/Institutions/Mount-Saint-Marys-University/json/2022-2024/2022-2024-Catalog-local.json

/Institutions/Mount-Saint-Marys-University/json/2022-2024/2022-2024-Catalog.json

2022-2024 Catalog > Academic Policies and Procedures > Baccalaureate Degrees > Baccalaureate Degree Requirements > The Honors Program

The Honors Program

About the Honors Program:

The Honors Program at Mount Saint Mary’s University recognizes academic excellence and provides high-achieving students with opportunities for increased academic rigor to be intellectually challenged in an engaging and nurturing environment. We enable our students to explore their intellectual curiosities and enhance their leadership abilities through numerous offerings.

Honors Scholars participate in a robust honors curriculum and have opportunities for leadership development, service-learning, and co-curricular engagements in the community and around the globe.

How to Apply to the Honors Program:

In order to be eligible for and maintain status in the Honors Program, prospective Honors Scholars must have and maintain a cumulative 3.5 GPA and must submit an application.

Students applying to the University as incoming traditional undergraduate freshmen or transfer students in pursuit of their baccalaureate degrees can apply to the Honors Program through the common application. Current traditional undergraduate Mount Saint Mary’s University students interested in applying to the Honors Program must ordinarily apply by the end of their sophomore standing year. Under some unique circumstances, highly motivated students may apply to the Honors Program at the end of their junior standing year, though only if time and space in the prospective Honors Scholars’ schedule permits for fulfilling the Honors Program requirements.

All prospective Honors Scholars interested in applying to the Honors Program must have at least 1 consecutive Fall/Spring year remaining, though preferably 2 consecutive Fall/Spring years remaining, at Mount Saint Mary’s University.

Honors Program Requirements:

Honors Curriculum: Honors Scholars admitted into the Honors Program as a first year student with “Honors at Entrance” must complete 24 units in Honors Curriculum. Honors Scholars admitted into the Honors Program as a current Mount Saint Mary’s University student must complete 22 units in Honors Curriculum.

• Honors Seminars. Fundamental to our Honors Seminars is the integration of a community immersion and service-learning component.
  • FYS 1H: First Year Seminar Foundations Honors (only required of incoming first year students admitted into the Honors Program with Honors at Entrance)
  • HON 198A/HON 198B: The Honors Capstone
  • HON 199A/HON 199B: The Honors Thesis 

• Honors Courses. Honors Courses receive an “H” designation on Honors Scholars’ transcripts and also fulfill University general education, upper division requirements, and major requirements.
  • 15 units in Honors Courses (excluding Honors Seminar Courses) by Honors Sections or Honors Contracts.

• Honors Thesis. Honors Scholars will complete an individual original research project or produce an original creative piece under the mentorship and supervision of faculty readers.
  • 3 units in directed/independent study for your Honors Thesis (in conjunction with HON 199B). As part of the Honors Thesis, Honors Scholars are required to present their final Honors Thesis during the University’s Academic Symposium.

Honors Contracts:

Only students who are enrolled in the Honors Program and are in good academic standing are eligible to turn their academic courses into Honors courses. Only academic courses while enrolled at Mount Saint Mary’s University during the fall or spring semesters may be turned into Honors. Faculty are not obligated to fulfill an Honors Scholar’s request to complete an Honors Contract to turn a course into Honors. Converting a course into an Honors Course is at the discretion of the faculty or the department as faculty and departments may recommend that certain courses are not converted for various reasons.

Honors Scholars wishing to convert a course into an Honors course must ordinarily first receive support and approval from the course’s respective faculty by communicating with the faculty their intentions for the course’s Honors component. In order to turn an academic course into an Honors course, Honors Scholars must complete and submit an Honors Contract obtained from the Honors Program to the Director of the Honors Program by the end of week 3 during the start of the semester. Upon approval from the Honors Program, the original Honors Contract must then be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the end of week 4. Once your paperwork has been properly filed, your program evaluation and transcript should reflect an “H” designation next to your course number. 

Honors Petition:

Honors Scholars may petition to drop the “H” designation without dropping the course entirely with good reason, which must be documented and discussed directly with the faculty and in some instances with the Department Chair of the course, and then with the Director of the Honors Program for final approval. Honors Scholars must petition to drop the “H” designation no later than the end of week 8. However, once Honors Scholars have submitted or completed their Honors components, they may not petition to drop the “H” designation. A petition to drop the “H” designation may not be retroactive.

Honors Scholars are expected to have due diligence and frequent open communication with their faculty regarding Honors component expectations, deadlines, grading component, etc. As an Honors Scholar, once an Honors Contract has been submitted, Honors Scholars are required to fulfill their Honors component in its entirety. If Honors Scholars do not complete their Honors component, the faculty should adjust their grades accordingly or may request that the Honors Scholar petition to drop the “H” designation, if within the allowed timeframe.

Honors Advisement: