University Honors Program

The mission of the University Honors Program is to help academically gifted students achieve their fullest intellectual potential, preparing them to enter a world acutely in need of their talents. The program offers motivated, intellectually curious students a unique educational experience that integrates curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular learning in both interdisciplinary study and the students’ major discipline, engaging them in a rigorous and dynamic course of study that complements and enhances their non-honors learning.

Entry into the University Honors Program is offered to academically gifted incoming students and to students who apply to the Program after their first year of study at the Mount. Students applying from outside of the University are required to hold an overall GPA of 3.75 to enter and must maintain an overall GPA of 3.4 to remain in good standing and graduate from the program. Students in the Honors Program who have a 3.75 semester GPA or higher for the previous semester may enroll in a 6th course for no extra charge.

Honors students are required to enroll in Honors sections of the following core requirements:

FSYM 101 The First Year Symposium (3)

WCIV 102 Origins of the West (3)

PHIL 103 Foundations of Philosophy (3)

WCIV 201 Atlantic Encounters: 1450-1850 (3)

PHIL 203 Philosophy in the Modern Age (3)

AMER 202 America in the World (3)

THEOL 220 Foundations of Theology (3)

THEOL 320 Made In God’s Image (3)

Students with unavoidable scheduling conflicts may request a waiver from the Honors Director to take a non-honors version of one of the above required courses.

All Honors students must complete the 4-credit Senior Honors Project (HP 470 and HP 471) that consists of a senior research project or thesis that serves as the capstone experience of the Program. Students present their work to the campus community during the SPARC Festival of their senior year. This project often serves as a powerful transition to graduate school or to a profession. Students who plan to graduate a semester early must notify the Honors Director by the prior December of their intentions so that all deadlines can be adjusted to allow completion of the Senior Honors Project and graduation in December.

The University Honors Program promotes an atmosphere of collegiality among its members through a series of socials, dinners, lectures, and field trips. The University Honors Program also encourages students to offer their talents to the University and local community through service programs.