It is the philosophy of the Missouri State University Honors College that:

• The University is committed to providing the best education possible to all students.
• A program of enhanced, advanced study will provide the best possible education for those students who show exceptional achievement and motivation.
• An honors program should have the following qualities:
  1. It should offer educational opportunities which include more than the traditional classroom formats found in the various disciplines.
  2. These offerings should be advanced in terms of the quality of work expected from the students.
  3. These offerings may be considered more rigorous than the traditional offerings by virtue of both the types of academic opportunities and the level of advanced study.
• There are in addition institutional objectives which an honors program serves:
  1. It demonstrates to the community and the region that Missouri State is a university which encourages and emphasizes quality scholarship.
  2. It assists in recruiting students of superior ability.
  3. It aids the retention of faculty members and students who are committed to high standards of academic achievement.
  4. An honors program makes it easier to attract certain kinds of funds that otherwise might not be available, e.g., grants and research monies