The purpose of the Honors Program is to create a community in which teachers and students can creatively explore the intellectual and spiritual inheritance of the western world. In innovative, enriched liberal arts courses, students reflect on the powerful books, art, and ideas that have shaped our culture and ourselves. The program provides the challenge necessary for talented students to reach their full potential and prepares them to thoughtfully engage and influence the culture in their adult lives.

What does it mean to be involved in the Honors Program?
It means...

• exploring the great books and the enduring questions
• joining a community of enthusiastic students like yourself
• taking courses designed not to make you do more work, but do the kind of work that will help you become a thinking leader
• learning the "Honors Scholar" designation and seal on your diploma and transcript
• participating in special events, such as an annual honor dinner hosted by President Foley
• having frequent access to honors faculty
• benefiting from honors roundtable designed to help students prepare for and apply to graduate school, seek grants and scholarships, and pursue post-graduate career opportunities

How does it work?
The program:

• is open to all majors in all of the University's school and colleges
• schedules courses to make it easy for students to complete the program without adding extra courses to their major
• centers on a four course cycle for seminars (EN111, EN211, EN212) which take the place of freshman and sophomore composition and literature courses
• offers a variety of honors sections of basic core curriculum courses

How do I apply?
If you are interested, fill out the information form. Students with a 27 or higher ACT will automatically be enrolled in the honors seminar, and other promising, motivated students are welcome to apply.

The Four Course Cycle

The heart of the honors program is the four-course cycle of seminars on western thought and culture:
EN 111: Ancient World
EN 112: Medieval - Renaissance
EN 211: Enlightenment - Romanticism
EN 212: Twentieth Century

These classes are interdisciplinary courses team taught by faculty chosen for their expertise in the works and era. In three sessions of EN 112, for instance, you might have a lecture on Dante by a literature professor, one on St. Augustine by a philosophy professor, and one on Leonardo da Vinci by an art history professor.

The large class is regularly broken into discussion sections for raising questions, exploring ideas, and debating issues.

Each semester only one of the honors seminars is offered so that for your first two years you have one class with all the other honors freshmen and sophomores.

The Other 9 Hours

The other nine hours required to receive the Honors designation on your diploma are classes that you would have to take in the basic core curriculum, so you do not have to take extra courses, regardless of your major.

Simply sign up for the honors designated sections of those basic core courses when you register.

Every two years, we will offer honors courses in history, political science, philosophy, English, biology, and Christian studies, in addition to other offerings. Save at least nine hours in your core requirements to be filled by honors classes in these areas.