The College of Natural Science encourages honors students to develop distinctive undergraduate programs in their chosen fields. All qualified students in the College may also be members of the Honors College. A member of the faculty is selected to serve as advisor to Honors College students in each major field, and it is the advisor's responsibility to help the student plan a rigorous and balanced program which will also reflect the student's special interests and competencies.
The departments of the college annually offer numerous honors opportunities at both introductory and advanced levels. At the introductory level these consist chiefly of regularly offered honors courses. Honors options are also available in many other courses. At the advanced level honors students are encouraged to undertake faculty–guided independent research in their fields of specialization. These honors experiences are provided mainly, but not exclusively, for Honors College students. In addition, honors undergraduates are encouraged, when appropriate, to undertake work at the graduate level.