Honors Program

Overview

The Honors Program seeks to develop Christian scholars who integrate their biblical studies with their general and professional education. The Honors Program is a biblically centered, interdisciplinary course of study, providing an enriching and challenging educational opportunity. The capstone of the Honors Program is the honors thesis. Students choose a research topic designed to bring together all of their education. Working closely with an advisor, the students learn and apply the fundamentals of researching and writing a thesis. The University faculty is involved in mentoring the honors students. The development of student-faculty relationships provides an important scaffolding for the student’s intellectual development. Faculty members advise students in honors course work, colloquium topics, and the honors project. The director plans colloquia and honors activities for the students’ exposure.

Participation Requirements

Honors Seminar (3 credits) - An honors course addressing the subjects of research methodologies, topic development, history of the discipline, bibliography, and advisor relationship. This will be coordinated between the Director of the Honors Program and the dean of the student’s school and advisor. The thesis itself is interdisciplinary in scope. Junior year.

Honors Thesis (6 credits) - A sequence of two research and writing courses that is taught over an academic year. At the conclusion of these courses the honors thesis will be evaluated by the student’s advisor and second reader. Senior year.

Admission Process

An application should be sent to the Director of the Honors Program who will pass it on to the dean of the applicant’s school. Application should be made in the second semester of the sophomore year or the first semester of the junior year.

Admission criteria:

• Junior standing
• Overall grade point average of 3.0 or above
• Recommendations from a professor and the Office of Student Life
• Two research papers
• Application essay
• Portfolio of interests from freshman and sophomore years