Exceptional students with existing college credit? There’s a track for that

Augusta University admitted 771 new, non-transfer, full-time students for the fall 2015 semester. Of those, 239 – or roughly 31 percent – brought some college credit with them. Of the university’s 85 new non-Professional Scholar Honors students, more than half had already earned some college credit.

A high number of imported credits limits opportunities for some of the university’s most qualified students. That, according to Dr. Tim Sadenwasser, director of the university’s Honors Program, is a problem multiple collegiate honors programs across the country are currently looking to address.

“More and more students are arriving with AP credit, lots of what we in Georgia call ‘Move on When Ready’ credit,” Sadenwasser said. “The challenge is, how do we bring in these students who are freshmen but have essentially sophomore standing already?”

In response, the university’s Honors Program will add a new Honors Scholars Track in the fall of 2016.

The track, designed for students who have already completed 24 or more credit hours, is intended for incoming and current students who wish to take advantage of the Honors Program’s offerings. Students choosing to participate in the Honors Scholars Track will have access to the same advanced coursework and undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activity opportunities as traditional honors students.

Qualifying students will take a limited number of core courses, but will still be expected to take part in seminars and to write a thesis. Upon completion of the Honors Scholars Track, students will earn the distinction of graduating as an Honors Scholar.

To complete the Honors Scholars Track, students accepted into the program must complete a minimum of 16 hours of coursework and maintain an overall GPA of 3.3.

Students seeking entry into the Honors Scholars Track can apply by submitting a completed online application to the Honors Program director. Application forms will be available soon on the Honors program website.

“The opportunity for students to work with some of our best research faculty and really explore their discipline, is a very transformative experience,” Sadenwasser said. “This is our way of responding to the fact that Augusta University is bringing in some truly high caliber students, and we certainly don’t want to miss out on them.”

Contact Tim Sadenwasser at tsaden@augusta.edu for more information about the Honors Scholars Track.