Honors Program

The University Honors Program fosters academic achievement, personal growth, and independent learning. Seeking to expand the usual avenues for student excellence, the Honors Program invites students to develop self-directed projects from the ground up. Faculty serve as teachers, advisers, and advocates in this dynamic 18-credit hour program.

In training students to develop independent research and creative projects, the Honors Program prepares students for careers and for post-graduate education. Recent Honors Program graduates are currently pursing M.A., M.B.A., Ph.D., J.D., and M.D. degrees at top-ranked programs throughout the U.S.

Admission requirements:

Incoming students awarded Presidential or Friars scholarships are invited to join
Invitations are sent with acceptance letters
Students may transfer in six credits of Honors courses for which they earned a B+ or higher
Students may request admission with a 3.5 GPA after first semester

Program requirements:

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 each semester
Students must take at least one Honors course per year
Students must meet with the Honors Director at least once a year

Requirements for the Degree with Honors

Students completing the full 18-credit Honors Program, including the final 3-credit Honors Project, are granted the Degree with Honors.

The Honors Project is a yearlong signature piece of research or creative work in which students bring their academic training and personal knowledge together with input from faculty mentors. These exceptional projects are presented to faculty, friends, and family at the Honors Symposium held every spring.

Program benefits

Early registration for classes
Maximum of 15 students per class
Up to two required general education courses offered for Honors credit
Scholarships available for the Oxford Summer Program
Honors study space in main classroom building (updated summer 2021)
“with Honors” listed on diploma and transcript for students completing the program
Incoming Honors students may request a roommate also enrolled in the Honors program

Honors Spotlight

Emily LaMay, Class of 2020, created an online Excel training course based on the design thinking process and entrepreneurship. Meet Emily and other Honors students:

In the Honors Spotlight

Program information

Students may participate in as much of the Honors Program as they desire, or they may fulfill all the requirements to earn a Degree with Honors.

Requirements and courses for a degree with honors

Students in the Honors Program will

Focus on critical and analytical thinking through interdisciplinary and current topics taught in Honors courses and other Honors activities.
Be challenged and transformed through various experiences, which enables students to grow academically within, and out of, their own disciplines.
Gain cognitive tools to exceed their expectations and mature in a more profound way.
Develop a close working relationship with faculty through seminar style courses, social gatherings, and independent research.
Complete their degrees with an Honors Independent Project demonstrating the University Mission, the student’s interest, and incorporating the academic training received in all areas of their liberal arts and Honors education.

For more information

We are always available to answer any and all questions pertaining to University Honors. Please do not hesitate to call or email us. If you are going to be visiting the campus, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to stop by and introduce yourself. This is a really exciting time to be an Honors student at St. Bonaventure and we want you to be a part of our community.

Dr. Scott Simpson
Director of the Honors Program

St. Bonaventure University