Honors Program
The Honors Program at St. Bonaventure University brings highly motivated and academically qualified students into novel, stimulating, and productive interactions with faculty members. Students are welcome to participate in as much of the program as they desire, or they may fulfill all the requirements for a degree with honors.
Requirements for Enrollment in the Honors Program
- Incoming students who meet the qualifications for the University's top two academic financial aid awards, the Presidential Scholarship and the Friars Scholarship, are invited to join the Honors Program.
- Enrolled students must maintain cumulative GPAs of 3.25 each semester. Reviews of Honors student GPAs begin after the students have completed their first semesters at St. Bonaventure University and continue after each completed semester thereafter.
- Enrolled students must take an Honors Seminar course each semester. These courses meet monthly to discuss Honors Program requirements and/or help you prepare Honors Projects.
- Enrolled students must take at least one Honors-designated course a year to maintain their status as Honors students. Honors Seminar courses do not meet this requirement.
- Transfer students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher at the institution they are leaving for St. Bonaventure or meet the same standards as incoming students.
- Transfer students will be granted up to 6 transfer credits for Honors courses passed with a grade of B+ or higher, subject to the approval of the Director of the Honors Program.
Requirements for enrolled students invited to join the Honors Program
- Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 after their first semester enrolled at St. Bonaventure University will be invited to join the Honors Program.
- Students invited to join the Honors Program will be granted Honors Student status and be allowed to register early and to register for Honors courses.
- Students invited to join the Honors Program will be evaluated again following the second semester enrolled at St. Bonaventure University. Any enrolled student invited to join the Honors Program must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 after the first full year enrolled to remain an Honors Student. Enrolled students whose GPA falls below 3.25 after the second semester will be removed from any Honors course registered for and will be denied admittance into the Honors Program.
Policies for Suspension and Dismissal from the Honors Program
- Enrolled students with a cumulative GPA between 3.00 and 3.25 will be placed on probation within the Honors program. If student on probation does not raise his/her cumulative GPA to 3.25 or higher in the following semester, he or she will be dismissed from the Honors Program.
- Enrolled students with a cumulative GPA below 3.00 will be dismissed from the Honors Program.
- Students dismissed from the Honors Program will have the opportunity to reapply for admission with the Director of the Honors Program once the student is able to raise his/her cumulative GPA above 3.25. Applications for readmission to the Honors Program will be brought to the Honors Council for deliberation.
- Receiving a failing grade for a Honors Seminar Course.
Degree with Honors
To earn a “Degree with Honors,” the highest undergraduate degree offered by the university, students must fulfill all of the requirements listed below. Honors courses are populated entirely with students who are in the Honors Program. Courses that are a hybrid of students in the Honors Program and those not in the Honors Program can count in the Honors Experience.
- Honors Seminar Courses: These are zero credit-hour pass/fail seminar courses to discuss requirements of the Honors Program, help students construct/execute Honors Projects, and help build an Honors Program community at SBU. Enrollment in an Honors Seminar course each semester is a requirement of the Honors Program.
- Five Honors Courses:
- No more than TWO should be from the First-year Honors Courses category:
(the Gen Ed Curriculum requirement fulfilled by the course is in parentheses)- ENG-104. Honors: Writing II (one of the Required Specific Courses)
- PHIL-102H Honors: Introduction to Philosophy (one of the Required Specific Courses)
- PHIL-105. Honors: Introduction to Ethics (one of the Required Specific Courses)
- SOC-111. Honors: Intro to Sociology (the Social Sciences Distribution)
- THFS-104. Honors: The Way of Francis and Clare (one of the Required Specific Courses)
- ECO-101H. Honors: Microeconomic Principles (the Social Sciences Distribution)
- ACCT-201H. Honors: Intro to Financial Accounting
- At least THREE should be Advanced Honors Courses:
(the Gen Ed Curriculum requirement fulfilled by the course is in parentheses)
- No more than TWO should be from the First-year Honors Courses category:
- HON 300: Honors Experience. This zero-credit requirement can be fulfilled by an additional Honors course; an Honors addition to a regular course; or another credit-bearing experience such as research, independent study, study abroad, service trips, or internship as long as it is completed in addition to requirements for a student's major. This experience must be approved by the Honors Director.
- Honors Project (HON-498/HON-499T) This is the culmination of the Honors Program curriculum — a four-semester, three-credit research or creative endeavor designed by the student to be of sufficient scope to merit recognition as an Honors Project.
This plan of study is the conventional plan of study for most majors. Education majors may have to adjust when taking HON 498 and HON 499 to meet the requirements on their degree.
HON-300 is also a requirement that needs to be fulfilled and can be taken any semester (including Summers if doing a study abroad program).
