Honors College
A Community of Scholars
As an Honors College student, you will work with mentors and fellow students to get the most out of your undergraduate experience.
CONNECT. CREATE. CONTRIBUTE.
Completing your degree through the Honors College will help connect you to the big questions of the human experience, create new knowledge of the world around you, and contribute your unique skills and experiences as a changemaker in a dynamic world that needs leaders like you!
The Honors College offers programs for incoming freshmen who apply in their senior year of high school and for current East Texas A&M and transfer students. As part of the Honors College, you will experience an interdisciplinary curriculum featuring unique and challenging courses. With small class sizes and personal faculty mentors, you will complete a capstone experience, such as working with a faculty member on a research project, engaging in an off-campus internship or a project of your own design! Honors College students are eligible to apply for Honors housing and for scholarships that can help offset tuition, fees, housing, meals and books.
How to Apply
After applying to the university, complete the Honors College application, which opens on September 15, 2024. In the Honors College, we look at the whole person and the experiences that compose the mosaic of who you are. A reflective essay, high school grade point average, and supplemental information will be evaluated to create an overall application score. This score determines if a student moves to the next stage of the application process.
Applicants who earn at least 50 points are eligible for admission to the Honors College. Please note that admission to the Honors College does not automatically accompany a scholarship offer. Some selected applicants will be invited to apply for scholarships of up to $4000 per year, renewable for four years.
The deadline for applications is January 20, 2025. Applications received after this date will be held for waitlist consideration.
Essay Prompts (choose one, up to 750 words)
1. Being an active member of a community can help people feel more connected to others and often provides a reliable support system. Reflect on your membership in a community – academic, civic, professional, or extracurricular. Why is this community meaningful to you? How has it shaped you into the person you are today? Describe how it has helped you in times of need and/or how you have supported others.
2. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
3. Obstacles we face in life can often be the initial catapult to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? Describe what you would do differently.
Section 1: Essay (0-45 pts)
Up to 45 points to be scored by Honors College faculty. Prompts can be found in the application. This is your chance to show us who you are!
Section 2: High School Grade Point Average (0-45)
Unweighted, 4.0 scale
| Rank | Points |
| 3.76-4.0 | 45 |
| 3.51-3.75 | 35 |
| 3.26-3.5 | 25 |
| 3.0-3.25 | 15 |
| Below 3.0 | 0 |
Section 3: Supplemental Assessment (0-10)
Anything that you feel best represents your ability to be successful in the Honors College. Including but not limited to:
- SAT/ACT Scores
- Dual Credit
- Transcripts
- Letters of Recommendation
- Resume
- Sample of Work
- Other
Up to 10 points earned by this section collectively.
Add point totals from all three sections.
50 points needed to qualify for the Honors College*
*Admission to the Honors College does not automatically guarantee a scholarship offer.
The Honors College Current/Transfer Student program allows you to reap the benefits of the honors experience and graduate with honors designation. You will take honors courses and complete a capstone experience, which might include a thesis, internship or project of your own design.
Learn more about this program by contacting [email protected] or download the Honors program application to apply.
Whats New in 2025?
The Honors College at East Texas A&M is changing, and we want you on our journey! To better meet the needs of students and families in Northeast Texas, we are making some changes to our application process and broadening access to our program.
Graduate with Honors through one of two programs available at East Texas A&M: the cohort program for entering freshmen, or the program for current and transfer students. Both programs offer the opportunity to take Honors-only courses, apply for Honors scholarships, engage in high-impact educational experiences and complete a capstone project with a faculty mentor.
Changes to the Honors College beginning with the Fall 2025 cohort
- No interviews will be required as part of the application process
- Admission to the Honors College will not automatically be accompanied by a scholarship offer. However, all Honors College students will be able to apply for grants to support specific projects.
- A select number of students will be invited to apply for a scholarship of up to $2000 per semester, renewable for up to 8 semesters.
- The Honors College housing requirement will mirror the university housing requirement. Thus, if a student lives within the commutable distance of 50 miles or less than one hour drive time from campus, they may apply for a waiver to the on-campus housing requirement through myLeo by clicking Apps > Residential Living & Learning > Commuter Request. The Commuter Request will open in March 2025.
Honors College Benefits
Students receiving the Honors College scholarship will complete 30 hours of Honors curriculum including an approved capstone project. Students also have the option to live in on-campus Honors housing, which is highly encouraged! Those living within the commutable distance of 50 miles (one hour drive) may apply for a waiver to the university’s on-campus housing requirement through Residential Living & Learning.
The Honors College at East Texas A&M offers scholarships to incoming freshmen each fall. Offers are assigned at the time of scholarship acceptance and may be up to $2000 per semester (stackable with other university scholarships). Scholarships are applied toward the student’s account each semester. Other funding is available to support student-designed projects (undergraduate research, study away, service-based projects, etc.).
