Major Code BS1964*

Honors Tutorial College
35 Park Place
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.2723
honors.college@ohio.edu
www.ohio.edu/honors/tutorial-college

Rebecca Snell, director of studies/contact person
snell@ohio.edu

Program Overview

The HTC program in environmental and plant biology offers exceptional students the opportunity to study the many aspects of plant biology, including functional genomics, physiology, ecology, plant identification and classification, and plant evolution in one-on-one relationships with 13 faculty members. Maximum opportunities will be afforded for the student to progress well beyond the material found in conventional courses. The primary purpose of the tutorial program is to serve as preparation for graduate study. Students will receive a degree of Bachelor of Science from the Honors Tutorial College.

*This program was previously BS1901 which awarded the Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Plant Biology degree. Pending Board of Trustees approval (anticipated June 2024), the new program code will be BS1964 and will award the Bachelor of Science effective the 2024-25 catalog year.

Tutorials

Students are required to complete eight tutorials, including two devoted to the thesis for three credit hours each. In maintaining an open format to permit students to develop tutorial-based degree programs to challenge and to inspire their creativity and learning, only key departmental and extradepartmental courses in chemistry and mathematics are required for providing foundational knowledge. The rest of the program involves student-driven tutorials with faculty.

In addition to the tutorials, the student must complete one Written Communication course ( ENG 1510 ) and one Advanced Writing course (FAW); the core plant biology courses; courses in professional development; independent research; extradepartmental courses in mathematics, chemistry, physics; and an appropriate number of approved electives. Internships and/or study abroad may be included within the program with special permission from the director of studies (credit will only be given once). Honors Tutorial students take a minimum of 15 hours per semester.

Advising and Monitoring

Each student receives initial advice from the director of studies regarding selection and sequencing of courses, choice of a thesis advisor, and other procedural matters. A committee of the director of studies and the advisor will help guide the thesis proposal and monitor the thesis work. A typical tutorial will meet on a weekly basis for a minimum of one hour. The student and the tutor can discuss the current reading and written assignments, discuss problems and solutions, debate and offer critical analysis and/or conduct an experiment. The tutor continuously evaluates the progress of the student and a final grade is made based on many facets of evaluation available to the tutor; written assignments, exams, discussions, presentations by the student, field work, etc.

The Honors Thesis

The honors thesis is a reflection of the student’s special interests. Its acceptance, dependent upon an appropriate mixture of research and analysis, relies upon the judgment of their committee and the director of studies. In the case of a dual major with a single thesis, the committee will be the director of studies from each major and the thesis advisor. It is expected that this major paper will constitute work of the highest quality in investigating a problem of concern to both scholars and practitioners. Although an intensive study of relevant theoretical and research literatures is the underpinning of the thesis, students are encouraged to augment this scholarly base with field data whenever possible.

Evaluation

Students throughout the program earn letter grades consistent with the University grading system and are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Students who earn less than a B (3.0), or who maintain less than 3.5 GPA will need to confer with the director of studies and/or the Dean of the College. In addition to letter grade assessments, tutors complete course descriptions and evaluations of each student’s work each semester. In these assessments both the student’s academic standing and academic aptitude are evaluated.

Admissions Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission

Students are selected by the director of studies of the environmental and plant biology tutorial program and the Honors Tutorial College on the basis of superior academic ability and the potential for self-motivated study and research. Applicants typically are required to submit additional essays, and an interview with the director of studies is required for admission. More information, including materials and deadlines, is available at www.ohio.edu/honors/tutorial-college/apply . Recommendations from two high school teachers are strongly recommended. 

Change in Program Policy

First-year students at Ohio University may apply to transfer into the environmental and plant biology tutorial program and the Honors Tutorial College. These students must meet the same entrance requirements as entering freshmen.

External Transfer Admission

First-year students at another institution may also apply to transfer into the environmental and plant biology tutorial program and the Honors Tutorial College. These students must meet the same entrance requirements as entering freshmen.

Opportunities Upon Graduation

Most students graduating from the program go to top-quality graduate schools across the country or abroad, leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. A few pursue employment directly in private industry or governmental agencies dealing with agriculture/horticulture/floriculture, biotechnology or pharmaceutical firms, conservation agencies and museums of natural history, environmental consulting firms, food companies, plant nurseries, greenhouses, botanical gardens and arboreta.

Requirements