Honors College
The East Carolina Honors College is a diverse intellectual community for academically talented students. Students in this college are provided with the opportunity to engage in immersive service-learning, undergraduate research, and pre-professional experiences throughout their undergraduate years. For admissions information and other details, visit the website at the East Carolina Honors College.
Honors Curriculum and BSN Requirements
Intended nursing majors in the Honors College follow a slightly different path in their honors curriculum requirements than honors students in other majors. Our honors students must complete most honors course requirements prior to entering the clinical portion of the nursing degree (nursing school). HNRS 4000 and the Signature Honors Project courses are completed in nursing school (see next section) while all other honors course requirements must be completed prior to beginning the program. Current course requirements for honors students can be reviewed on the Honors College Curriculum website.
Prospective honors nursing students who have curriculum related questions can reach out to the College of Nursing’s Honors Advisor, Abby Paul, at paulab15@ecu.edu. Prospective honors students who have substantial incoming transfer credit from high school should include their unofficial college transcript and/or test score information with their inquiry to receive feedback on their unique pathway and graduation timeline as a future honors student in the nursing major.
College of Nursing Signature Honors Project
The College of Nursing at ECU offers a special and unique experience to honors students in the BSN program by providing them the opportunity to complete their HNRS 4000 and two semester Signature Honors Project under the mentorship of a College of Nursing faculty member while in nursing school. Upon entry into the nursing program, honors students are paired with a nursing faculty member who is conducting research in the nursing career field. Over the course of the signature project experience, students learn about nursing research and develop a project related to their faculty’s research area. This is a great opportunity that teaches students research skills while also helping them stand out in the job market and prepare for advanced nursing degrees.
Students complete HNRS 4000 in their second semester of nursing school which is where they work with their faculty mentor to complete the Signature Honors Project contract for the Honors College. NURS 3750, the first half of the project, is completed online in the summer term prior to graduation. NURS 4750, the second half of the project, is completed in the final semester of nursing school.
Early Assurance
The Early Assurance Program in Nursing (EAP) is a program offered jointly by the Honors College and the College of Nursing at ECU. This program guarantees entry into the College of Nursing’s BSN program and provides selected honors students with the opportunity to enter the PhD program upon completion of their undergraduate degree (provided they have satisfied the program requirements).
Each year, two-three incoming honors students are selected for this program. High school seniors who are North Carolina residents are invited to apply for this program as they complete their application to the Honors College. Honors students interested in this program must be able to express both orally and in writing an interest in nursing research. Applicants should have had exposure to research in their high school courses.
Program requirements include:
- Remaining eligible for the Honors College
- North Carolina Residency
- Maintaining a minimum ECU GPA of 3.5
- Participating in required group and enrichment activities
Questions relating to this program can be sent to Dr. Mitzi Pestaner, the CON’s Honors College and EAP Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Nursing, at 252-744-6433 or pestanerm21@ecu.edu.
Interested students are also encouraged to watch the video below, narrated by Dr. Kim Larson (former EAP Coordinator), for more details regarding this opportunity with the Honors College and the College of Nursing.