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HON-101 | 0 | HON-102 | 0 |
| First-year Honors Course or Advanced Honors course | 3 | First year Honors Course or Advanced Honors Course | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HON-201 | 0 | HON-202 | 0 |
| Advanced Honors Course | 3 | Advanced Honors Course | 3 |
| Formulate Honors Project | Finalize/Get Approval for Honors Project by submitting the Honors Project Proposal | ||
| Vet Honors Project Mentor | Finalize Honors Project Mentor and Committee | ||
| 3 | 3 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HON-301 | 0 | HON-302 | 0 |
| HON-498 (or Independent Study) | 1 | HON-498 (or Independent Study) | 1 |
| Advanced Honors Course | 3 | ||
| 4 | 1 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HON-401 | 0 | HON-402 | 0 |
| HON-498 (or Independent Study) | 1 | HON-499T | 0 |
| Present Project to Honors Committee | |||
| 1 | 0 | ||
| Total Credits 18 | |||
HON (Honors)
HON-101 FRESHMAN HONORS SEMINAR I (0 Credits)
One hour per month. This course is for Freshmen Honors Students to learn about the requirements of the Honors Program. Enrollment in the Honors Program is required.
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-102 FRESHMAN HONORS SEMINAR II (0 Credits)
One hour per month. This course is for Freshmen Honors Students to learn about the requirements of the Honors Program and is a continuation of HON 101. Enrollment in the Honors Program is required.
Prerequisite(s): Take HON-101
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-201 SOPHOMORE HONORS SEMINAR I (0 Credits)
One hour per month. This course is for Sophomore Honors Students to help students complete the Honors Program requirements. Enrollment in the Honors Program is required.
Prerequisite(s): Take HON-102
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-202 SOPHOMORE HONORS SEMINAR II (0 Credits)
One hour per month. This course is for Sophomore Honors Students to help students complete the Honors Program requirements and is a continuation of HON 201. Enrollment in the Honors Program is required.
Prerequisite(s): Take HON-201
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299 SPECIAL TOPICS (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299AA THE BODY IN SCIENCE, THEOLOGY & CULTURE (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299AB MEDIA & MENTAL HEALTH (3 Credits)
HON-299AC THE ART OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATION (3 Credits)
The Art of Science Communication is a course that provides fundamental training in science communication, focusing on how to present science to a nonexpert audience in a formal setting, such as a public lecture or a science outreach event.
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299AD DIVERSITY &THE JUDICIAL BRANCH (3 Credits)
This course will explore the relationship between diversity and the courts. Topics such as the importance of a diverse judiciary, the effects of demographics on judicial decisions, and how diversity influences judicial selection will be discussed. This course will not only focus on the federal court system of the United States but will explore both state and international judicial systems.
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299AE POLICING, RACE RELATIONS & CULTURE (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299AF RACE AND CRIME (3 Credits)
This course focuses on the significance of race and ethnicity to the criminal justice system and criminal offending.
HON-299AG DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL (3 Credits)
An examination of conceptions of deviance behaviors, beliefs, and characteristics in American society. Explores the relationship between deviance and social control, theoretical explanations, and the importance of power in the labeling process.
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299BT Sp Top: Black Theology (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299E Sp Top: Psychopathology/Cinema (3 Credits)
This course will seek to encourage critical thinking not only about what psychopathology is but also how it is portrayed in the powerful medium of film. Specifically, this course will use a variety of films to illustrate both psychopathology and its treatment in order to give the topic a human dimension and added complexity that is not possible in a traditional psychopathology course. In addition, students will be required to evaluate the accuracy of these portrayals and how the time period in which they were written or produced might influence them.
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299EF SP TOP:EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING FOR EXCELLENCE (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299FR SP TOP:FREEDOM (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299H LOGICS (3 Credits)
HON-299I SP TOP: FRIENDSHIP (3 Credits)
HON-299K SP TOP: PREGNANCY IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL FUTURE PARENTS (3 Credits)
This course introduces students to human developmental processes and the bio/psycho/social nature of pregnancy. The study of pregnancy includes psychological and biological systems, individual cognitive and affective processes and sociocultural models and influences.
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299M SP TOP: WHAT IS REAL? (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299MD MEDIA & DEMOCRACY HONORS (3 Credits)
This course uses a seminar format to explore the external factors that impact the content and quality of news and the media's relationship with a healthy democracy. It examines conflicts between the media's responsibility to keep citizens informed and serve as a watchdog over powerful interests with news organizations' roles as profit-making businesses. The growth of the Internet and social networks and their impact on journalistic form and content also are explored.
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299ME SP TOP: MEDICAL ERROR (3 Credits)
Honors students will be introduced to the concept and possibility of medical error in the United States. Common healthcare system processes will be reviewed and detailed case studies will be analyzed and reenacted. Professional healthcare organizations striving to prevent medical error and promote patient safety will be appraised and applied to medical error concepts. Students will also spend time communicating with a healthcare worker outside of scheduled class time to promote self-awareness and understanding.
