Honors Program

Overview

The Honors Program exists to develop the skills of scholarship among qualified Cairn students. Its goal is that these students will 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 project, in which the student chooses a research topic designed to bring together all of his or her education. Working closely with an advisor, the student learns and applies the fundamentals of researching and writing, culminating in an honors thesis. The University faculty is involved in mentoring each honors student, and the development of this student-faculty relationship provides an important foundation for the student’s intellectual development throughout his or her time in the Honors Program.

Participation Requirements

HON 001 Honors Colloquium (0 credit) - Monthly meetings with the honors students and faculty for conversation, collaboration, and thesis preparation. Every semester.

THE 100 Introduction to Christian Theology (3 credits) - Special section for honors students.

PHI 301 Philosophy (3 credits) - Special section for honors students.

HON 401 Honors Thesis I and HON 402 Honors Thesis II (6 credits) - A sequence of two research and writing courses. At the conclusion of these courses, the honors thesis will be evaluated by the student’s advisor and a second reader. A public presentation of the student’s honors project will accompany the submission of the completed honors project. Junior or senior year.

Admission Process

For Prospective Students

An application should be sent to the Office of Admissions and can be found at cairn.edu/honors.

The student will be prompted to submit the following materials:

• Personal goals essay (200 words)
• Academic essay (500 words)
• Response paper
• Two research papers
• Two letters of recommendation

For Current Cairn Students

An application should be sent to the director of the Honors Program.

Admission criteria:

• Overall grade point average of 3.67 or above
• Recommendations from a professor and the Office of Student Life
• Two research papers
• Application essay