Honors Program (HP)

The Honors Program offers a curriculum specially designed around high-impact methods of instruction that suit academically ambitious students. There are three components to the honors curriculum: honors-specific courses (the “honors core”); an individualized sequence of goal-oriented experiences (the “honors pathway”); and a senior experience that demonstrates either depth or breadth of scholarship. Students who opt for the “depth” track will complete a senior capstone project. Those who opt for the “breadth” track will double major or minor in a field distinct from their first major field (for example, by majoring in Biology and minoring/double majoring in Peace, Justice, and Human Rights).

The Admissions Office may offer automatic entry into the honors program to certain prospective students based on their high school records, including grade point average, standardized test scores, strength of curriculum, demonstrated writing skills, and co-curricular engagement. However, any prospective student may apply to the program, and we encourage them to do so. Prospective students may inquire about the program by emailing to honors@jcu.edu and learn about the program by visiting www.jcu.edu/honors.

Transfer students and students who have completed one semester at John Carroll may also apply for admission to the program by contacting honors@jcu.edu.

Honors Program Requirements

To graduate from the honors program and receive recognition on their diploma, students must satisfy the following requirements.

The Honors Core.
- From the “Foundational Competencies” part of the core curriculum: HP 101 (Honors Colloquium) [taken in lieu of EN 125] and COM 125.
- From the “Jesuit Heritage” part of the core curriculum: two courses each in Philosophy and Theology & Religious Studies; one in the Issues in Social Justice category; and one or two in Creative and Performing Arts (two one-credit courses or one three-credit class).
- HP 201 (Research Explorations) [1 cr.] and HP 301 (Directed Readings) [2 cr.].
The Honors Pathway. Honors students are strongly encouraged to design and participate in out-of-the-classroom experiences that enhance their academic lives. These include but are not limited to: participation in the Honors Student Association; community service; study abroad experiences; internships; enrollment in a study tour course; or participation in an immersion trip sponsored by Campus Ministry. The honors program provides financial support for many of these activities.
Depth or Breadth of Scholarship. All honors graduates must choose one of the following tracks:
- Students may opt to demonstrate depth of scholarship by fulfilling a senior experience. This includes HP 349 (Proposal Workshop, 1 cr.) and HP 450 (Honors Capstone, 3 cr.) or an appropriate departmental capstone class or independent study. This might take one of the following forms: a major research project; a creative or performative exercise; a service project; or an applied experience, like an internship. Supervision of a faculty adviser, a research foundation, written component, and public presentation is integral to all of these options. Awards are presented to the students who produce the most outstanding senior experiences as judged by a committee of faculty and staff.
- Students may opt to demonstrate breadth of scholarship by majoring in one field and taking a minor or second major in a distinct field, such as by majoring in Accountancy and minoring in History.
Superior Academic Achievement. Students must maintain a superior record of academic achievement as measured by grade point average or risk removal from the program.

With the guidance of faculty and academic advisers, honors students are expected to take an active role in planning their academic progress. Students may design their own major and minor programs, and honors students may petition to take up to an additional three credit hours (over the maximum of 18) tuition free. Honors students who have completed at least 32 hours of course work at John Carroll may also audit one course per semester without fee with the permission of the program director and the appropriate academic dean.

Further information about the Honors Program is available from the program director (honors@jcu.edu) or via the program’s website, www.jcu.edu/honors.

Departments: