Honors Minors
Honors Minors
The Ogden Honors College offers two iterations of this minor: the Honors Minor, and the Honors Research Minor, which adds a Capstone.
When you join the Ogden Honors College, you're automatically enrolled in the Honors minor.* You don't apply for it. It recognizes the honors courses, research, and co-curricular work you take on while you earn your degree, and it appears on your official LSU transcript alongside your major.
If you want to dig a little deeper, you can upgrade to the Honors Research minor. The Honors Research minor adds an Honors Capstone, which is a two-semester project you design, research, and defend in your own field. Most students decide which to pursue in the second semester of their first year.
Note: Ogden Honors College students may receive credit for only one minor of the college.
*Automatic enrollment applies to students who entered LSU in the 2025-26 catalog year or later. TRACTS students and Honorific Scholars follow a different path.
Honors vs. Honors Research
| Minor | Total Hours | Research Component | Capstone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honors | 18 | No | No |
| Honors Research | 27 | Yes | Yes |
The difference between the two is the Honors Capstone. Complete the required hours and you earn the Honors minor. Complete those hours plus the Capstone sequence and you earn a minor in Honors Research.
What You'll Take
In meeting requirements for the Honors minor, Honors students who have enrolled in
the Honors College prior to Fall 2024 may substitute a number of Honors courses (HNRS and departmental) for non-Honors
courses required for their programs.
CLICK TO EXPLORE APPROVED SUBSTITUTIONS
Note: You'll need to stay in good standing with the college and keep a 3.0 GPA in the courses that count toward the minor.
Good Standing
All students pursuing academic programs of the College must be in good standing to continue that academic program, register for honors courses, and be eligible for priority registration.
Following the initial semester in the Honors College, students must meet the following to remain in good standing:
Students Entering LSU during the 2025-26 Catalog Year or later:
- Maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.0
- Maintain enrollment in one of the academic programs (major or minor) or the Ogden Honors College
- Demonstrate progress toward completion of one of our honors academic programs
Students Entering LSU during the 2024-25 Catalog Year or earlier:
- Maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.0
- Complete 2 Honors courses for 5-6 hours per academic year
Why It's Worth It
The Honors minors give formal recognition to the honors work you do at LSU: your coursework, your research, and your co-curricular activities. As you move through your degree, that work adds up, and the minor is how the college puts it on the record.
You're not taking on a separate course load to earn it; the Honors credits can count toward the degree you're already pursuing, especially if you decide to take a departmental honors course or work with a professor to create an Honors Option. Pursuing a minor in Honors or Honors Research gathers your coursework, research, and experiences into one named accomplishment.
The minor is noted on your official LSU transcript, where employers and graduate and professional schools can see it. The work behind it matters more. Researching a question, reasoning through a problem, and communicating what you found are exactly the skills those programs look for, and you'll have four years of practice to point to.
Questions?
If you're a current student with questions about either the Honors or Honors Research minor, book an advising appointment with one of the Ogden Honors College's Academic Counselors in Navigate by clicking the button below.
MEET WITH AN HONORS ACADEMIC COUNSELOR
If you're a prospective student or parent with questions about either of these minors, you can email the Ogden Honors College advising team at honorsadvising@lsu.edu.