Honors & Scholars

Ohio State and the College of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to creating an environment that promotes the intellectual and personal development of high-ability undergraduate students and offers highly motivated students an enriched academic experience through the integration of curricular and co-curricular programs.

Arts and Sciences Honors Program

The Honors Program in Arts and Sciences provides high-ability students opportunities to pursue challenging academic programs. Honors students are encouraged to construct an enhanced curriculum that includes honors courses, upper-division courses to meet general requirements, rigorous sequences, honors seminars, a minor and a strong major, including a significant research experience.

Students may apply to the Honors Program either before or after enrolling at Ohio State; interested students are encouraged to apply early in their enrollment.

Arts Honors Program

Arts Honors is a track within Arts and Sciences Honors. Students with a major in the following departments and schools follow the Arts Honors track:

• Department of Art
• Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy
• Department of Dance
• Department of Design
• Department of History of Art
• Department of Theatre, Film and Media Arts
• School of Music

Ed Quinn is the Arts Honors Program Manager. His office is located in 100 Denney Hall. Please send an email to quinn.142@osu.edu to schedule an Arts Honors appointment.

University Scholars Program

The Ohio State Scholars Program is comprised of 17 unique living and learning communities designed to provide students the chance to live and learn with others who share similar interests and to complement students' academic experiences. Each of the Scholars programs is centered around a theme or area of study and is open to all students regardless of major.

Students must apply to Scholars when filling out the Common Application for admission to Ohio State.

The Arts Scholars program offers students in any major the opportunity to enhance their educational experience through lectures and specialized workshops, group excursions to museums and professional performances, a juried student art exhibition and performance showcase, community involvement, and domestic and international trips. First-year Arts Scholars live in Baker Hall West on South Campus.

The Biological Science Scholars actively explore the world of science through a combination of academic and co-curricular components. Students are exposed to science at Ohio State, career and graduate program opportunities, and innovative research happenings. Although all majors are welcome and many are represented, a large portion of our students are in science fields (biology, chemistry, animal sciences, microbiology, zoology, neuroscience, etc.), or are considering pre-health graduate programs (medical, dental, veterinary medicine, optometry, pharmacy, etc.).

The Humanities Scholars program offers students of any major an enriched study of the liberal arts through beyond-the-classroom programs focusing on literature, language, philosophy, history, culture and other humanities disciplines. Students who enjoy discussing the world and the experiences of humanity will find the Humanities Scholars Program to be an excellent fit.

The International Affairs Scholars program provides rich opportunities for students from all majors who want to gain in-depth understanding of world/global themes, foreign countries and international affairs. IA Scholars explore global issues through political, social and economic lenses while also learning about other cultures. Students in the International Affairs program also have the opportunity each year to study abroad as part of the program.

The Politics, Society and Law Scholars explore current political and legal issues from a practitioner’s perspective via discussions, debates, off-campus outings and other activities. Students explore the role such issues play in society and in related careers including law, journalism, business, education, science, the arts or any other field of interest. Guest speakers, debates and interactive discussions are common, as are behind-the-scenes outings to learn about Ohio’s judicial system, annual election and State of the Union events, and a professional exploration trip to Washington, DC, every spring.

The STEM Exploration and Engagement Scholars program welcomes students with interests or potential majors in any of the STEM fields, including chemistry, physics, biology, computer science, data analytics, engineering, math, actuarial science or exploration. Students engage in STEM tutoring, experiment development, and volunteering within the local community, while exploring the many diverse STEM careers and reflecting on how this diversity is essential in addressing scientific questions. Incoming students who are particularly interested in the outreach and career exploration components are encouraged to apply.