Advanced Courses for Academic Excellence

As a Reaud Honors College student, you can design an honors pathway for academic excellence beyond the honors core curriculum offered by our college. We offer the following options for you to consider as you determine what will work best for your journey. Our honors graduation counselor is available to support you as you navigate these options. We also share an example of one student's journey to help inspire ideas for your own.

Courses offered for which the professor has formulated an approved honors component.
Only the listed courses may be petitioned for honors credit. 


A mutually designated project between you and a professor that raises an upper-division course (3000 to 4000 level) from regular to honors credit. A graduate course (5000 level) is automatically accepted as honors credit without a contract, with permission from the RHC dean. 


Opportunity for you to create a course that applies to your degree plan in an area outside the standard curriculum. 


Opportunity to pursue in depth an area of study or research that is personally important or intriguing.

Honors Pathway Student Example

Build on Your Academic Journey at Lamar

This example features undergraduate research, yet you may build HNRS Pathways tied to your internship, study abroad experience, etc.

O.U.R. Research

You are awarded an O.U.R. Grant to research a topic in your field of study. Your research requires a proposal, presentation and post-grant report.

You earn HNRS H.I.E.P

Honors Contract

You take an upper-level course teaching material related to your research project.

You earn HNRS credits by participating in a meaningful project.

Independent Study

A professor specializes in your research topic, yet no formal course is available at LU.

You work with a professor to create a course; you earn HNRS credits for the coursework.

McNair Scholar

You earn HNRS credits through a research internship that combines your earlier work:

O.U.R. Research

HNRS Contract Project

HNRS Independent Study


While designing your individualized pathway, keep in mind that you may earn no more than a cumulative total of 15 hours of honors credit through any combination of Independent Study and Honors Contracts.
Reaud Honors College  •  P.O. Box 10968  •  Beaumont, TX 77710  •  ph (409) 880-2294
Office at 985 Jim Gilligan Way [map]   •