Overview

To better serve the needs of students, there are five separate options for pursuing an Honors Self-Designed Studies major/minor at Western Kentucky University.

What are the general requirements for Honors Self-Designed Studies?

Any proposed HSDS must be a major or minor WKU does not already have.
At least one-half of the hours in any HSDS major or minor must be upper-division (numbered 300 or above).
No more than six hours of courses used to satisfy Colonnade requirements may be used in the HSDS major or minor.
The HSDS must include honors coursework, either through dedicated honors courses, or Honors Augmentation Contracts (HACs)
In accordance with WKU degree requirements, any two separate academic degree programs must total a minimum of 54 credit hours and have at least 48 non-duplicated credit hours.
Students completing an HSDS major or minor must complete all other requirements of the Mahurin Honors College.

Students must meet with an MHC advisor and their HSDS faculty sponsor every semester and provide and update on progress.

Choosing to create an HSDS major or minor is a highly personalized decision requiring you to carefully consider what educational options currently exist at WKU and your long-term academic and professional goals.

Step 1: Clearly understand and articulate your professional and personal goals.

Step 2: Refer to the Guide to Planning an HSDS Program to brainstorm, refine and, ultimately, design your major or minor.

Step 3: Meet with your MHC academic advisor to discuss how the HSDS major/minor fits with the MHC curriculum, including the required CE/T project.

Step 4: Submit your HSDS Proposal, which includes:

A statement of 250 words describing how and why your academic, professional and intellectual goals are best achieved by an HSDS major/minor.
A program of study detailing each course that will be part of your HSDS major and the semester in which you plan to take each course and which courses will be taken for honors credit.
A list of three main learning outcomes that you will achieve through your HSDS major. These should focus on what the program of study will help you learn and understand, and how these outcomes are preparing you for the next stage of your academic, professional and intellectual journey.
Signature from a faculty sponsor who supports and approves your HSDS major.

Programme Structure

Four options allow you to create the major or minor that best meets your educational and career goals:

As a stand-alone major
As a first major, which can be combined with either a second major or a minor
As a second major
As a minor

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-19 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-01 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

100

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Credits

120 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Bowling Green, United States

Disciplines

Design View 856 other Bachelors in Design in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

100

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

A completed application (open WKU application for admission)
Minimum academic requirements: Freshmen: 2.5 GPA / Transfer:* 2.0 GPA
*Students with 24 or more earned hours of college credit
English proficiency requirements
$75 non-refundable application fee
Official Academic Records from schools attended with grades and any degrees/diplomas/certificates received. Should also include a literal English translation.
Financial Evidence of Support must be provided to obtain an I-20
Students transferring from within the US will need to fill out the Transfer-In Form

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

29030 USD / year

≈ 29030 USD / year
Out-of-State

27000 USD / year

≈ 27000 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

12072 USD / year

≈ 12072 USD / year

Living costs

Bowling Green

United States

900 - 1400 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Honors Self-Designed Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

What are the general requirements for Honors Self-Designed Studies?

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Bowling Green

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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