About the Honors Program

"The Honors program has been instrumental in providing me, as a business major, with a well-rounded education. Its interdisciplinary, team-taught approach to traditional liberal education requirements has been critical in developing my writing and thinking skills. I have also enjoyed the emphasis the Honors classroom environment places on discussion, which not only engaged me more in class, but also developed my ability to articulate my thoughts. In addition to its academic value, Honors offers a variety of valuable opportunities to students, such as summer research grants, fully-sponsored trips to attend national conferences, and unique social opportunities."
-Ray Bradford, 2006 Honors Degree grad & 2009 Stanford University MBA grad

The mission of the Honors program is to offer an enhanced educational experience to academically talented and highly motivated students; to design, in collaboration with faculty recognized for excellence in teaching, an innovative, interdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary curriculum that emphasizes research, critical thinking, communication skills, and collaborative learning in seminar-style settings; to supplement that curriculum with enriched academic opportunities consisting of outside lectures, fieldwork, course-related travel, presentation of research at academic conferences, and other experiential learning activities.

Students participating in the Honors program will develop confidence in their abilities to understand and discuss complex ideas and texts, as well as to engage in problem solving and research design; strengthen their written and oral communication skills; master an ability to work effectively in groups of diverse people; make connections between disciplines; learn to apply new knowledge and skills in meaningful ways that will help them succeed in their professional and personal lives following college; enjoy a range of supplemental experiences of an academic and social nature with similarly motivated and talented students.

Memberships and Affiliations

The Honors program is an active member of:

• the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC),
• the Western Regional Honors Council (WRHC), and
• the National Association of Fellowship Advisors (NAFA)