Honors Program

Honors Program Vision Statement

The Immaculata University Honors Program embodies and promotes the highest ideals of an Immaculata education. Inspired by the IHM charism and the University mission, the Honors Program offers a dynamic education focused on the theme “Life Examined, Life Experienced.”  Grounded in the tradition of the liberal arts, the Honors Program cultivates examination of the experience of personhood and community; develops creative, independent, critical, and responsive thinking; nurtures leadership and service for the common good; fosters cross-cultural dialogue and awareness; and facilitates a community dedicated to multi-disciplinary scholarship. The Honors Program pursues these goals within the context of a learning community marked by peer support and vibrant social interaction.

Honors Program Outcomes

Through study in the Undergraduate Honors Program, students will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of key texts and ideas within the Liberal Arts tradition that illuminate personhood and community in the following disciplines:
  • History
  • Literature
  • Philosophy
  • Theology
  • The Natural World
  • The Social Sciences
• Demonstrate an ability to identify, clarify, and resolve intellectual, ethical, and social problems
• Design and conduct high-quality research using multi-disciplinary methods
• Communicate effectively through oral, visual, digital, and written modes/formats
• Collaborate productively with others in the achievement of a shared goal
• Demonstrate an understanding of interdependence between local and global communities

Membership in the Immaculata Honors Program

First-time freshmen: Invitations to the honors program are extended to high school students who meet at least two of the following criteria:

• SAT score of 1160 or better;
• High School GPA of 3.50 or equivalent
• Top 20% of high school class

Students whose high school GPA or test scores fall slightly below these benchmarks, or whose schools do not report/track class rank or GPAs may self-nominate and apply to the Honors Program Committee for acceptance. The Honors Program Committee will consider all self-nominated applications and review a student’s global qualifications; the criteria noted here are simply a useful guide, not an exclusive list.

First semester freshmen and second semester freshmen:  First semester freshmen and second semester freshmen who have achieved a 3.5 cumulative GPA will also be invited into the program. Students who wish to enroll in the honors program but whose cumulative GPA falls slightly under a 3.5 may self-nominate and make formal application to the Honors Program Committee for acceptance into the program.

Transfer Students: Invitations are extended to freshman and sophomore-level transfer students who have completed 24 credits with a GPA of 3.50. Students who have completed fewer than 24 college credits must meet the same criteria as first-time freshman applicants. Honors courses completed at other institutions (with at least a B average) will be accepted for credit in the Immaculata Honors Program. Honors coursework completed at other institutions will be evaluated as part of the transcript review process, and qualifying courses may be counted towards completion of the IU Honors Program.

Transfer Students (entering IU with an advanced number of credits): Students who transfer into Immaculata in their junior year and who have little chance of completing the formal honors program will be invited into the Honors Congress, an affiliate honors program. Membership in the Honors Congress gives students access to all honors courses, programs, extra- and co-curricular activities, and priority registration for classes.

The Honors Program requires the completion of 18 credits:

• FYS 110: Honors First Year Seminar (3 cr.)
• ENG 117: Honors Composition (3 cr.)
• ENG 301: Advanced Composition (3 cr.) *
• HON 401: Honors Colloquium (3 cr.) **
• Two Honors electives, selected from core or major requirements (6 cr.) ***

*An additional Honors elective can be substituted for ENG 301, at the discretion of the Honors Program Director

**HON 401 requires completion of a guided research project and presentation of that research at a subsequent public academic forum. In the event a student is unable to complete HON 401 in the fall of their third or fourth years, the requirement can be satisfied by HON 400, an independent research project completed in coordination with a faculty advisor. The research presentation requirement from HON 401 applies to HON 400 as well.

***In exceptional circumstances, a Student Generated Honors Option (SGHO) may allow a student to engage in guided research within a core course or a course required by their major. Coordinated with the support of the course instructor and approved by the Honors Subcommittee, the SGHO allows students to pursue more in-depth study within the framework of a larger course. Students seeking to fulfill an honors course requirement through an SGHO are required, in the semester immediately prior to taking the course for an SGHO option, to consult with the course instructor and develop an abstract/proposal for the guided research (contact the Honors Program Director for details). The SGHO Abstract must be submitted for review and decision to the Honors Program Subcommittee at least four weeks prior to the semester in question. This option is available only to Junior/Senior Honors Program students, and each Honors Program student may complete only one SGHO.

The following table provides a suggested sequence for how to complete the program in a three-year sequence. However, individual scheduling needs and course offerings will at times vary the sequence. It is possible to complete the program in three years or extend completion into a fourth year.

All Honors courses are identified on student transcripts.

Fourth year Honors Courses: Many students will complete the honors program by the end of junior year; therefore, the fourth year provides ample time to complete off-campus study programs, student teaching, senior seminar papers, etc. However, if students have not completed the honors program during their junior year, they can continue their honors courses in senior year.

Formal Induction

Formal induction into the Honors Program and Honors Congress will occur during Immaculata’s annual Honors Programs.

Maintaining Honors Program Membership

Students in the Honors Program and members of Honors Congress are required to maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA.

Students are free to withdraw from the Honors Program if the need arises. A student will be put on probation if his/her GPA falls below a 3.5. Probation will be lifted on a case-by-case basis by the dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies in conjunction with the Honors Program Committee. Students who have not completed the Honors Program are expected to enroll in at least one Honors course every two semesters to maintain good standing. To receive recognition of Honors Program completion on the transcript, Honors students must graduate with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or greater; if a student falls below that GPA but has earned a GPA of 3.5 or greater in Honors program courses, the Honors Program Committee may approve an exception on a case-by-case basis.

Recent Honors Courses

Course descriptions can be found in the department listed after the course title. Courses are changed or added periodically.

Sample courses previously approved and offered include:

BUS 200 HON: Leadership Character
CCS 335 HON: Global Studies
COM 211 HON: Media and Love
COM 338 HON: Political Communication
ECO 313 HON:  The Great Economic Debate
EDU 291 HON:  Schools and Society
ENG 216 HON:  World Literature
ENG 330 HON: Twisted Sisters: Brontës
FNU 213 HON:  Current Issues in Nutrition
HIST 214 HON:  Refugees
HIST 320 HON: Big Four History Tour
MATH 223 HON: God, Universe, & Math
MUS 300 HON: Women in the Performing Arts
MUS 300 HON: Music Appreciation
PHI 200 HON: Justice Matters
PHI 314 HON:  Asian Thought
PHI 341 HON: Mythos and Logos
POL 307 HON: Public Opinion and Propaganda
PSY 327 HON: Positive Psychology
SOC 360 HON: Culture and Gender
THE 214 HON: Science, Technology, Theology

Completion of the Honors Program
Upon successful completion of the honors program requirements:

• Students are recognized and receive certificates of achievement at the spring honors ceremony;
• Students benefit from priority registration in spring and fall semesters;
• HON is listed before course numbers on student transcripts;
• Completion of the honors program or honors congress is noted on the student’s transcript.