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299OX SP TOP: AGE OF SHAKESPEARE (3 Credits)
This course offers students the opportunity for advanced study in either a discipline currently offered at SBU (e.g. drawing, painting, sculpture, art history, etc.) or in an area not currently covered by existing art courses (e.g., mixed media, performance art, video, etc.) in preparation for graduate studies or the workplace. In the former instance, this course may be taken only after the student has met the core requirements of a particular discipline.
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299P MEDIA & PUBLIC OPINION (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299PT Sp Top: Populism, Trumpism, & Global (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299Q SP TOP: RELIGION & RACE (3 Credits)
HON-299QT SP TOP:QUEER THEORY IN STUDENT DEVELOPMENT (3 Credits)
This course will introduce queer theory and examine its contemporary applications. By exploring concepts of sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, and sexual behavior, students will examine the social construction and categorization of queer identities. Using the interdisciplinary frameworks of queer theory, students will interrogate how questions of power, normalcy, and deviancy impact public discourse, especially in relation to higher education.
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299R SP TOP: RELIGION & ART (3 Credits)
HON-299S SP TOP:CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL ISSUES (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299T SP TOP:COUNTERFACTUAL THINKING (3 Credits)
Contemplating alternative realities plays an important part in human thought. This ranges from considering how a sequence of events would have played out if one event had not taken place to speculating on the nature of universes having physical laws different from our own. Counterfactual thinking and thought experiments have been used in disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, literature, history, political science, and the natural sciences. In this course, we will review the uses of counterfactual thinking in some of these fields, and then engage in extensive counterfactual analysis in a seminar discussion setting. Students will critique counterfactual scenarios presented in fiction and non-fiction works, and will creatively explore a variety of counterfactual scenarios posed to them and of their own invention. Each student will keep a record of their exploration of these scenarios, and will contribute to seminar discussions of them.
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299U SP TOP: DECISION 2018: EXPLORATION OF CAMPAIGN FOR NYS GOVERNOR (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299W SP TOP:ART & CULTURE IN THE AGE OF EXTREMES (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299X SP TOP:THE HUMAN BODY IN SCIENCE, THEOLOGY & HUMAN CULTURE (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-299Y CAMPAIGNS, CANDIDATES & THE CURRENT ELECTION (3 Credits)
HON-299Z HOMER: ILIAD ELECTION (3 Credits)
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-300 HONORS EXPERIENCE (0 Credits)
Course will be used to track the Honors Experience requirement for Honors Students.
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-301 JUNIOR HONORS SEMINAR I (0 Credits)
One hour per month. This course is for Junior Honors Students to help students complete the Honors Program requirements and is a continuation of HON 202. Enrollment in the Honors Program is required.
Prerequisite(s): Take HON-202
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-302 JUNIOR HONORS SEMINAR II (0 Credits)
One hour per month. This course is for Junior Honors Students to help students complete the Honors Program requirements and is a continuation of HON 301. Enrollment in the Honors Program is required.
Prerequisite(s): Take HON-301
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-401 SENIOR HONORS SEMINAR I (0 Credits)
One hour per month. This course is for Senior Honors Students to help students complete the Honors Program requirements and is a continuation of HON 302. Enrollment in the Honors Program is required.
Prerequisite(s): Take HON-302
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-402 SENIOR HONORS SEMINAR II (0 Credits)
One hour per month. This course is for Senior Honors Students to help students complete the Honors Program requirements and is a continuation of HON 401. Enrollment in the Honors Program is required.
Prerequisite(s): Take HON-401
Restrictions: RG.HON
HON-498 HP -- HONORS PROJECT (1-3 Credits)
The Honors Project is a four-year-long endeavor in which an honors student works intensively on the definition and solution of a scholarly problem, involvement with the campus or surrounding community, or on the development of a creative work. The honors student's work is guided by an advisor. Upon completion, it is publicly presented to interested faculty, students and guests. A copy of the project is bound and placed in the permanent collection of the Friedsam Library. Development of an honors project is started in the student's freshmen year and is continually worked on until presented in the student's senior year. This is required of all honors degree graduates.
HON-499 HONORS PROJECT (2 Credits)
The Honors Project is a year-long endeavor in which an honors student works intensively on the definition and solution of a scholarly problem, or on the development of a creative work. The honors student's work is guided by an advisor. Upon completion, it is publicly presented to interested faculty, students and guests. A copy of the project is bound and placed in the permanent collection of the Friedsam Library. An honors project is usually pursued in the student's senior year and is required of all honors degree graduates.
HON-499T HONORS PROJECT (0 Credits)
The Honors Project is a four-year-long endeavor in which an honors student works intensively on the definition and solution of a scholarly problem, involvement with the campus or surrounding community, or on the development of a creative work. The honors student's work is guided by an advisor. Upon completion, it is publicly presented to interested faculty, students and guests. A copy of the project is bound and placed in the permanent collection of the Friedsam Library. Development of an honors project is started in the student's freshmen year and is continually worked on until presented in the student's senior year. This is required of all honors degree graduates.
Restrictions: RG.HON