The Honors College past, present, and into tomorrow...
West Virginia University has a long history of providing enhanced educational opportunities for academically talented students by offering advanced "honors" level classes in many disciplines.
During the 1960’s, the College of Arts and Sciences offered innovative courses that were limited to 15 students and focused on providing students with individual attention and the opportunity for active participation in classroom discussion.
Then in 1971-72, the College of Arts and Sciences launched a departmental Honors Program that was the forerunner of today’s university-wide Honors College.
As the Arts & Science Honors Program progressed, it became increasingly evident that it would be beneficial to open the program to all WVU students. In 1982–83, the Honors Program at WVU was established and had 196 members by the end of its first year.
The Honors Program continued to grow in size, quality, and recognition, and in 2006, the Honors Program became the Honors College at West Virginia University, which now has over 2600 student members.
The Honors College continues to expand and develop as our student body continues to grow. This year's freshmen class was more than 900 students.
The Honors College also has three divisions that provide services to all students.
- ASPIRE helps students compete for nationally competitive scholarships such as Rhodes and Truman and provides assistance with graduate and professional school applications.
- Pre-Health Professional Development Office helps students become competitive applicants for medical, dental, veterinary, and other professional schools.
- Office of Undergraduate Research assists undergraduate students, who have strong and committed interests in research and creative endeavors, to faculty members, programs, and research-related opportunities.