Program Requirements

On this Page

RequirementsStudy AbroadCourses

Requirements

As a Brinkley-Lane Scholar, you will benefit from a curriculum that emphasizes community engagement, leadership and rigorous academic coursework. You will be required to follow the guidelines of both the Honors College and of the Brinkley-Lane Scholars Program. Brinkley-Lane Scholars will enroll for a minimum course load of 12 semester hours during each fall and spring semester and must obtain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5. All Brinkley-Lane Scholars will complete a Study Abroad academic experience and a Signature Honors Project.A student explains things to on lookers

In addition to the Honors College curriculum requirements, Brinkley-Lane Scholars will complete six credit hours in courses that will develop their leadership and research skills.  The program requirements for each class within the Brinkley-Lane Scholars Program are listed below:

First Year:

  • Fall
    • HNRS 2000: Honors Leadership and Service Colloquium (2 credits)
    • ENGL 1100: Composition (3 credits)
    • HNRS 2011 Sec. 1: Honors Seminar in Humanities (Brinkley-Lane Scholar Freshman Seminar) (3 credits)
  • Spring
    • HLTH 1000: Health in Modern Society (2 credits)

Second Year:

  • Fall
    • HNRS 3100: Brinkley-Lane Scholars Research Internship (2 credits)

Third Year:

  • Fall/Spring
    • HNRS 4000: Intro to Signature Honors Project (1 credit)
  •  Spring
    • HNRS 4100: Brinkley-Lane Scholars Leadership Internship (2 credits)

Third/Fourth Year:

  • Fall/Spring:
    • HNRS 4500/4550: Signature Honors Project I/II

Prior to Graduation:

  • An additional Honors Seminar of your choosing (3 credits)
  • Study Abroad Experience (a minimum of 3 credits)

Study Abroad

Brinkley-Lane Scholars complete at least one study abroad experience worth at least 3 credit hours prior to graduation. Each experience is unique and special. We encourage you to find time to talk to fellow scholars about their study abroad experiences.

Click to Visit BLS Study Abroad and Summer Experiences

Jocelyn Bayles, Class of 2019Jocelyn BaylesBefore I went abroad, I thought that it was a little cliché that everyone said that their study abroad changed their life – until I went to Granada. However, I can now join the chorus of everyone else who claims that studying abroad really does change your life. Living abroad for a semester taught the value of slowing down, about looking at life in a different way, and about laughing more.  My biggest advice to you? Go for a semester. Go for a year. Go big. Take a leap and just go. I know it is sometimes scary to leave friends and the familiar, but I promise if you take that big jump, you won’t regret it – not now, not ever.

Carly Judd, Class of 2019
Carly JuddI studied abroad this past spring with Semester at Sea. I will always remember boarding a huge ship with 500 other students to sail around the world to visit 11 countries.  I took classes on the ship where I learned about different cultures.  Followed by the classroom experience, we would spend time in each place we studied.  More than anything, I learned where I fit in this world.  This knowledge is reflected in my life and my art that I produce. The lessons and experiences I gained through doing this are immeasurable, not to mention the connections I now have across the globe!

Michael Denning, Class of 2020

Michael Denning

I am grateful to have had multiple study abroad experiences.  I studied the healthcare system in London while immersed in British culture. I traveled to the Dominican Republic for a week on a medical brigade with 12 other students from ECU and Indiana University to set up clinics in rural and underserved communities. During spring break, I went to Northern Ireland to study their political and religious conflicts while serving in youth clubs with at-risk children.

Courses

HNRS 2011.001: Brinkley-Lane Scholars Freshmen Seminar

Seminar Description: What are the humanities and why do we have to study them? This course is meant as an exploration of the humanities and their value to us as human beings. As such, we will explore various definitions of the humanities and approach different themes from the perspectives of the humanities. The humanities undoubtedly prepare us to think, write, speak and learn—all qualities that we will need throughout our lives and careers no matter what we choose to do.

HNRS 3100: Brinkley-Lane Scholars Research Internship

Seminar Description: The Brinkley-Lane Scholars Research Internship course is a supervised community-engaged research internship that requires at least thirty hours of research responsibilities.  Brinkley-Lane Scholars join a faculty member who is working on an approved community-based research and community-engaged scholarship project established through the Faculty Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy. Brinkley-Lane Scholars participate in tasks that include, but are not limited to, traveling to community research sites to conduct interviews, collecting data, synthesizing findings, making conclusions, designing recommendations and creating an oral presentation for a student and faculty group.

“I greatly appreciated HNRS 3100 because it allowed me to participate in qualitative research, something completely different than the basic science research I was performing in a wet lab. I worked with Dr. Sachiyo Shearman and the Interfaith Refugee Ministry on determining the perceptions of refugees in eastern NC. Being able to interact with the community the research project was serving put our work into a bigger perspective and reminded me that our results will have an impact on real people. I was able to make connections both on and off campus. Moreover, I learned data analysis skills that are applicable for research across disciplines and that I still use today for other projects.”

-Serena Mooney, Class of 2020

HNRS 4100: Brinkley-Lane Scholars Leadership Internship

Seminar Description: The Brinkley-Lane Scholars Leadership Internship course is a supervised internship that requires at least 60 hours of leadership responsibilities.  Brinkley-Lane Scholars evaluate the needs of a specific organization in consultation with key administrators and other members of the organization. Brinkley-Lane Scholars participate in a leadership internship project that helps them to demonstrate an understanding of relational leadership and they work to create positive change for the organization.

“HNRS 3100 and 4100 drove me to become involved with the Greenville, NC community in ways that I might not have otherwise. I am particularly thankful for HNRS 4100, in which I took on an internship at the local Council on Aging to serve the population I will serve one day as a geriatrician. This class empowers its students by revealing the positive impact we can each individually make on our community. I learned that starting a service project is as simple as venturing out to a community organization and asking what they need, which I found empowering indeed.”

-Aaron Johnson, Class of 2020