Major Code BS1902

Honors Tutorial College  
35 Park Place
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.2723
Fax: 740.593.9521
honors.college@ohio.edu
www.ohio.edu/honors

Soichi Tanda, director of studies/contact person
tanda@ohio.edu

Program Overview

The Honors Tutorial College program in biological sciences offers exceptional students the opportunity to study the many aspects of biology in one-on-one interaction with Biological Sciences and Biomedical Sciences faculty members. Maximum opportunities will be afforded for the student to progress well beyond the material found in conventional courses. Students select either a cellular and molecular biology track or an ecology, evolution and behavior track. The primary purpose of the tutorial program is to serve as preparation for graduate or professional study. Students will receive the degree of Bachelor of Science from the Honors Tutorial College.

Tutorials

Students are required to complete eight tutorials within the College of Arts and Sciences, including two devoted to the thesis.

In addition to the tutorials, the student must complete the Tier I English requirement, all core courses not covered by tutorials, and an appropriate number of approved electives. Internships and/or study abroad may be included within the program with special permission from the director of studies (credit will only be given once). Honors Tutorial students take a minimum of 15 hours per semester.

Advising and Monitoring

Each student receives initial advice from the director of studies regarding selection and sequencing of courses, choice of a thesis advisor, and other procedural matters. A committee, composed of the director of studies and the advisor, will monitor the thesis work. A typical tutorial will meet on a weekly basis for a minimum of one hour. The student and the tutor will discuss the current reading and written assignments, discuss problems and solutions, debate and offer critical analysis, and the tutor continuously evaluates the progress of the student. A final grade is made based on many facets of evaluation available to the tutor: written assignments, written exams, oral exams, discussions, presentations by the student, field work, etc.

The Honors Thesis

The honors thesis is a reflection of the student’s special interests. Its acceptance, dependent upon an appropriate mixture of research and analysis, relies upon the judgment of his or her committee or the director of studies. It is expected that this major paper will constitute work of the highest quality, investigating a problem or concern to both scholars and practitioners. Although an intensive study of the relevant theoretical and research lieterature is the important to the thesis, students are expected to conduct original research to fulfill the thesis requirement.

Evaluation

Students throughout the program earn letter grades consistent with the University grading system and are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Students who earn less than a B (3.0), or who maintain less than a 3.5 GPA  will need to confer with the director of studies and/or the Dean of the College. In addition to letter grades assessments, tutors complete semester based course descriptions and evaluations of each student’s work. In these assessments both the student’s academic standing and academic attitude are evaluated.

Admission Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission

Students are selected by the director of studies of the biological sciences tutorial program and the Honors Tutorial College on the basis of superior ability and sustained motivation. We look for good scores on standardized tests (30 composite score on the ACT or a combined score of 1300 on the SAT), but we also require a good high school record (class standing in the top 10%). An interview with the director of studies is required for acceptance into our program. Recommendations from two high school teachers are required. The personalized aspects of the tutorial system occasionally make it possible for us to accept students who have not performed well on standardized measures of ability but who demonstrate exceptional aptitude in other ways. The deadline for application for admission is December 1st, and admission interviews are held in January.

Change of Program Policy

First year students at Ohio University may apply to transfer into the biological sciences honors tutorial program and the Honors Tutorial College. These students must meet the same entrance requirements as entering freshmen. The deadline for application is December 1st, and admission interviews are held in January.

External Transfer Admission

First year students at another institution may also apply to transfer into the biological sciences honors tutorial program and the Honors Tutorial College. These students must meet the same entrance requirements as entering freshmen. The deadline for application is December 1st, and admission interviews are held in January.

Opportunities Upon Graduation

Successful graduates of the biological sciences honors tutorial program are highly competitive applicants for graduate school or professional school (medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, etc.).

Requirements