Overview
The Program of Study (POS) identifies the courses and activities which will add “Honors Character” to your degree program. The POS requirements are in addition to the seminar, project, and GPA requirements (see Program Requirements). To complete a POS in the Engineering Honors Program, you must take at least two honors courses, not including FHP courses such as Lib 160H, Hon 121, and Engl 250H, and illustrate excellence in three pillar areas: depth in your chosen area of study, breadth in study outside science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and community and professional development.
POS Requirement 1: Two Honors Courses
These courses may be regularly scheduled honors sections, honors contract courses, or graduate-level courses. It is expected that they will be 3+ credits each. Courses you take to meet requirement 1 can also be used in requirement 2.
POS Requirement 2: Excellence in the Three Pillars: Depth, Breadth, and Community and Professional Development
For each pillar area, you may use one intense expression, or two moderate expressions. If electing two moderate expressions, you may use the same type of expression more than once. For example, a moderate expression of depth is an honors course in a STEM area – you could take two honors STEM courses and use each of them as a moderate expression of depth. Some students may have two intense expressions in the same pillar. In that case, we allow one of those to substitute as a moderate expression in another pillar (this substitution allowance does not apply to, say, four moderate expressions in one pillar, or one intense and two moderate expressions in one pillar, or anything other than two intense expressions in one pillar).
A two-page printable version of the POS guidelines is here COE Honors Program POS Guidelines (pdf).
Expressions for each of the pillars are described below:
Breadth
Intense expressions include:
- A minor, certificate, or second major in a non-STEM field (excluding leadership, which is in the community & professional development pillar)
- Non-STEM research activity resulting in peer-reviewed evidence of scholarship, with you as the first student author
Moderate expressions include:
- 3 credits of honors coursework in a non-STEM area (social science, humanities, business), excluding ENGL 250H
- a 300-level or above social science or humanities course applied to your BS degree requirements, but at a higher level than the minimum required for your curriculum
- a 200-level or above social science or humanities course not applied to your BS degree requirements
- 4 credits of performing arts (such as music performance, dance, theater) not applied to your BS degree
- a 300-level or above business course not applied to your BS degree
- An undergraduate research project in a non-STEM area (non-STEM honors project would count here)
Depth
Intense expressions include:
- A minor, certificate, or second major in a STEM field
- STEM research activity resulting in peer-reviewed evidence of scholarship, with you as the first student author
Moderate expressions include:
- 3 credits of honors coursework in a STEM area
- A graduate-level STEM course either as an addition to your required curriculum or as a substitution for a lower-level requirement
- An undergraduate research project not included in your required honors project
- Enrollment and participation in a STEM departmental graduate seminar series
Community and Professional Development
Intense expressions include:
- A minor or certificate in leadership
- Formal study- or work-abroad for a semester or more, in a country other than your home country
Moderate expressions include:
- 3 credits of honors leadership coursework
- 3 credits of leadership coursework, not applied to your BS degree
- Membership in Tau Beta Pi
- Leadership in a campus or community organization
- Leadership in the University Honors Program (as a UA, FHP Leader, or Honors Ambassador)
- Serving as a learning community Peer Mentor
- Study- or work-abroad for less than a semester but for at least 6 weeks, in a country other than your home country
- Working as an SI tutor or help room staff
- A formal TA position involving lecturing, leading a discussion, or managing a laboratory (grading-only positions will not be considered)
- Studying at Iowa State as an international Student.
Expressions that are experiential in nature may not appear on your degree audit. In order to verify those expressions, before you can graduate in honors, you will need to provide appropriate documentation of those experiences and how they illustrate honors character. See this page for more information: POS Documentation for Experiential Expressions
If you have questions about how to fulfill the POS requirements, or about how to interpret any of the guidelines, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions.
If your question is not answered there, email your departmental representative, or engrhonors@iastate.edu.
Submitting Your POS
Fill out this form: COE Honors POS form (.docx)
You are required to submit your POS no later than four semesters prior to the term in which you are graduating (by Sept. 21 or Feb. 21 for fall/spring semester respectively). For people on a four-year plan for degree completion, that would be the second semester of sophomore year. Failure to submit a POS by the appropriate deadline for your graduation term may result in suspension from the Honors Program.
Email your completed POS form, along with any required documents (for POS elements that are not visible on your degree audit; see the second page of the guidelines linked above), to engrhonors@iastate.edu. These forms should be Word documents.
Programs of Study are evaluated on a rolling basis. When you submit your POS, it will be considered by a panel of EHP faculty committee members, and you will be notified of their decision. A POS may be accepted, returned for minor revision, or rejected if it does not meet the requirements. If your POS is not accepted, suggestions for appropriate changes will be given. Your changes will be due within three weeks. The date will be provided with your feedback.