Student Prospects and Parent Information
In the Honors College you’ll gain a competitive edge with limitless leadership, research and academic opportunities. Enhancing every major at Oakland University, an honors’ education provides you with additional resources to develop and enhance your highest achievements within your field of study. Additionally, with the help from a Honors College Counselor, you can carve a wider pathway that will afford you many more opportunities along the way.
The Honors College accepts high achieving students with an excellent academic record. Whether you are matriculating from high school or transferring from another college, you will join a community of students who are exceptional and who are regularly accepted into the top three graduate schools of their choice.
Select from the following tabs for more information:
The Honors College-Admission Information
2025-2026 Academic Year
Once you have been admitted to OU and your NETID and Oakland email has been setup,
ALL communication will be made via your Oakland email address.
Please check your inbox often.
New Incoming Students
If you have not already done so, you must first submit your application to Oakland University.
Application to Oakland University
High school students with a 3.7 and above GPA
You qualify to join with no additional application needed. To officially enroll and/or simply find out more information, attend a non-binding HC Info Session. You will receive an email with a link to register for the Info Session as an automatic qualifier. This information will also appear in your OU admitted student portal.
High school students with a 3.3 - 3.69 GPA
You will need to apply to The Honors College separately. You will receive an email (after OU acceptance) with instructions for applying along with additional steps to follow. If your application is approved you will be notified by email by Anne Jackson, Assistant Dean of the Honors College. You will then be prompted to attend an Honors College Info Session to confirm your enrollment.
Application to The Honors College
Transfer Students with a 3.2 and above college GPA
You may qualify to join us. You will receive an email (after OU acceptance) that includes a link to an Interest Form. This will explain your next steps and instructions on meeting individually with an Honors College Counselor to determine feasibility of official enrollment.
Oak View Housing for
Coded Honors College Students
Oak View Hall is reserved for Honors College students. Students who have already completed The Honors College Information Session, and wish to live in Oak View Hall have the opportunity to request it on the housing application. Please note that you will not be granted Oak View residency until you have been coded as an Honors College Student. Coding is managed by The Honors College and is updated after a student successfully completes The Honors College Information Session process.
Eligible Honors College students can apply for a $1,000 Moceri scholarship to be used for housing. Please reference the "Exclusive Honors College Scholarships" main tab (in the panel on the left side of this page) for more information.
University Housing handles building and room assignments and relies on database information (coding) to determine whether or not a student is eligible to live in Oak View Hall. Please contact University Housing for additional inquiries. http://p4tc.mastercases.net/housing/
HC Freshmen reside in the double style rooms in Oak View Hall while upper class students will have access to the private bedroom suites.
Honors College Student Benefits
Honors College students are also afforded many opportunities to go above and beyond to reach their maximum potential and to become leaders in society. The information below is not all inclusive and is in addition to the many other honors college benefits such as: priority housing, priority registration, both academic and career counseling, workshops, special events. symposiums and much, much more.
Additionally, The Honors College has an open door policy where we welcome our students to come and hang out in our HC student lounge which offers a typical "family room" experience.
Become a part of The Honors College team.
- Student Worker
- Teaching Assistant
- Honors College Ambassador
- Humanitarian Ambassadors
- Dean's Student Fellow
- Graduate Assistant
Internships
- Masters in Counseling Internships
- Honors College Internship Program
Research Funding
- Thesis Grants for HC3900 students (application process)
Scholarships exclusive to Honors College Students
- Pescovitz "Top Up" Scholarship for Presidential Scholars (Incoming Freshman, Platinum level)
- Walt and Donna Young Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship
- Moceri Housing Scholarship
- Barry M Klein Endowed Scholarship (Current HC Student)
- Barry M Klein Endowed Scholarship (Incoming Freshman)
- Barry S Winkler Scholarship
- David & Marion Handleman Academic Achievers and Leaders HC Endowed Scholarship (Incoming HC Freshman)
- David and Marion Handleman Academic Promise HC Endowed Scholarship
- J. Alford Hones Memorial Endowed Scholarship (Current HC Students)
- A. Alford Jones Memorial Endowed Scholarship (Incoming Freshman)
- Miron and Haija Stano Scholarship
- OU Honors College Freshman Housing Award
- OU Honors College Housing and Engagement Scholarship
- OU Honors College Merit Award
- OU Honors College Scholarship
Advising for Prestigious and Distinguished (Graduate level) Scholarships like those listed below. Contact Dr. Susan Lynne Beckwith for additional information: [email protected]
Annual Honors College Awards
- Spirit of Discovery (open to HC1000 students /fall semester)
- Big Ideas Oakland (open to HC1000 students /fall semester)
- Inspiration Award
- Annual Humanitarian Award
Exclusive Honors College Graduation Awards
- Honors College Medallion
- Presidential Scholar Medallion
- Thesis with Distinction Certificate
- Thesis with Distinction in a Field of Study Certificate and Graduation Sash
- Grade Point Average Distinction Award
- Honors College Contribution Award
- Humanitarian Award
Is it Fact or is it Fiction?
