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Honors program students meet the program's namesake: Dr. Song Nai Rhee

Honors Program

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Stephen Andes
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Song Nai Rhee Honors Program

The Song Nai Rhee Honors Program seeks to accomplish Bushnell University’s commitment to providing all students with educational experiences suited to their gifts and vocation. As such, the Program provides adept students a more rigorous engagement with their field of study.

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Why Pursue the Honors Program at Bushnell?

The Song Nai Rhee Honors Program seeks to accomplish Bushnell University’s commitment to providing all students with educational experiences suited to their gifts and vocations.

The Program provides students with a more rigorous engagement with their field of study, and it fosters the sort of intimate collegiality—based in the joy of shared discovery—that is the hallmark of an excellent liberal arts education. It is unique in that any student can pursue topics that fascinate them in the midst of their regular coursework.

Graduates of the Honors Program will:

  • Engage in the Honors community with consistency
  • Demonstrate proficiency at designing and completing independent, self-paced scholarly projects
  • Produce substantial academic work in direct collaboration with program faculty

Honors Program Participation

Participation in the Song Nai Rhee Honors Program is open to all traditional undergraduate students. Official membership occurs through either being an honors-at-entrance student upon admission to Bushnell, which means entering with a 3.75 GPA, or successfully completing two honors contracts. Students may take almost any academic class taught in-person by full-time faculty for honors credit through successful completion of an honors contract; an agreement made between the student and faculty to modify the activities and/or assignments in class for the purpose of earning honors credit. 

Honors Program Admissions

Open to qualified students, the Song Nai Rhee Honors Program invites eligible first-year students to join the program each year.

No separate application is required. Students who apply to Bushnell are automatically reviewed for the Song Nai Rhee Honors Program. Members are reviewed on the basis of academic merit reflected by their unweighted high school GPA. Generally, entering first-year students with a minimum GPA of 3.75 will receive an invitation to participate in the program.

Invitations are mailed to selected students after they have been notified of their admission to Bushnell. The invitation includes an informative brochure as well as instructions for accepting membership in the program.

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Honors Scholarship Competition

Bushnell University’s Honors at Entrance Scholarship Competition is an invite-only event held annually. Applicants with a GPA of 3.75 or higher who are interested in participating in the Song Nai Rhee Honors Program are invited to join us for this onsite visit experience to compete for various scholarships.

Bushnell University’s Honors at Entrance Scholarship Competition is an invite-only event held annually. Applicants with a GPA of 3.75 or higher who are interested in participating in the Song Nai Rhee Honors Program are invited to join us for this onsite visit experience. One outstanding scholar will earn a full tuition scholarship, two scholars will earn a $4,000 scholarship and every participant who attends will earn a $1,000 annual scholarship* towards tuition.

*This scholarship can be combined with other Bushnell scholarships and grants, not to exceed the total cost of tuition.

Qualifying Requirements

  • Be an incoming first-year student (have not attended any other college or university post-high school).
  • Have a 3.75 cumulative high school GPA or higher
  • Be admitted to Bushnell University
  • Register to attend by contacting admissions
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“The Honors Program at Bushnell has given me many opportunities to further my intellectual journey. I’ve been able to engage one-on-one with experts in various fields of academics, attend live plays, travel to some of Oregon’s most beautiful places, and do it all within a community of students and faculty just as thrilled as I am to be learning.”
Jessica Woods ’24
Male honors student with grey shirt headshot outdoors
“The Song Nai Rhee Honors Program has set me up for success in my graduate studies as well as in my professional life. Having the kind of experiences that I had through different honors events, working with professors on honors contracts, and even in getting to know other honors students is an unparalleled experience that opens up all kinds of doors and exposes one to so many different perspectives. This is not possible without the careful integration of the honors program into the greater university and provides for a rich experience.”
Jamison Howard ’23

About Song Nai Rhee

The Program is named for Dr. Song Nai Rhee, Academic Dean Emeritus at Bushnell University, for his legacy of scholarship and service to the University. A graduate of the Class of 1958, Dr. Rhee was known for his commitment to academic excellence and to the integration of faith and learning while serving Bushnell University for 37 years, retiring in 2000.

Song Nah Rhee addresses attendees during a presentation at Bushnell University.

Questions about the Honors Program

  • Panel Interview: You will be asked a variety of questions for 10-12 minutes. You do not need to prepare in advance, just be yourself and answer spontaneously.
  • Timed Writing Session: You will have 60 minutes to choose one of three prompts and compose your essay in our computer lab. You do not need to prepare in advance.
  • Individual Presentation: A 3-4 minute slide presentation on: What is the purpose of college and why is it important? Is it just a path to economic return or something more, especially in Christian Higher Ed?

An honors degree shall be awarded if the student completes each of the following requirements:

  • At least 30 credits must be honors classes completed with a grade of B+ or higher.
  • At least 15 of the above 30 credits must be 300 or 400 level.
  • Honors degree candidates must complete an honors thesis, which replaces the senior capstone. The credits taken in completing an honors thesis count toward the total honors credit requirement for the honors degree. The honors thesis must conform to the following parameters:
    • The thesis must be substantially more rigorous than a standard senior capstone.
    • The student and advisor should procure the input of at least one second reader who has no direct affiliation with the student’s major program, and who holds a graduate degree in a field relevant to the thesis’ topic area.
    • The student must successfully pass a defense of the thesis. Students undertaking multiple majors must complete an Honors thesis in each major to earn the degree with honors, with the exception of majors that do not participate in the program.
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