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

In the Honors College at ETSU we hold a healthy disregard of the impossible. We believe that–when it comes to our students, staff, faculty, and partners–everyone can be a positive agent of change who engages in meaningful and purposeful work for the betterment of their own lives, their communities, and others around the globe. The college, therefore, house impactful curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular programs that provide one or more entry points for every ETSU student with the goal of transforming lives and elevating communities in northeast Tennessee and beyond. To help demonstrate this goal, we strive to offer unique and powerful educational opportunities that generate remarkable stories, stories our students tell about their experiences at ETSU that inspire feelings of admiration, trust, and enthusiasm in all those who listen to them.

Changemaker Scholars

The Changemaker Scholars Program at ETSU is an honors program focused on community engagement and social innovation. The cohort-based program combines a distinctive honors curriculum with experiential learning, encouraging participants to explore social issues in depth and collaborate with community partners to develop creative solutions.  

This four-year program supports students in any major area of study offered at ETSU. Up to 45 students are accepted into the program each year. Each student receives a $9,000 scholarship for four years (eight regular semesters), as long as the student remains in good standing in the program.  

The Changemaker Scholars curriculum consists of six credits of Changemaking courses, a three-credit service-learning course, and three credits in a guided general education course within the ETSU Compass Core. Students must complete a capstone project before graduating. Students have the option to complete an 18-credit minor in Changemaking , should it fit within their Course Program of Study.  

In addition to the curriculum, there are co-curricular and experiential learning requirements that all Changemaker Scholars are expected to meet, including regular volunteer hours, attending Honors College and campus events and programs, and participating in experiential learning opportunities such as a study abroad program, an alternative spring break, undergraduate research, or an internship. Changemaker Scholars are also eligible to live in the Honors Living and Learning Community in Carter Hall and receive additional financial support for experiential learning opportunities. 

Admission to the Changemaker Scholar Program requires a separate application. Qualifications for consideration include either a minimum high school GPA of 3.5 or an ACT score of 26 (1230 SAT). Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis each year. The application deadline is February 1 for admission the following fall semester. 

For more information about the Changemaker Scholars Program, visit our website at https://www.etsu.edu/honors/changemaker-scholars/ or contact Daniel Hedden, Director; (423) 439-6088; email hedden@etsu.edu.  

Quillen Honors Scholars

Incoming Freshmen: For students who have decided to dedicate themselves to a career as a physician, the Honors College and the Quillen College of Medicine have collaborated to create the Honors and Quillen Partnership Program (known as the Quillen Honors Scholars Program, for short) that allows high-achieving students to receive early assurance acceptance to the Quillen College of Medicine as an incoming freshman at ETSU, though selected students do complete their undergraduate and medical school programs separately. Selected Early Assurance matriculants can bypass some of the traditional medical school requirements, such as taking the MCAT and interviewing at multiple schools. This program includes a funded, faculty-led study abroad experience the summer after the first year as well as several other curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular opportunities.

Admission to Quillen Honors Scholar Program requires a separate application. Qualifications for consideration include a minimum high school GPA of 3.5 and an ACT score of 26 (1230 SAT). Each new cohort sees five student who receive early assurance, or guaranteed admission, to the Quillen College of Medicine. The program also accepts 5-10 other students to be an integral part of the cohort, participate in all activities, and receive the same scholarship award. QHS students are selected on a competitive basis each year. The application deadline is December 1 for admission the following fall semester. 

For more information about the Quillen Honors Scholars Program, visit our website at https://www.etsu.edu/honors/quillen-honors-scholars/ or contact Karla Leybold, Director; (423) 439-6075; email leybold@etsu.edu.

Undergraduate Research Honors Scholars

For Incoming Freshmen, Transfer Students, and current ETSU students: the Undergraduate Research Honors Program, formerly known as the “Honors-in-Discipline” program, is offered through 24 different departments across ETSU, each of which offers opportunities for students to engage in honors instruction in discipline-specific curricula that culminate in a hands-on, mentor-guided, senior honors thesis or capstone project. As an Undergraduate Research Honors Program Scholar, students are a part of the larger honors community and have opportunities to network with your honors peers, to study abroad, to participate in internships, to engage in additional research, or to travel to present research at conferences.

Admission to the Undergraduate Research Honors Program requires a separate application. Qualifications for consideration are determined by the individual ETSU departments offering an Undergraduate Research Honors Program. Deadline is typically March 1 for fall admission.

For more information about the Undergraduate Research Honors Program, visit our website at https://www.etsu.edu/honors/ug_research/honors-program/  or contact Cerrone, Director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities; (423) 439-8449; email fosterc@etsu.edu.