How does an English major end up taking a course on the metaphysics of the Marvel cinematic universe? Simple — they’re part of the Honors Program at Southern Virginia University.
“I’m currently studying English, with history and art as my minors,” said Melia Luker, who is slated to graduate from SVU in 2025. “But as an honors student since my freshman year, I’ve had a chance to take the Marvel course and others in philosophy and science that I wouldn’t have normally taken.”
The Honors Program at SVU aims to connect our phenomenal faculty with students who are eager to learn and make the most of their academic experience. To help you get a better picture of what the program is like, we asked Luker and two of her fellow honors students to share their experiences. Read on to find out what they said.
Carter Gorham learned about the program after he returned from a mission in 2021 and attended one of SVU’s fairs to learn about majors.
“I remember being interested, but I didn’t think I had the time,” said Gorham, a music major slated to graduate in 2024.
Then, Gorham found himself taking several honors classes, because he was interested in the unique topics. (Note that you don’t have to officially join the program to take honors-focused courses. The HNR 219R half-credit courses are open to all students.)
“I took so many of them that two semesters before I graduated, I figured I might as well just go for it, write an honors thesis, and graduate with honors,” he added.
Gorham’s favorite part of the program has been this exposure to courses that aren’t connected to his music major.
“I’m really passionate about music composition, sound design, and music production, but I don’t like the idea of only being good at music,” he said. “The Honors Program has helped me find other interests that have rounded out my education and life.”
He also benefited from and enjoyed the class discussions. Gorham would complete the assigned reading before each class. Then, class time was used for professors and students to have an open discussion about the reading.
“It was this unique and free classroom environment where we got to discuss and share ideas, while learning from people who are true experts on the course subjects,” Gorham added.
His advice to future honors students? Give it a try.
“Regardless of whether you end up pursuing the program or just take a couple of classes, I say try it out,” Gorham said. “If you have even a little spark of curiosity, you have to feed that. I think it's a part of you that you can easily lose as you go through college. But you should always feed your curiosity and love for learning.”
Luker has been part of the Honors Program since the beginning. During her freshman year, she received a message from the program director, Dr. John Armstrong. (He was reaching out to a number of students to gauge interest in offering an honors program.)
“I looked at some of the classes that were being offered and saw a class that really interested me, so I decided to join,” she added. “I really enjoy learning, so it was an easy decision to be part of the program.”
As we’ve mentioned, Luker has benefited from taking courses outside of her major. But, she’s also really enjoyed being surrounded by students like her who are eager to learn.
“While I enjoy my other classes at SVU, the students in the honors classes are like me. That is, they’re excited to learn and engage,” Luker said. “So I sometimes feel like the discussions in the honors courses are more interesting and productive.”
Luker offers this advice to future honors students: have fun with it.
“I’ve really enjoyed my honors courses and seminars,” she said. “I sometimes think of it like a book club where everyone wants to be there and learn together. The Honors Program is what you make of it. It can be very low commitment, where you just take a few courses. Or you can make the most of it, and really commit to the seminars and writing your thesis. It’s totally up to you!”
Jared Smith was a student in BYU’s Honors Program. When he transferred, it seemed natural to join SVU’s program. And like Luker and Gorham, Smith appreciated that the program exposed him to courses that wouldn’t have naturally been offered with his major.
“I’ve benefited by being able to dive into a lot of topics or books that I otherwise might not have experienced,” said Smith, who majored in business and leadership and political science and is slated to graduate in 2024. “For example, I really enjoyed some of the philosophy courses, which weren't in my major, but were really interesting — and provided perspective on what i was learning and who I am as a person.”
While Smith thinks that the program does require a little more time and energy, he thinks what you learn is well worth it.
“While you can just take a class or two, you get so much more out of it if you put in the time and effort to commit to the program,” Smith said. “Depending on the class, there was a lot of heavy reading and writing, but it was challenging in a good way. It pushed me to ask questions and take the time to see things from perspectives that I might not usually see.”
If you’re a Latter-day Saint looking for a university that offers an Honors Program and also supports your faith and values, SVU might be a fit for you.
You can join the Honors Program at any time, but it’s best to start in your first year. To graduate with University Honors, you’ll need to join while there’s still room in your four-year plan to complete the requirements before graduation — typically no later than your junior year.
Some of the program requirements include completing at least six honors-focused courses and an honors thesis, and earning a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 (at the time of your graduation). The full list of requirements is available here.
Ready to take your first step toward graduating from college with honors? Learn more about SVU’s program, or complete this form.
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