Frequently asked questions
The Honors experience at East Texas A&M provides students with opportunities to connect, create, and contribute. Students will connect to the big questions of the human experience, create new knowledge of the world around them, and contribute their unique skills and experiences a changemaker in a dynamic world.
Access our simple online application at rsvo.rf518.com/honorsapp
Anyone with at least a 3.0 GPA can be admitted to the Honors College, but must signify their interest in the program by completing our simple online application. Applicants who earn at least 50 points on our rubric can be considered for the Honors Undergraduate Fellowship Program.
No. After the application deadline (January 25), selected applicants will receive information regarding applying for the Honors Undergraduate Fellowship Program, which includes a scholarship.
Honors Undergraduate Fellows will receive a flat rate scholarship of $2000 per semester for up to 8 semesters (stackable with other university scholarships).
Honors 50 students will be accepted for Fall 2025.
There is no set amount at this time, we want to expand access to our program.
Those not receiving a scholarship offer can still apply for funding to support Honors-approved undergraduate research, projects, internships, and more.
The Honors College housing policy mirrors the university housing policy. Thus, incoming students in the local area may apply for a commuter waiver through their housing application if they live within 50 miles (one hour drive). Those who wish to live on campus will live in the Phase II residence hall.
Students must successfully complete Honors courses and a set amount of co-curricular experiences. Also, students will maintain a 3.3 GPA and complete a capstone experience. Capstone experiences will be expanded to include many experiential and transformative learning experiences, such as research, internships, and projects designed by a student. There is a capstone option for you!
Student Organizations
Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi is the oldest and most prestigious general honor society in the United States. More than 30,000 students are inducted each year from over 300 colleges and universities across the nation. East Texas A&M University founded Chapter 322 in 2013 and holds regular induction ceremonies each year.
To join, students must be invited and approved by the chapter president.
Membership can be earned through a multitude of avenues:
- Juniors must have completed at least 72 credit hours, with at least 24 semester hours at their current institution, and rank in the top 7.5 percent of their class.
- Seniors must have completed at least 90 credit hours, with at least 24 semester hours at their current institution, and rank in the top 10 percent of their class.
- Graduate students must have completed at least 18 graduate hours or the equivalent at their institution and rank in the top 10 percent of their class.
- Faculty, professional staff and alumni who achieve scholarly distinction may also be eligible.
Invitations for Phi Kappa Phi are distributed every spring semester.
News Spotlights
A&M-Commerce Alum Receives Prestigious Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship
The Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) Honor Society recently awarded MacKenzie Van Buren, an A&M-Commerce alum, a Fellowship wo…
A&M-Commerce Names New Honors College Dean Following National Search
Dr. Erin L. Webster Garrett is set to join A&M-Commerce as dean of the Honors College on July 1. She is currently the a…
Preserving History: TAMUC Student Helps Keep The East Texan Alive
Jackson Thornton, a senior Computer Science major at A&M-Commerce, is helping preserve the university’s rich hi…
A&M-Commerce Hosts Special Education Mini Field Day for Commerce ISD
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A&M-Commerce Alum Joins Tarleton Psychology Faculty
A&M-Commerce alumni Dr. Amanda Stevens accepted a position as assistant professor of psychology at Tarleton Sta…
Honors College Student at A&M-Commerce Earns Study Abroad Grant
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi recently awarded A&M-Commerce Honors College student Haley Turner a $1,000 gra…
A&M-Commerce Graduate is “The Voice of Hunt County”
Texas A&M University-Commerce alum Carissa Carter has been singing for as long as she can remember. Her talent and…
A&M-Commerce Chemistry Student Receives Recognition at Regional Meeting
A&M-Commerce chemistry student Shea Garland received recognition for Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Prese…
Health and Human Performance Undergrad Selected for Research Funding
The Texas Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (TACSM) has selected A&M-Commerce student Taryn Cas…
Alumni
The alumni of the Honors College and Regents Scholar program pride themselves on building a community of scholars whose friendships persist beyond East Texas A&M. The relationships you build here can last a lifetime.
As an alum of one of our programs, we value you. We strive to keep in touch through networking events, mixers and of course, homecoming reunions. To receive communication from us, please take a moment to ensure your information is up-to-date with the university’s Alumni office.
We would love to hear from you! Send us updates in our alumni private groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, or contact us at [email protected] or 903.468.3001.
Meet our Department
Contact Us
- Honors College
- 903.468.3001
- [email protected]
- Velma K. Waters Library Suite 156
- P.O. Box 3011
- Commerce, TX 75429-3011
