Major Code BB1926

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

Raymond Frost, director of studies/contact person
frostr@ohio.edu

Program Overview

The Honors Tutorial College (HTC) program in business offers exceptional students the opportunity to study the many aspects of business in one-on-one tutorials, small seminars, and conventional class relationships with business faculty. Maximum opportunities are afforded for the student to progress beyond the material found in the standard business curriculum. The program develops students’ research, writing, and presentation skills and provides excellent preparation for the job market or for graduate study. Graduates receive a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. HTC students take a mix of conventional classes and tutorials. The mix tightly integrates students into both the College of Business and the Honors Tutorial College, rather than existing in an honors silo. To promote flexibility, students are exempt from many of the distribution requirements required of other business students. They are also exempt from course prerequisites and are given preferential scheduling.

Business Tutorials

Students are required to complete seven tutorials. Three of these tutorials are completed in a small seminar format.  The seminars include business concepts, entrepreneurship, and research methods. The next three tutorials are apprenticeships working one-on-one with faculty on each student’s area of interest. The last two tutorials focus on the creation of a thesis. Throughout the program, the student and the director of studies work closely to plan a customized academic program. A student will normally select tutorials from his or her major area of interest but may select tutorials from other business disciplines or disciplines outside the College of Business. In addition to the tutorials, the student must complete a freshman seminar, the Tier I English requirement, standard business core courses, and an appropriate number of approved electives. Most students choose one or more business majors, though the program’s flexibility allows students to double major in disciplines outside the College of Business including pre-med and pre-law.  Internships and/or study abroad are encouraged. 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 director of studies. It is expected that this major paper will constitute work of the highest quality in investigating a problem of concern to both scholars and practitioners. Although an intensive study of relevant theoretical and research literatures is the underpinning of the thesis, students are encouraged to augment this scholarly base with field data whenever possible.

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. In addition to letter grades, tutors complete narrative evaluations of the student’s work each semester addressing both the student’s academic standing and academic attitude.

Admissions Information

Freshmen/First-Year Admission

Students are selected by the director of studies of the business 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. Two letters of reference and a writing sample from a high school assignment are strongly recommended. 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 priority deadline for application for admission is December 1st, and admission interviews are held in January.

Transfer Admission

Transfer opportunities are limited. Students are admitted typically as freshmen. The priority deadline is December 1st. Interested students are urged to contact the HTC office for guidance.

Opportunities Upon Graduation

Most students graduating from the program go directly into business careers in their chosen field. Many students subsequently pursue an M.B.A. or other master’s degree. We have also had students pursue law degrees, medical degrees, or doctorates.

Requirements