Honors College: Honors Keystone Application

This is the application for admission to the Southern Miss Honors College Keystone Program. To be considered for this program, you must complete the GO System’s General Application and all components of the Honors College Keystone Application by the deadline of July 15th, 2024.

The Honors College Keystone Program offers an enriching and challenging educational experience for high-achieving, highly engaged students. As a Keystone scholar, you will have the opportunity to chart your own course through the design and completion of an original research project—the senior Honors Thesis. Working with Honors faculty and with a faculty advisor in your chosen discipline, you will move through a 5-hour course sequence, distributed across four semesters, that provides you with the knowledge, skills, and aptitudes to successfully complete the thesis project.

To be eligible for admission, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.4 on at least 45 completed college credit hours and must have completed at least three full-time semesters of college. Students applying for the Fall 2024 semester should have an anticipated graduation date of May 2026. The Keystone Program is open to current Southern Miss students and transfer students admitted for the Fall 2024 semester at the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses.

For questions or more information, contact honors@usm.edu.

Current Honors College students should not complete this application.

Award
$1,000 annually for two years
Scopes
Special Awarding Deadline
Deadline
07/15/2024
Supplemental Questions
  1. Preferred First Name
  2. Cell Phone Number
  3. Preferred Email Address
  4. If you are a transfer student, will you have completed Honors graduation requirements from any of the following: Copiah Lincoln CC Honors College, Hinds CC Honors Institute, Itawamba CC Honors College, Jones CC Honors Institute, Meridian CC Honors College, MS Gulf Coast CC Honors College, Northeast MS CC Honors Institute, or Pearl River CC Honors Institute?
  5. IF YES: Please upload in the space below a note on letterhead from your Honors program director that certifies your status as an Honors program graduate.
  6. The Honors College requires a letter of recommendation regarding your preparation for the Honors curriculum. Please enter the contact information for a professor with whom you have taken a recent class, and we will contact your professor with a link to the recommendation form. *The recommendation must be submitted by your professor by the July 15th deadline.*
    • Recommendation Letter from Professor for Honors Keystone
  7. Southern Miss Keystone Honors Scholars devote four semesters to developing the Honors Thesis—a comprehensively researched scholarly, creative, or applied project. Write a brief statement of purpose in which you explain why you are interested in pursuing undergraduate research, including examples of scholarly or creative areas that interest you. Discuss your preparation for the Honors Thesis experience and provide detailed examples of previous experiences with research and/or writing that have been meaningful to your development as a curious learner and critical thinker. (400 word minimum).
  8. Writing Sample
    • In the space below, please write a 150 to 200 word introduction to your chosen writing sample. For what class did you write it, why did you select this example, and what strengths do you believe it showcases?
    • Please submit an academic writing sample taken from a recent class. Your writing sample should showcase your academic and analytical writing strengths.
  9. Show 3 more