Honors Program Academic Requirements

The focal point of Marywood University's Honors Curriculum is the honors degree. Students who complete the honors degree will receive the Citation in Honors and recognition on their official transcripts. To graduate with the Citation in Honors, you must:

1. Complete a minimum of 21 honors credits.
   • At least 5 classes (equaling 15 credits) must be in small, seminar-style honors courses or colloquia that meet core curriculum or liberal arts requirements
   • 2 courses may be part of the students’ major requirements
2. Complete a 3-credit honors thesis in their major.
3. Achieve a 3.5 QPA by the semester preceding their graduation

Honors Curriculum

We’ve designed honors coursework to enhance the core curriculum experience of academically motivated students. These small, seminar-style classes emphasize active learning, including participation, discussion, and research skills and methods. Some honors courses include:

• R ST H112 Modern Belief
• PHIL H113 Introduction to Philosophy
• PSY H211 General Psychology
• ENGL H160 Writing Skills
• ENGL H180 Introduction to World Literature
• PSY H251 Developmental Psychology

In addition to these courses, new honors courses and opportunities are created and added on a regular basis. Most honors courses fulfill core requirements; other courses are offered as electives that can be used exclusively to fulfill honors requirements.

If you have already taken the courses that are offered or if you need a course in your major, you may opt to take Honors Enrichment Courses in order to complete your honors requirements. For Honors Enrichment, you would work with the professor of a course to define a more rigorous course of study that reflects Honors requirements, and then submit an Honors Enrichment Contract to the department chair and Director of Honors and Fellowships for approval. 

Honors Thesis

The Honors Thesis is the capstone of the Honors Program at Marywood University. The thesis is a scholarly paper in your discipline that is treated as independent study worth 3 credits. You work with a committee made up of a faculty director, a reader, and the honors program director over the course of 2 semesters to complete the research and writing requirements. 

The thesis provides the opportunity for you to tailor your interests and develop your expertise in a specific subject area. Such skills also give you a competitive advantage on scholarship or graduate school applications. Theses are published every year in Scientia.