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The Donna and Walt Young Honors College

The Donna and Walt Young Honors College was established to provide highly motivated students an intellectually stimulating community, as well as exceptional opportunities for leadership and involvement. The curriculum offers a distinctive undergraduate experience that integrates the sciences, the professional fields and the arts through research, colloquia, creative and scholarly activities. Additional support is provided for distinctive extra-curricular activities, as well as collaboration within the university and larger community. It offers specially designed general education courses, and a personalized Honors plan of study. Students admitted to the Young Honors College (YHC) must first be admitted to or enrolled at Oakland University. Courses with the HC prefix are open only to students who have been accepted into the Young Honors College.

Departmental Majors

Each student must complete a departmental major in the College of Arts and Sciences or a prescribed course of study in the School of Business Administration, the School of Education and Human Services, the School of Engineering and Computer Science, the School of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing or the Bachelor of Integrative Studies.

General Education Requirements of The Donna and Walt Young Honors College and a Personalized Honors Plan of Study

The Young Honors College offers selected core general education courses, from this catalog, as designed for student needs or determined by proposals submitted by faculty and accepted by a Young Honors College committee. Specific offerings for each semester may be found on SAIL and on the Young Honors College website. Confirmation of specific requirements for graduation of the Young Honors College will be provided by a Young Honors College Counselor by way of a personalized Honors Plan of Study.

1. The student must successfully complete course and typically two Young Honors College core courses, based on the personalized Honors Plan of Study.

2. The student must successfully complete at least one approved General Education course in each of the 10 knowledge areas that are not covered by the YHC core courses taken.

3. The student must complete an approved writing intensive course in General Education Requirements, (which may be satisfied by choosing course), a writing intensive course in the major, a diversity course and a capstone. These four requirements may be met by courses that double-count in other general education areas or in the major.

4. The student must complete a foreign language and culture requirement as determined in consultation with a YHC Counselor in the personalized Honors Plan of Study.

5. The student must successfully complete course.

6. The student must complete a senior thesis.

Note: The Young Honors College requirements partially replace university general education requirements and replace Exploratory requirements for students in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Donna and Walt Young Honors College Involvement

  • 10 hours per year of involvement outside of the classroom

  • One YHC event per year which may count toward involvement hours

  • Meet with a YHC Counselor at least once each academic year for creation and maintenance of a personalized Young Honors College Plan of Study

The Donna and Walt Young Honors College Good Standing Guidelines

The student must maintain yearly requirements in the Young Honors College. Good Standing Guidelines are available from Young Honors College Counselors and in the Young Honors College Student Information Google Site.

Honors Thesis

Each Young Honors College student will successfully complete a major scholarly work or creative project under the guidance and supervision of a faculty mentor. The Young Honors College Thesis can be awarded as Thesis (Pass), Thesis (with Distinction) or Thesis (with Distinction and a Thesis Award in a particular field). The Young Honors College thesis/project provides a unique opportunity to work at length on a project designed to contribute to the student’s field of expertise and enhance their level of research or creative practice experience. Students complete individual theses, but can choose to work individually or in a team.

A minimum grade-point average of 3.50 is required for graduation with The Young Honors College designation. The diploma indicates that the student is a graduate of The Donna and Walt Young Honors College.

Courses