Honors Program
Dr. Amy Schreier, Program Director
Dr. Lara Narcisi, Associate Director
The Honors Program at Regis College and Anderson College of Business and Computing is an alternative way of meeting the College’s Core requirements. At least 27 semester hours of honors courses substitute for a portion of the Core curriculum. The honors curriculum has three major components: a five-semester sequence of Integrative Seminars, a requirement for dedicated Distributive Core replacement courses (which can be offered by any department), and a required honors thesis.
The Integrative Seminars: In the honors curriculum, there is a five-course sequence that replaces standard integrative Core courses. Each seminar is organized under a broad theme (i.e. Diversity, Environment, Justice, Meaning) that invites interdisciplinary conversation and is team-taught by faculty members from different disciplines. Each seminar takes its charter from the University Mission Statement and Core Philosophy Statement, drawing course objectives and a potential reading list from the synergy between these grounding documents. Each of these courses is thematically oriented and historically recursive.
Dedicated Distributive Core Replacements: All departments have an opportunity to teach an honors section of their Distributive Core courses. Each of these honors offerings meets certain protocols--such as expectations for greater depth or student involvement--and is approved by the Honors Advisory Council. These sections are open primarily to honors students, however, instructors have the option to allow any student to take the course.
Honors Theses: All honors students complete an honors thesis. This is an opportunity for students to delve deeply into a topic they are passionate about. Students begin this process in spring of their junior year when they develop their thesis topic. They write their thesis in fall of senior year, and defend it during a public presentation in spring of senior year.
The most accomplished students accepted into Regis College are invited each spring to apply to participate in this more rigorous and interdisciplinary curriculum. The Honors Program is competitive and normally limited to 30 students per year. Participation in Honors also promotes integration of a student’s intellectual life with personal, community, and world experiences. All Honors students prepare an Honors Thesis so the program is especially well suited for anyone planning on graduate study or a professional program, such as law or medicine.
To be distinguished as an honors graduate, a student must maintain a 3.50 cumulative grade point average, complete at least 27 semester hours of dedicated honors courses, and complete an Honors Thesis. Students interested in the Honors Program should apply via the Honors Program website no later than March 10th of the year they intend to matriculate at Regis University. Honors scholarship consideration will be given to all honor applications received by March 10th.
The honors program is open to students from every major in Regis College and Anderson College of Business and Computing. However, the Honors Program is not compatible with programs in Pharmacy or Exercise Science in Rueckert-Hartman College of Health Professions. Since these career-focused programs have their own unique core requirements tailored to meet their professional needs, students are unable to complete the Regis College honors curriculum. The nursing program poses similar challenges; however, their unique core requirements offer a bit more flexibility and occasionally nursing students will pursue the Regis College Honors Program for their first two years. Often these students go on to complete the disciplinary “honors in nursing” program through RHCHP. It is important to note that nursing students are unable to complete the final courses and honors thesis required of Regis College Honors Program students. Therefore, they are not eligible for honors scholarships.
All Honors students take a special Honors section of the following Core courses:
| Code | Title | SHs |
|---|---|---|
| RCC 200H | Honors Writing Seminar: Idea/University | 3.00 |
| RCC 400H | Honors: Diversity Tradition Innovation | 3.00 |
| RCC 410H | Honors: Environment and Society | 3.00 |
| RCC 420H | Honors Seminar: Justice for All | 3.00 |
| RCC 430H | Honors Sem. Magis & Search for Meaning | 3.00 |
| In addition to the Integrative seminars, all Honors students also take at least four other honors courses, which may include the following: | ||
| HO 490E-W | Independent Study in Honors | 1-3 |
| HO 493A | Honors Thesis Research Seminar A | 0-2 |
| HO 493B | Honors Thesis Research Seminar B | 0-2 |
| HO 499 | Honors Thesis | 0-2 |