Facts
- HC students entering with AP, IB or Dual Enrollment credits may discuss
applying those credits toward their HC plan with an Honors College Adviser - HC 1000 "Making Discoveries" course is required during the fall semester of your freshman year and, is approved to fulfill either the 'Arts' or 'Western Civilization' General Education requirement along with a 'U.S. Diversity' requirement.
- Honors College Core is fulfilled by completing two HC classes (taken in place of two
OU General Education courses). - HC class options provide smaller class sizes, unique topics, and new perspectives.
- HC Involvement is fulfilled through 10 hours of any involvement outside of
the classroom (volunteer, work, student org., etc.) each year + attendance at
one Honors College event per year. - The Honors College Language requirement may be fulfilled through a variety
of options, including a personalized combination of coursework, fluency,
placement scores, and/or Study Abroad
Fiction
- Being in The Honors College means taking an extra semester or year at OU.
- Courses in The Honors College are more difficult than other classes (they are neither faster paced or cover extra content than other courses offered at OU).
- Honors College classes are extra classes (in addition to the General Education requirements required to graduate from OU).
- The HC Involvement component is rigid and too much work.
- Foreign language courses add an extra year to HC students' time in college.
HONORS COLLEGE INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Join one of our Student Organizations
Alpha Alpha Alpha
The Honors College is pleased to announce the formation of a new honor society, Alpha Alpha
Alpha (or Tri-Alpha), which recognizes the academic achievements of first-generation college
students. More information will be forthcoming in the Fall 2024 semester.
Alpha Lambda Delta
ALD provides a community of scholars, a platform to develop your leadership skills, and financial support through scholarships and educational partners. ALD has been guiding students to academic and career since 1939. More information can be found at GrizzOrgs.
Future Leader Dogs at Oakland University
All students are welcome to become members of Future Leader Dogs at Oakland University. This club, along with Leader Dog for the Blind work together to select student puppy raisers for a ten-twelve month period. The puppy will then return to Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester Hills, and continue to be trained by professional handlers before serving the visually impaired. Club members have the opportunity to help raise a puppy or become a "Campus Buddy" (sitter). Campus Buddies look after a raiser's puppy during certain classes or other times as needed. The org also host fundraisers and socials throughout the year to raise awareness about the visually impaired community and the importance of Leader Dogs for the Blind. For more information, please visit our GrizzOrgs.
Future Leader Dogs at Oakland
Oakland University News
Honors College Student Association
All HC students are automatically members of The Honors College Student Association (HCSA). HCSA hosts a variety of fun events each year for all Honors College students. To keep up to date on HCSA events, go to GrizzOrgs or to learn more, contact [email protected]
Honors College Critical & Creative Society
The Honors College Critical and Creative Society publishes OU student work in their journal, Echo Cognitio. They accept almost any form of written media including: poetry, short stories, screenplays, and research papers. And for those who don’t enjoy the thrill of writing, they also accept photography and other pieces of graphic art. Please email your submission(s) and/or your questions to [email protected]
The Honors College
509 Meadow Brook Road
Rochester, MI 48309-4452
(location map)
(248) 370-4450
Fax: (248) 370-4479
[email protected]