This is a very important question and we have some answers that might help.
The Honors College exists to help you make the most of your education experience academically, culturally, and socially. Our program gives you — the student — more control over your academic experience by making our Honors College degrees flexible, customizable, and compatible with any major on campus. We’ll get into that below, but to get a quick overview of what Honors can do for you, take a look at our ‘bullet list’ of options and opportunities.
THE HONORS COLLEGE at WASHINGTON ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY
- The only Honors College in SDA Higher Education
- Combine multiple areas of study in one customized degree
- Enhanced learning opportunities in the Nation’s Capital
- Study-on-location in the UKÂ [details here]
- A new dual-enrollment law school option [details here]
- Pre-Law curriculum and Mock Trial team [details here]
- Model United Nations and other Global Opportunities [details here]
- MCAT and LSAT classes for credit
- Digital research in Adventist Heritage Archives
- Expedited pathways to graduation…finish in 3 years!
Sound interesting? Keep reading for more details.
1. Efficient Academic Progress
First year Honors College students take a mix of Honors and traditional classes. The Honors College classes are designed to fulfill multiple general education requirements, meaning you can complete your general education requirements more efficiently — giving you more time to take courses you really want to take. Here is a short explanation of what we mean.
| First Year Honors Course | Credit Hours | Requirements Covered |
| ENGL 101H: Honors Rhetoric | 3 | ENGL 101 (3) COMM 105 (3) |
| HRNS 125: Biblical and Classical Roots I | 3 | LITR Gen Ed (3) HUMANITIES Gen Ed (3) |
| HRNS 126: Biblical and Classical Roots II | 3 | HIST Gen Ed (3) SOCIAL SCIENCE Gen Ed (3) |
| 9 Total Hours | 18 Total Hours |
So…in just your first year in the Honors College 9 credit hours of Honors general education will fulfill the requirements of 18 credit hours in a traditional program. You’ll make up those 9 hours taking Honors College electives that you get to choose — and those credits hours will count toward your overall credit needs and your Honors degree. Again…more efficient. We often have Honors College students who can finish their Honors degree programs one or even two semesters early!
2. Flexible and Customized Degree Options
Honors College students can major in any discipline, but our innovative Interdisciplinary major gives flexibility to any program of study, including pre-professional tracks such as Pre-Med and Pre-Law.
HERE ARE SOME GREAT REASONS TO JOIN THE HONORS COLLEGE
HERE ARE SOME GREAT REASONS TO JOIN THE HONORS COLLEGE** Expand your academic experiences with flexible, innovative options
 So you can major in the area of study of your choice and work on an Interdisciplinary Honors degree through the Honors College. And we make it possible to do it efficiently by providing general education courses that fulfil more than one requirement — leaving you more time to take the courses you want to take later on. For example, Honors Rhetoric — a first year course — fulfils the requirement for both ENGL101 and COMM101. That’s 6 general education credit requirements met with only one class! With this kind of efficiency, you can fewer but better courses while you are in the Honors College.
** More opportunities and value for your tuition dollars.
The Honors College at WAU offers regular opportunities to see concerts, plays, lectures, and exhibitions in the Washington, D.C. region, as well as annual events on campus. Honors students can also study-on-location in England and participate in internationally-focused programs such as Model United Nations. There are advantages to being next door to the Nation’s Capital — and we try to capitalize on those advantages every day!
** Take courses that are unlike anything you have taken before.
The Honors College Interdisciplinary major and minor are designed to help you customize your academic experience. Popular courses offered in the past include: Diseases in History; Art and Adventism; Civil War Study Tour; and Bio-Ethics. In the Fall of 2020 we offered a unique course called Elections 2020 that carefully followed and analyzed the 2020 election in real time! In the Summer of 2021 we introduced a FREE course called Introduction to Innovation, taught be Professor Andy Howell who used to work as the Chief Innovation Officer for the U.S. Coast Guard. New courses we’ve just initiated include:
- LITR 494H: “Comics, Graphic Novels, and Visual Storytelling”
- PLST 494H: “Supreme Court Seminar”
- PLST 294H: “Business, Politics, and the Global Economy.”
** Be part of an active and supportive academic community.
One of the great aspects of the Honors College is its energetic and friendly atmosphere. Honors students like to be in school, and also enjoy interacting with their fellow students and teachers. Friends you make in Honors in your first year will likely be your friends upon graduation from WAU and beyond.
** Be recognized for your leadership and service activities.
Through the Honors College your leadership and service internship activities are taken for credit, and are included in your academic transcript. You are able to work with the Leadership and Service Advisor to find internships that take place on campus, in the local community, or at some of the internationally recognized organizations in the Washington, D.C area.
If any of this appeals to you, we hope you take a close look at the WAU Honors College because we might be just what you are looking for. Please request an application form or further information by emailing honorscollege@wau.edu or apply now by filling out an application today.
