A BRIEF OVERVIEW: CSUB has offered special honors classes for its very best students
since the fall of 1980. What began as a two-year general education Honors Program was
expanded to a four-year program in 1998 when Mrs. Helen Hawk Windes, a local
philanthropist, donated one million dollars in support of its activities. Approximately
300 students are currently enrolled in the University Honors Program, which provides
classes with CSUB's finest faculty members, registration priority, scholarships, enjoyable
social events, a special honors lounge, and other unique educational opportunities
available only to members of this distinctive program. Unlike honors courses
traditionally offered at the high school level, the honors classes at CSUB are not graded
more severely than their non-honors counterparts. These courses do, however, provide a
chance for our top students to interact with other extremely bright, high-achieving
undergraduates from throughout our service region in classes that are exciting,
stimulating, and intellectually challenging.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: In order to be admitted directly from high school, students
must fulfill one of the following criteria: (1) an SAT score of 1180 or above (on
critical reading and math only), (2) an ACT score of 26 or above, or (3) a high school GPA
of 3.80 or above (with at least an 1120 on the SAT or a 24 on the ACT). Transfer students
or CSUB continuing students may be admitted to the program at the junior level if they
have earned at least a 3.50 GPA in their first two years of college.
COURSE PATTERNS: During the freshman-sophomore years of the program, students will take
one special honors seminar (plus two or three non-honors classes) each quarter. Each of
these six lower-division honors seminars will fulfill one of the university's general
education requirements. In their last two years, students will choose two of six upper-
division gen ed honors classes offered through the program (one per year). In addition,
they will complete an Independent Study Honors Seminar with a professor in their major
discipline. This Independent Study Seminar requirement may also be satisfied through
international study or cooperative education classes. Please see the reverse side of this
sheet for our 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 schedule of honors courses.
GRADUATION AWARDS: Students who complete all four years of the program will receive
special recognition in the graduation program and on their transcripts, plus a beautiful
gold and silver honors medal.
FURTHER INFORMATION: Students desiring additional information about the program should
contact Dr. Michael Flachmann, Director of the University Honors Program, c/o the Department
of English, CSU Bakersfield, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, California, 93311-1099;
(661) 654-2121 (office telephone), (661) 654-2063 (fax), or mflachmann@csub.edu or
consult the CSUB Honors website.