Honors Pre-Business Cohort

IN COLLABORATION WITH COLES COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

 

Elevate your business journey with Honors! Designed exclusively for incoming first-year Honors students, this cohort brings together a select group of high-achieving pre-business Honors Owls for an immersive first-year experience centered on leadership development, mentorship, and academic exploration.

Students engage in specialized coursework while building meaningful connections with peers, faculty, and industry mentors within a close-knit Honors community designed to support early success at KSU.

Cohort participants gain access to exclusive opportunities, including conditional acceptance to the Coles College of Business and priority consideration for the Coles College Leadership Scholars Program or KSU’s Double Owl Pathway to earn an MBA, creating an early pathway into advanced business study and professional preparation.

Two students in professional attire posing indoors, with a computer screen behind them showing financial data and stock charts.

 

 

Program Benefits

  • Build meaningful connections through direct interaction with industry and business mentors who can support your academic and career goals.
  • Receive consideration for cohort-specific scholarships designed to invest in your academic journey and future success. 
  • Take custom Honors business courses designed to strengthen leadership, critical thinking, and real-world problem-solving skills. 
  • Enjoy a guaranteed bed in the Honors Living-Learning Village, where you’ll live alongside a community of motivated Honors students. 
  • Gain conditional acceptance to the Coles College of Business and begin building your path toward a successful business career. 
  • Receive priority consideration for the Coles College Leadership Scholars Program and expand your leadership development opportunities. 
  • Eligible out-of-state students may receive renewable tuition waivers that reduce the cost of attending KSU.

 

Powered by Honors, Hired by Industry

Atlanta skyline at dusk with heavy traffic on intersecting highways in the foreground.

Honors business students have secured internship and career opportunities with top employers across Atlanta, including:

  • Delta Airlines
  • Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
  • Home Depot
  • Warner Bros. Discovery
  • Aprio
  • Deloitte 
  • Waffle House
  • Yancey Bros.
  • KPMG 

      and more!

 

Hear from Past Honors Business Students

"I had an amazing Honors experience. I truly believe that the experiences I had as an Honors student better prepared me for all of my internships and outside work experience. I feel honored to have been a part of the honors college!"

Libna A.

"The Honors college is one of the best things about my time at KSU. The people I met, the opportunities I took advantage of, and career goals were all positively impacted by the college. I couldn't have done this journey without the professors, staff members, and peers within the honors college."

Samuel C.

"Being part of the KSU Journey Honors College challenged me to think deeper, connect across disciplines, and grow as both a scholar and a leader. The supportive community and unique opportunities truly elevated my college experience."

Jessica C.

 

How to Apply

The Honors Pre-Business Cohort is open to incoming first-year students accepted on or before December 15, 2026, into the KSU Journey Honors College.  

 

ELIGIBILITY

  • Be qualified for the KSU Journey Honors College (3.5 KSU-calculated GPA or 25 ACT/1200 SAT) 
  • Enter KSU as a traditional first-year student with a fall 2027 start date  
  • Declare a business-interest major (Accounting, Cybersecurity, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Hospitality Management, Information Systems, Management, Marketing, or Professional Sales) 
  • Be eligible to complete the cohort curriculum listed on the website  

 

APPLICATION

  • Indicate interest in the KSU Journey Honors College on your KSU application. 
  • Select the Honors Pre-Business Cohort within the Honors application and complete the essay prompt. Resume submission is also highly encouraged. 
  • Complete your application by the  application deadline of December 15, 2026. 
  • If invited, attend  Honors Interview Day  on campus in Spring 2027 to interview for one of the Fall 2027 Honors Pre-Business Cohort seats. Invitations will be sent out via KSU student email. 

 

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

  • For consideration, you must be accepted to both Kennesaw State University and KSU Journey Honors College on or before December 15, 2026.
  • Students accepted to Kennesaw State University and KSU Journey Honors College after December 15 will not be considered for the Honors Pre-Business Cohort.

 

FALL 2027 COHORT APPLICATIONS OPEN AUGUST 1

 

Apply to KSU and Honors via CommonApp

 

Already accepted to Kennesaw State University? 

Apply for the KSU Journey Honors College below.

 

Apply to the KSU Journey Honors College

 

Program Coordinators

Name
Position

  • Dean of the Keeping Sights Upward (KSU) Journey Honors College and Professor of English

    kkornwei@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-2364
    Kennesaw Campus, 480 Academic Learning Center, Room 5552

  • Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Keeping Sights Upward (KSU) Journey Honors College and Professor of Political Science

    jellio82@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-4470
    Kennesaw Campus, 480 Academic Learning Center, Room 5525

  • Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Professor of Information Systems

    ksaeed1@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-5224
    Kennesaw Campus, 585 Kennesaw Hall, Room 1019