Honors Degree Program

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Academic Requirements of the Honors Degree Program

The focal point of Marywood University's Honors Curriculum is the Honors Degree. At the end of the sophomore year, those students who have completed at least three honors courses with a 3.0 QPA or higher, and who intend to complete the requirements for the Citation in Honors, should formally elect participation in the program. The formal request for participation is the responsibility of the honors student; it should be expressed in writing and delivered to the Director of Honors and Fellowships no later than the first week of classes of the student's junior year.

To graduate with the Citation in Honors, students must

1. Complete a minimum of 21 honors credits; at least 15 credits or five of the honors courses must be in small seminar-style honors courses or colloquia. After the completion of three seminar-style honors courses, students who are pursuing the citation may request the option of taking two courses in their major as honors courses.
2. Successfully complete another three credits as an honors thesis in their major.
3. Achieve an overall QPA of 3.25 or higher by the semester preceding graduation.

Students' official transcripts note the successful completion of all honors courses. Students who complete the honors degree will receive the Citation in Honors and recognition on their official transcripts.

Honors Curriculum

Honors coursework has been designed to enhance the coure curriculum experience of academically motivated students. The following core curriculum courses are typically offered as honors courses.

New students are also encouraged to take an honors section of University 100: Living Responsibly in an Interdependent World. 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.

Honors Enrichment courses are also an option for students who need to complete their honors requirements. Students who have already taken the offered courses, or need a course in their major, can take an Honors Enrichment course. A student can designate a traditional section of a course as honors and work with the professor to define a more rigorous course of study than the syllabus. Professors and students collaborate on a course of study for enrichment courses, and then submit an Honors Enrichment Contract to the department chair and Director of Honors and Fellowships for approval.

In order to offer an Honors Enrichment course,

1. A student should first address the faculty member about taking a traditional course for Honors credit.

2. If the faculty member agrees, the next step is to receive tentative permission from the department chair.

3. If permission is granted, the student and teacher should consult on a course of study that would reflect Honors level work, and fill out the Honors Enrichment Contract.

4. This contract is then submitted to the Director of Honors and Fellowships for final approval.

5. Once approval is received, the department chair will add an Honors section of the course with one seat per Honors student to the master schedule. The student can then add the Honors section.

Honors Thesis

The Honors Thesis is the capstone of the Honors Program at Marywood University. Broadly defined, the thesis brings together the student's major area of study and the liberal arts core. For example, an analysis of the structure of a novelist's style may contain reflections on the meaning of that style within a historical or sociological context. Thus, the thesis contains two elements: specialization in terms of discipline and generalization in terms of the humanities.

Students who are planning to write their theses should begin by meeting with their advisors the semester before they would like to begin their research and writing. While students generally write their theses in their senior year, we recommend that students planning their student teaching, internships or field research start in their junior year to avoid conflicts.

To receive academic credit for the thesis, students must register for the courses Honors Thesis 478A and 478B (psychology majors should consult with their advisors and the Director of Honors and Fellowships for alternate course scheduling) under their department. Each section comprises 1.5 credits, and students must submit a timeline for the work they plan to complete over the course of each semester they're writing. The grade for 478A is based on the research the student accomplishes, while 478B is for the completed, written version of the thesis. The thesis will be due in the Office of Honors and Fellowships during the first week of March of the students' senior year.

All honors students planning to write a thesis must schedule a formal meeting with the Director of Honors and Fellowships during the first two weeks of the semester they begin in order to discuss the issues related to the thesis. At this meeting, monthly appointments will be scheduled to ensure that procedure is followed and to address questions and doubts that may arise during the research.

Forms

Students can also download and print the forms they need to register for classes and the honors thesis and apply for graduation.

Intent to Pursue Honors Degree ||| Honors Enrichment Contract

Senior Thesis Contract Form ||| Application for Graduation with Honors

Honors Student Biographical Information

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