The Honors College and the Quillen College of Medicine have collaborated to create the Honors and Quillen Partnership Program (aka Quillen Honors Scholars) that allows high-achieving students to apply and be accepted to medical school while completing their undergraduate and medical school programs of study separately. Selected Early Assurance matriculants are able to bypass some of the traditional medical school requirements, like taking the MCAT and interviewing at multiple schools. This program includes a funded, faculty-led study abroad experience the summer after the first year!

Undergraduate Research Honors Scholars

Incoming Freshmen, Transfer Students, and current ETSU students: formerly known as the “Honors-in-Discipline” program, the URHP features 24 Departments across ETSU offering opportunities for students to engage in honors instruction in discipline-specific curricula that culminate in a hands-on, mentor-guided, senior honors thesis project.  As an Undergraduate Research Honors Program Scholar you will be a part of the larger Honors community and have opportunities to network with your Honors peers, study abroad, participate in internships, engage in additional research, or travel to present your research at conferences.