What Is the Louisiana Scholars’ College?

Established in 1987 as the only state-designated honors college, the Louisiana Scholars’ College offers you the opportunity to pursue your academic and personal goals in a supportive atmosphere. Our common curriculum combines great books-based courses with courses in mathematics and science to provide you with a strong foundation for your more focused study in one of our concentrations in the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts (BALA) or in a traditional major. Our average course size is exceptionally small, and most of our courses are seminars in which you are encouraged to discuss your ideas and develop within an intellectual community. All of our faculty hold doctoral degrees and use that expertise to provide you guidance and support throughout your academic career and beyond.

As part of Northwestern State University, the Scholars’ College offers you the best of both worlds: the small classes and personal attention of a liberal arts college with the resources, opportunities, and affordable tuition of a state university.

Is Scholars’ College Right for You?

The Scholars’ College offers you a unique and challenging curriculum that will prepare you for any graduate program, professional program, or career, but is it the right place for you? We invite you to schedule a visit or join us for Scholars’ Day and, please, check out our viewbook here.

Schedule a Visit

You can always explore NSU online here, but we encourage you to come to campus and see what NSU and the Scholars’ College have to offer. Meet with our recruiter, take a tour of campus, and have your questions answered by Scholars’ faculty, staff, and students. You can schedule a personalized campus tour here.

Scholars’ Day

Scholars’ Day is a great opportunity to learn more about the Scholars’ College. You will meet other students who share your interest in an honors education. You will be able to attend classes, explore our majors, meet our faculty, attend a student panel, tour the campus, and have your questions answered about the Scholars’ College. Learn more here or register here.

Talk to Our Recruiter

Emma Cockrum, the Coordinator of Recruiting for the Louisiana Scholars’ College, is excited to discuss all that Scholars’ has to offer you. You can find her on campus in the Student Services Center, room 127, 175 Sam Sibley Drive, Natchitoches, LA 71497, reach her at (318) 357-4578, or send her an email: cockrume@nsula.edu.

Are You Ready to Apply to Scholars’?

Admissions Criteria

To be automatically admitted to the Louisiana Scholars’ College, you should meet these Admissions Criteria*:

  1. ACT Composite of at least 25 with no subscores below 20, OR an SAT Composite of at least 1200 with no subscores below 500; and,
  2. Unweighted high school GPA of 3.3 or better on a 4.0 scale in the Louisiana Regents’ Curriculum or comparable curriculum.

* Strong applicants who do not meet these criteria may be considered for admission. All applications to the Louisiana Scholars College are evaluated by the Scholars’ College Admissions Committee.

How to Apply

To apply to the Louisiana Scholars’ College, you should:

  1. Complete the NSU application for admission, and
  2. Contact the Scholars’ Recruiter, Emma Cockrum, at cockrume@nsula.edu or 318.357.4578 to complete the application process for the Scholars’ College.

Additional Information

Academics

  • The Common Curriculum
  • Concentrations within the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts (BALA) include Classical Studies; Fine and Performing Arts; Foreign Languages; Humanities and Social Thought; Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; and, Scientific Inquiry
  • Joint Majors in Traditional Courses of Study include options for Accounting, Applied Microbiology, Biology, Business Administration, Child and Family Studies, Communication, Computer Information Systems, Criminal Justice, Electronic Engineering Technology, Elementary Education, English, Fine and Graphic Arts, Health and Exercise Science, History, Hospitality Management and Tourism, Industrial Engineering Technology, Music, Music Education, Physical Sciences, Psychology, Secondary Education, Social Work, Theater, and Unified Public Safety Administration.
  • Nursing with Louisiana Scholars’ College Honors Certificate
  • Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s Degree Programs include the M.A. in Art, M.A. in English, M.S. in Computer Information Systems, M.S. in Homeland Security, and M.S. in Psychology.

Approved Course Credit and Placement

Many students come to Scholars’ with college credits earned through testing and coursework at other institutions. The following documents outline established Scholars’ College credit and placement guidelines; however, following admission, students are encouraged to meet with their advisors to discuss their credit and placement options.

  • Coming Soon!

Campus Life

The Louisiana Scholars’ College is a living and learning environment. Scholars’ students have a designated living area in University Place Phase II, the apartment-style dorms on campus. The Scholars’ College is housed entirely in its own dedicated building, Morrison Hall. This helps Scholars’ students, faculty, and staff come together as a true community.

NSU houses over 100 recognized student organizations. It’s easy to find a group that fits your interests so that you can get involved! Within Scholars’, the Forum Council provides student leadership in the College, and all students are encouraged to participate. Scholars’ students also participate regularly in volunteer opportunities as part of NSU’s commitment to experiential and service learning.

For students interested in exploring their communities and beyond, we offer internship programs, study away programs, and study abroad options, including an annual medical mission to Belize.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

At Scholars’ College, we understand the financial burden of pursuing a college degree. We are proud to offer substantial scholarships, out-of-state fee waivers, and comparatively low tuition and fees. See below for more information.