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No. There is no minimum ACT or SAT score required to apply to the Shackouls Honors College. Any student admitted to Mississippi State may apply beginning October 1. Applications are reviewed holistically, considering your academic achievements, writing, and overall potential for success in Honors. 

Students are invited to submit an application starting on October 1st. 

The deadline to submit your application to Honors is May 1st. Please note that if you wish to apply as a Distinguished Applicant, the deadline to take advantage of this status is December 1st. After December 1st, all students will need to apply through the standard review process. 

• Students admitted to Mississippi State before December 1 who have a 31+ ACT (or 1390+ SAT) and a 3.9+ high school GPA are invited to apply as Distinguished Applicants.  

• Distinguished Applicants complete a simplified application by submitting only the Honors essay. Letters of recommendation are not required. They also receive an expedited application review. 

• To qualify, all application materials must be submitted by December 1. After that date, students apply through the standard Honors application process. 

Yes! We will use both your super scores and the weighted GPA that you submit to the University to determine eligibility for Distinguished Applicant status.

Yes! Current Mississippi State students who wish to apply for admission may submit an application during after their first semester on campus. Applications must be submitted prior to May 1st in order to gain admission into Honors for the Fall of the following year. 

• Transfer students wishing to apply to the Honors College must complete the standard review process, with a few exceptions. 

• Transfer students who are verified members of PTK and have a GPA of 3.75 or higher will receive an invitation to join the Honors College after being admitted to Mississippi State University. 

• Additionally, students transferring from Gulf Coast Community College, Pearl River Community College, Itawamba Community College, Jones College, or Northeast Mississippi Community College who are enrolled in their institution’s Honors Program and have a GPA of 3.4 or higher may transfer directly into the Shackouls Honors College. 

If you’d like to schedule a visit with the Honors College, click the link included in this answer. We look forward to seeing you! 

The Quest courses are some of our most popular courses with Honors students! Classes are intentionally small (around 15 students) and emphasize discussion rather than lectures. Students explore works from literature, philosophy, politics, art, music, and religion while wrestling with timeless questions like: What is human nature? What is the nature of the divine? What is justice? What is truth? What is love? What is the purpose of art? and How do we know what we know? Completing Quest I and Quest II with a grade of C or higher also fulfills several General Education requirements, including Humanities, Social Sciences, and Fine Arts credits. 

While there are specific courses, that we require students to complete in their first semester, we do ask that students take at least one Honors class. Both 3 credit hour courses and 1 credit hour courses meet this requirement. Please note that students that opt to take a 1 credit hour course must take at least 2 credit hours of Honors courses in the next semester to meet the 3-credit hour per year requirement. 

Honors classes come in a variety of subjects, styles, and environments. We offer both honors-sections of major specific courses (ex: Honors Calculus I, Honors General Psychology, Honors Intro to Computer Programming, etc.) as well as exclusive Honors courses (Harry Potter and Society, Philosophy of Popular Culture, Intro to Neuroscience, etc.). If you have questions about how one or more of these types of classes might fit into your schedule, schedule a meeting with us! 

No. Honors students are required to take at least 3 credit hours of Honors courses per academic year (usually one per academic year). 

Yes. Students transferring from Gulf Coast Community College, Pearl River Community College, Itawamba Community College, Jones College, or Northeast Mississippi Community College who are enrolled in their institution’s Honors Program and have a GPA of 3.4 or higher may transfer directly into the Shackouls Honors College and may receive Honors credit toward the Cursus Honorum. 

Yes! Students who wish to take graduate level courses can also gain credit toward Honors requirements. Students who are enrolled in a Thrive-In-Five program can only do so with 6000 level courses, while those that aren’t can take a 4000/6000 split level course to do so. 

No. As an Honors College, we want to be a wealth of resources, connections, and opportunities for students at Mississippi State regardless of major. 

• The Cursus Honorum is the Shackouls Honors College’s most prestigious and challenging pathway designed to provide Honors Students with a deep immersion in classical liberal arts. Students who want to take advantage of this opportunity are expected to complete 21 hours of course credit, maintain a 3.4 GPA, study abroad, and research, write, and defend a formal research thesis.  

• Students that complete this pathway receive a special graduation hooding ceremony, a “Collegium Honorum” distinction on their diploma, as well as a “Cursus Honorum” distinction on their transcript. 

While there isn’t a formal process of choosing the Cursus Honorum, students who are interested in this pathway are encouraged to begin taking classes required by the Cursus as soon as possible. We’d also love to be a sounding board to help you figure out what the Cursus Honorum might look like for your specific major. 

To graduate as a Shackouls Honors Scholar, students must complete one 3-hour honors course (or a collection of 1 hour courses) per academic year, maintain a 3.4 GPA, and complete one capstone experience prior to graduation.  

Honors students aren’t officially assigned an advisor, but all students are encouraged to reach out to Assistant Dean George Dunn or to Honors faculty for any questions regarding Honors Advising. 

Honors advising is not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged that all students take advantage of this resource to talk through potential academic and career pathways. 

If your GPA drops below the 3.4 threshold following the conclusion of the semester, you will receive a notice indicating that you are on Honors probation. Once you have been notified, you’ll have one academic semester to get your GPA at or above a 3.4 again. For students that fail to reach this benchmark after a semester of probation, they will no longer be a part of the Honors College. 

If you would like to withdraw from the Honors College, please contact George Dunn (gdunn@honors.msstate.edu). 

