Honors Program

Saint Joseph's University’s Honors Program guides students to attain the highest standards of academic, professional and personal achievement. The enriched General Education curriculum broadens cultural interests, integrates knowledge, sharpens writing skills, and encourages student involvement in the learning process.

Every incoming student who applies to Saint Joseph’s as an undergraduate is considered for the Honors Program; no separate application is necessary. The program is competitive and accepts high-achieving students by invitation during the acceptance process. Intellectual curiosity and a desire to grow as a member of an academically focused community are considered key traits.

To be distinguished as an honors graduate, students must maintain a 3.5 cumulative grade point average, take a minimum of one honors course every year (with allowance for full-year study abroad programs), and successfully complete eight honors courses, including: 

• a minimum of two team-taught interdisciplinary honors courses, 
• two courses in a College Honors senior thesis or capstone sequence (as determined by individual departments), and
• four additional honors courses from those offered and approved by the Honors Program.

Students in the Honors Program are supported by a community of scholars and enjoy an array of opportunities and benefits.

Team-taught courses developed by faculty from across the University stress the importance of interdisciplinary study. Examples of courses include:

• HON 316 Tragedy in Lit & Philosophy (3 credits)
  Taught by Jason Powell, Ph.d., English and Henry V. Bender, Ph.d., Classics
  This course, focused on classical, Shakespearean, and modern examples of tragedy, will seek to answer the following questions: Why do we enjoy seeing representations of tragic suffering? What does this tell us about human nature and our societies? Would a life without tragedy be fully human? What is the relationship between tragedy and trauma?
• HON 310 Women's Writing as Emancipation
  Taught by Jo Alyson Parker, Ph.D., English and Katherine Sibley, Ph.D., history
  The course explores how British and American women of the late seventeenth to early twentieth centuries used writing as a means of emancipation.
• HON 384 Jewish/Christian Theologies Compared
  Taught by Philip Cunningham, Ph.D., theology and religious studies and co-director, Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations and Adam Gregerman, Ph.D., theology and religious studies and co-director, Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations
  The course studies fundamental religious questions as understood from various Jewish and Christian perspectives. Students will encounter the two traditions through a comparative lens to gain or deepen their understanding of religious communities.

Claver House is the hub of academic and social life for Honors Program students. A thoughtful restoration of the former carriage house provides a space for quiet reflection, social interaction and study.

Peer Mentoring is provided for every first-year Honors Program student. Each student is paired with a sophomore, junior or senior student for individual guidance and advising.

Additional benefits include:

• 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio
• Faculty-mentored research opportunities
• Priority class registration
• Dedicated suites in residence halls
• Opportunities to present research and creative work at national conferences and seminars
• Access to information on scholarships and funding for graduate and professional work
• Exclusive on-campus receptions, concerts and lectures

Honors Program students are encouraged to explore their interests through research. Each student is required to complete an original capstone project or thesis in their senior year. In addition, many Honors Program students participate in the Summer Scholars Program, engaging in faculty-mentored research, creative writing, fine and performing arts, and other scholarly endeavors during the summer months.

Graduates of the Honors Program have gone on to study in world-class graduate and doctoral programs at prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Yale and New York University. Others have secured leadership positions in major corporations around the world.