Honors Program

The Honors Program at Oklahoma Baptist University offers a transformative educational experience, rooted in the Christian faith and in the Great Books Tradition. In 24 hours of dynamic, discussion-based Honors core classes during freshman and sophomore years, students trace the development of Western civilization. Each course is team-taught by three Honors professors from fields such as philosophy, literature, fine arts, history and theology.

Hear more about Honors from students and professors in the program.

Qualifications

The Honors Program requires a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.5 to apply. While the program does not have a minimum test score required, the average ACT composite score for the last five entering classes has been 29 and the average SAT score has been 1350. A comparable average CLT score would be 91. 

Apply to the Honors Program

Features of the Honors Program

In classes that alternate between group lectures and smaller seminars, Honors students read the works of the greatest intellectuals down through the ages—Plato, Aristotle, Homer, Virgil, Augustine, Dante, Shakespeare, Locke, Jefferson, Franklin and Dostoyevsky, to name just a few. We conceive of the Honors experience as an ongoing conversation about how humankind can pursue the good of the intellect through contemplation of truth, beauty, justice, redemption, sanctification and eternity.

Honors students also have the chance to explore the world by joining OBU faculty on a month-long, low-cost summer study abroad program. Previous trips have enabled students to explore England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France. Upcoming trips could offer future Honors students the chance to travel to China, Peru, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Greece or Italy. Students can earn anywhere from three to ten hours of OBU class credit while completing their study abroad capstone.

Whether on campus or abroad, Honors students also take colloquia, which are small, seminar-style classes on specialized topics. Colloquia allow students to take classes on subjects outside their chosen majors, broadening their horizons by investigating fascinating topics such as Musings on the Multiverse; Plagues, Pandemics, and Biowarfare; Theological Animation in Veggie Tales; or The Medieval Roots of The Lord of the Rings.

Many students complete their time in Honors by writing a thesis on a topic of their choice within their major. Guided by professors who are experts in their fields, students produce original and outstanding research and present it to professors, family and friends on campus the spring before they graduate. For more information on the features of the Honors Program curriculum and requirements, go to Honors Curriculum.

Participation in the Honors Program prepares students for future success, making them outstanding candidates for graduate studies or prestigious careers in their chosen fields. But we do not want students to join simply for the tangible benefits. The real rewards of our program reside in the rich relationships with peers, faculty and ideas. And, prospective students, be warned: such relationships are likely to change your life.

For Information Contact

Student Coordinator

Brooklyn Pfennig
SSC Writing Coordinator and Head Desk Captain