• The Honors College does not offer many scholarship opportunities that are designed to help with the cost of attending the University. The scholarship that Honors facilitates is the highly competitive Presidential Endowed Scholarship which is given annually to a select group of incoming first year students and requires a scholarship application, multiple essays, and an interview.  
• Students can apply for honors funding to help offset some of the costs that might incur while participating in Study Abroad, Internship, and research opportunities. 

• Presidential Scholarships are the most prestigious scholarships awarded at MSU. These are awarded to a select number of the most outstanding entering freshmen on a competitive basis. Renewable annually up to 8 semesters at MSU based on overall college GPA.  
• The package includes intentional mentorship, costs for tuition, meal plan, and **housing for four years of undergraduate study, as well as $12,000 for enrichment opportunities, such as study abroad and undergraduate research. 

Honors students are some of the most highly engaged undergraduates in research on campus. To get started, explore the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Discovery’s website, including pages like Getting Started with Research and Search MSU Research Opportunities. You can also connect with our Undergraduate Research Ambassadors for guidance and support. 

Shackouls Honors College students participate in a variety of study abroad opportunities, including faculty-led programs, exchange programs, and independent study abroad experiences through the International Institute and the Office of Study Abroad. The Honors College also offers its own Summer Study at Oxford program, providing students with a unique honors-focused international academic experience. Regardless of which program you choose, honors students are encouraged to explore their options, timelines, and requirements early in their academic careers. The Shackouls Honors College also offers competitive funding to help support students’ study abroad experiences. Talk with your honors advisor to find the program that best fits your academic interests, personal goals, and degree plan. 

Honors students in good standing are eligible to apply to fellowships that help fund their enrichment activities: the Shackouls Research Fellowship, the HURP Travel/Virtual Conference Award, and the Dr. Edward Scott Honors College Emerging Professionals Internship Award.   Just be sure to attend at least one Shackouls Honors College event during the academic year to stay connected and eligible! 

Yes! Mississippi State students have earned some of the world's most prestigious scholarships and fellowships, including the Rhodes, Marshall, Churchill, Gates Cambridge, Truman, Fulbright, Boren, Astronaut, Critical Language, Udall, Goldwater, Hollings, and Fulbright UK scholarships, as well as DAAD-RISE internships, PPIA Junior Summer Institute placements, and Humanity in Action Fellowships. To explore the full list of Mississippi State's prestigious scholarship recipients, visit our Office of Prestigious External Scholarships winners page. 

To make an appointment with the Office of Prestigious External Scholarships with the Director of the Office of Prestigious External Scholarships Dr. David Hoffman or our Coordinator for External Fellowships & Scholarships Morgan Hunt, please send an email or follow the link to their calendars. 

No. Honors students are not required to live in specific residence halls, but we strongly encourage freshmen Honors students to consider living in either Griffis or Nunnelee Halls. Students who live in these halls are surrounded by other driven Honors students and have immediate access to Honors-specific classrooms, study spaces, student programming, advising, and networking opportunities. 

Honors students are not guaranteed a spot in Griffis or Nunnelee. Rooms in both of these residence halls are awarded by Housing and Residence life on a first come, first served basis. Your housing priority is based on the date and time that you submit your application for admission to the University. 

Yes, with a few exceptions. All students who wish to live in Griffis Hall must be a current member of the Honors College. Honors students who wish to live in Honors housing with a non-Honors roommate made do so in Nunnelee Hall. 

The Shackouls Honors College helps you make the most of your Mississippi State experience. Honors students enjoy: 

• Priority course registration 
• Small discussion-based Honors classes 
• Personalized Honors advising 
• Streamlined access to undergraduate research 
• Mentorship for prestigious scholarships and fellowships 
• Funding for research, internships, and study abroad 
• The opportunity to live in the Honors residential community (space permitting) 
• Free printing at the Holmes Center for Student Success 

Most importantly, you'll join a close-knit community of ambitious students from every major who are committed to making the most of their time at Mississippi State. Upon graduation, students in good standing earn the distinction of Shackouls Honors Scholar, permanently noted on their official transcript. 

Yes, Shackouls Honors students receive priority course registration based on class rank.   

Yes, Shackouls Honors students are encouraged to participate in many other Mississippi State University student activities.  We want our Honors students to be deeply engaged across the whole university.  

Yes, Honors students are assessed a $75 programming fee each semester they are enrolled in the Honors College. This fee is added to your student account at the beginning of each semester. 

The Shackouls Honors Program Fee supports a range of student opportunities and experiences that include:

• Events and receptions (e.g., Honors Fall Convocation, Honors engagement fair, annual spring Honors Awards ceremony(
• Sponsored and co-sponsored event lectures (e.g., Prime Minster David Cameron) 
• Graduation regalia for graduating seniors (e.g., stoles for all honors students and Cursus hoods for Cursus Honorum gradutes)
• Student funds to support study abroad, research and internships
• Student production of plays and performing arts showcases that contribute to a positive student residential living-learning experience on campus
• Student experiential learning and student engagement activities
• Support for SHC student groups (i.e., Honors Council, Streetcar Literary Journal, Honors Student Ambassadors, Honors OnState)
• Student registration and travel to state, regional and national conferences 

The Shackouls Honors program fee is less than many other Honors College program fees. For example, South Carolina has a $750 program fee per semester; Clemson has a $550 program fee per semester; Auburn has a $250 program fee per semester; Kentucky has a $250 program fee per semester, and the University of Alabama has a $300 program fee per semester.