Nisbet Honors Frequently Asked Questions

Are there courses that can count toward both honors requirements and major requirements? Many Honors Program requirements help students incorporate their degree interests into the program.  Interdisciplinary team-taught honors courses often fulfill both an honors course requirement and a major requirement. These dual field courses give each student the opportunity to satisfy honors requirements and sometimes a major requirement. In addition, an honors-directed independent study can often be used to satisfy a major elective requirement, and a senior honors thesis will usually satisfy major requirements. If a student wishes to take honors courses that will satisfy both the honors requirements and the degree-seeking department’s requirements, they will need to consult with their advisor to confirm that the courses will meet both requirements before enrolling.

Can two additional honors courses be taken at any time during the four years of undergraduate work? Yes, two additional honors courses can be taken at any time over a four-year undergraduate period at Converse.  We advise you to speak with your advisor and create a four year plan of coursework as soon as possible. It is extremely important that you understand what it will take both inside and outside of the classroom to complete a degree while participating in the Nisbet Honors Program.

How can the honors courses be worked around a double major and minor? The Honors Program requirements have been designed to help you fulfill both General Education and major requirements. Depending on the course offerings and majors, various interdisciplinary honors courses may allow you to study how dual majors coincide with each other. Doing either an honors directed independent study or a senior honors thesis may allow you to combine topics across your majors and/or minor, a kind of interdisciplinary study which you would not usually gain from most major courses.

Can I still participate in the Honors Program if I’m a Music Education major or an Interior Design major? Yes. Given your limited number of electives, however, you will need to occasionally take an overload to fit in required honors courses, and you will need to PLAN AHEAD even more carefully than students with less restrictive majors.

Can I pursue both an individualized major and the Honors Program? Yes, you can complete both an individualized major and the Honors Program. This combination helps you incorporate your Honors Program requirements into your individualized major. Whether or not the Honors Program requirements and your agreed-upon individualized degree requirements will coincide depends on your chosen topics within your individualized major.

Is there a different grading scale for the Honors Program?  No.  Courses are not weighted differently.

How much time out of the classroom would I spend on an honors course? The time you spend out of the classroom for each honors course will vary based on the topic and your own background.  Since each course is designed to give you an opportunity to broaden your education, each course will have different requirements. Most honors students will tell you there is a difference in the amount of time you spend outside the classroom in an ENG 101 course versus the amount of time spent on a ENG/MUH 299H Interdisciplinary Honors Course.  It is advised that you to take the bulk of your honors courses during your freshman and sophomore years at Converse, rather than squeezing them in with the core courses you will take for your major(s) throughout your junior and senior years.

Is the program manageable while playing a sport? Yes. Converse’s Honors Program is entirely manageable while being an athlete.  Many Honors Program graduates played a sport here, and a few have even played dual sports while earning their degrees from Converse.

What is the Honors Program Student Board, and how can I join? The Student Board is designed so that the students in the Honors Program have an opportunity to voice their opinions on events, guest speakers, course offerings, etc. Each year, board members have an opportunity to nominate two prospects from the new freshman class to join the board.

What do Nisbet Honors Students do after they graduate? More than half of Nisbet graduates enter graduate school after Converse, receiving admission into law school, medical school, and masters and doctoral programs. Many more find fulfilling careers in a variety of fields where they distinguish themselves by their passion, commitment to excellence, and ability to think and write critically across disciplines.

Graduate Schools

• Princeton University
• Georgetown University
• University of Chicago
• Yale University
• Cornell University
• Vanderbilt University
• University of Virginia
• University of Tennessee Veterinary College
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• University of Texas
• University of Georgia
• Medical University of South Carolina
• The College of William and Mary

Jobs

• Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Global Community Outreach for SkyPower Global, the world’s largest solar development company
• Foreign Service Officer for U.S. State Department in Geneva, Switzerland
• College professors
• Web designers and managers
• Teacher for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• HIV Outreach Worker in South Africa
• Interior Designer
• Librarian
• Registered Nurse
• Attorney

Accolades

• Full scholarships into graduate schools with annual stipends
• Fulbright Scholarships
• Goldwater Scholarship Competition honorable mentions
• Presidential Teaching
• Fellowship at the University of South Carolina
• Internship in Senator Jim DeMint’s Greenville Office

Don’t see your question listed above?
Please feel free to contact Dr. Laura Brown at laura.brown@converse.edu