Mar 28, 2024  
ARCHIVED 2020-21 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
ARCHIVED 2020-21 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Special Programs and Opportunities


Doane University Honors Program

The Honors Program is designed to enrich, in a variety of ways, the educational experience of selected Doane students. Specialized, interdisciplinary, three-credit honors (HNR 302 ) seminars form the intellectual core of the program. One other important component of the Honors Program is a study abroad experience undertaken during the junior or senior year. The culminating experience is a collaborative research project carried out by all honors students during their final spring semester at Doane. Student initiative, creativity, and leadership are expected in all phases of the program.

Honors students must take an HNR 200  seminar during the spring semester of their first year and HNR 302  during three out of the following four on-campus semesters. During their final spring semester, all honors students must take HNR 402 , a collaborative research project.

Application

All first-year students will be invited to apply for the Honors Program during their first fall semester at Doane University. Students must fill out an application and submit an essay. The selection process will take place during the fall semester. The new honors cohort will begin the Honors Program in the following spring semester.

Criteria for Admission

Students will be selected for entry into the Honors Program by the Honors Program Committee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Talented students will be screened according to their academic potential, written and oral communication skills, accomplishments and talents, leadership, and commitment to academic excellence.

Criteria to Remain in the Honors Program

Once in the Honors Program, the student must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50. A student whose grade point average falls below 3.50 may appeal to the Honors Program Committee to continue in the program.

Criteria to Graduate from the Honors Program

In addition to the graduation requirements for all students, the Honors students must

  1. fulfill the requirements of the program as specified in the Honors Handbook and
  2. have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50.

If these criteria are met, an honors designation will appear on the student’s transcript after graduation.

Outcomes

  1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the global dimension of each theme studied.
  2. Students will produce a collaborative cross-discipline final project.
  3. Students will demonstrate the ability to participate in another culture.
  4. Students will demonstrate a commitment to intellectual endeavor as a lifelong learning goal.
  5. Students will show evidence of having completed an intellectually challenging curriculum.
  6. Students will demonstrate an appreciation of cultural and artistic performance.
  7. Students will develop a sense of social responsibility toward their community.
  8. Students will demonstrate leadership in academic endeavors, service learning and/or co-curricular activities.

For further information concerning the Honors Program at Doane University, contact the Vice President for Academic Affairs or the director of the Honors Program.


Pre-Professional Programs

Doane University does not offer majors in many of the pre-professional programs, but it does provide foundation courses for future study at other institutions. Students who are enrolled in pre-professional programs at Doane for two or three years and complete their Doane degree elsewhere must complete all Doane Core Connection courses prior to transferring.

Engineering

Students may pursue an engineering degree at Doane by participating in the Doane University Dual Degree Program. This program allows students to earn two degrees: a B.A. or B.S. from Doane and a B.S. in engineering or applied science from an engineering school.

Students completing the three-year pre-professional program at Doane before transferring to the engineering school of their choice may graduate from Doane by successfully completing the first year of engineering school and all other Doane graduation requirements. Students maintaining a 3.0 GPA at Doane are guaranteed admission into affiliated programs at Columbia University, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and Washington University. Students also have the option of pursuing a graduate degree in engineering. Participants in the dual degree program can often complete the M.S. degree with one additional year of study at the engineering school.

Environmental Science

Doane participates in a cooperative program run by the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. This program includes a 3-2 arrangement with Duke, which makes it possible for Doane students to enter the School of the Environment after completing three years at Doane. After two more years at Duke, a student may qualify for a baccalaureate degree from Doane and a master’s degree from the School of the Environment. The Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences offers a Master of Forestry (M.F.) and a Master of Environmental Management (M.E.M.). The M.E.M. program offers several areas of emphasis including Coastal Environmental Management, Environmental Economics and Policy, Water and Air Resources, Conservation Science and Policy, Ecosystem Science and Management, Environmental Health and Security, and Global Environmental Change.

Doane also participates in a cooperative dual degree program with UNL’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Highly qualified students wishing to complete a bachelor’s and a master’s degree can do so in five years. At the end of five years, qualified students receive Doane’s Bachelor of Science degree with the Environmental Science major as well as the Master of Applied Science degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will provide instruction in agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, natural resources, and food.

Law

The American Bar Association states that undergraduates can be admitted to law school from almost every academic discipline. Students are encouraged to pursue an area of study that develops research and writing skills, analytic/problem solving skills, critical reading abilities, and oral communication/listening abilities.

Law School 3/3 Program with Accredited Law Schools, including the University of Nebraska Law School. Students may earn degrees from Doane University and an accredited law school in a 6-year period through the University’s law school 3/3 program. Students who are admitted to an accredited law school, including the University of Nebraska Law School, may receive a bachelor’s degree from Doane University if the student meets all graduation requirements of Doane University and successfully completes the first year of law school.

Except for the final 30 hours in residence, students must complete all Doane graduation requirements including the Doane Core Connections. Students must earn a major at Doane University or transfer approved coursework from the first year of law school to complete their major. The final 30 hours in residence will be waived for students completing the first full-year of law school in the 3/3 program. Students should consult with their major department early in their program of studies about the coursework which may be transferred to complete their major.

Medical, Dental and Allied Health

Doane offers pre-professional coursework in most medical areas. The most frequently requested of these programs are Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Medical Technology, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Nursing, Pre-Optometry, Pre-Physician’s Assistant, Pre-Physical Therapy, and Pre-Occupational Therapy.

Doane students can complete their professional education in these allied health programs at medical institutions across the United States and may qualify for graduation from Doane by successfully completing the first year of an approved professional program, as well as all other Doane graduation requirements. For these students, the 30-hour residency requirement is waived.