University Honors Program

All University Colleges and Schools

• Director: Jeffrey L. Wilson, Ph.D.
• Assistant Director: Alex Esposito, Ph.D.
• Senior Administrative Coordinator: Nubia Valenzuela, M.A.

Overview

Created in 1959, the University Honors Program offers exceptionally motivated students an intellectually creative and challenging academic community. As LMU’s flagship academic program, Honors seeks to fulfill the University Mission in distinctive ways, with a primary emphasis on the encouragement of learning as well as strong commitments to the education of the whole person, the service of faith and the promotion of justice. The University Honors Program is open to students from any college or school of the University, regardless of major, and faculty from across the curriculum teach in the Program. As a University-wide program, Honors is independent of any school or college and comes under the authority of the Office of the Provost. The Program is administered by the Director, Assistant Director, and Senior Administrative Coordinator, in collaboration with the Honors Advisory Council and Student Honors Advisory Council. Any prospective student accepted for admission to LMU may apply to study in the Program through a special Honors Program application before enrolling in the University. Students who, as determined by the Director, are in good standing in the University Honors Program at the end of their penultimate semester before graduation receive a certificate from the Program, a special Honors medallion to wear with commencement regalia, and are recognized in the commencement program.

Application

Prospective first-year students who have been accepted for admission to the University complete a special University Honors Program application prior to registering at LMU. Those transferring to LMU from another 2-year or 4-year college or university should consult the Director for guidance about whether and how to apply to the University Honors Program. Complete information for prospective Honors students can be found here. Applications are reviewed holistically, considering student preparation, academic record, extracurricular interests, and fit with the Program’s goals. One of those goals is to recruit students with a variety of backgrounds and life experiences conducive to an effective learning environment.

Requirements

Coursework

The Program offers a special Honors Core Curriculum that largely replaces the general University Core Curriculum, as well as the four-year Honors Colloquium Series in support of independent research.  The courses have small class sizes, are taught primarily through discussion rather than lecture, and are designed to enliven students’ intrinsic desire to learn and develop beyond the usual requirements. Faculty selected from disciplines across the University use especially innovative teaching strategies to create engaging and academically challenging learning environments. Specific coursework required is listed below under Courses. Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, and International Baccalaureate courses do not, in most cases, fulfill Honors course requirements.

Research

All Honors students complete independent research or creative projects mentored by a faculty member and present the results of their research, whether on campus (such as in the Undergraduate Research Symposium) or at national and international conferences. These projects (such as a senior thesis or capstone project) are the culmination of the Honors Colloquium that builds from the first through the senior year. Honors students are eligible to apply for competitively awarded research grants that provide funding for our students to complete projects at locations around the world and to present their results at national and international venues.

Language Proficiency

Honors students must achieve intermediate-level proficiency in a second language prior to graduation equivalent to two semesters of college-level study. This requirement is met through the successful completion of 2102-level courses offered by Modern Languages and Literatures, placement into 2103 or higher courses through the Language Placement Examination, transfer or Advanced Placement credits determined the Office of the Registrar to be equivalent to 2102 or higher LMU language courses, or by alternative examination arranged through the Program Director. International students fulfill this requirement through TOEFL.

Co-Curricular Participation

The Program holds co-curricular events throughout the academic year such as lectures and other interactions beyond the classroom with faculty and visiting scholars, artists, and other public figures.  These events support the intellectual and creative excellence cultivated in coursework. Honors students also undertake service work together through Contemplation in Action service opportunities. Students are required to participate in a specific minimum number of designated co-curricular events each semester as determined by the Director.

Good Standing, Revision, and Separation

To maintain good standing in the University Honors Program, students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 in required Honors courses (including Honors Colloquium, Honors Core and regular Core Curriculum courses), attend a specified number of co-curricular events per semester as determined by the Director, and complete a yearly Honors examen reflecting on their performance and experiences in the Program. Students not meeting all of these requirements are considered “under revision” in Honors. These students write an examen each semester and meet with the Assistant Director to formulate an Academic Success Plan. Those not meeting the provisions of this plan may, at the discretion of the Director, be counseled to leave the Program or, in unusual cases, removed from it. The Assistant Director works with students leaving the Program to ensure that courses taken in Honors receive appropriate credit in the University Core Curriculum.

Curriculum

Students in the University Honors Program take the Honors Core in place of the University Core. Except where noted, Honors students must enroll in the specific HNRS courses listed below rather than the regular University Core.

Because of the impacted and sequenced nature of degrees in Seaver College of Science and Engineering (SCSE), The Honors Core curriculum requirements differ for students with at least one major or degree in SCSE. Specifically, for SCSE students, the Honors Program waives the ECRE and EHBV core requirements and considers the Nature of Science, Technology, and Mathematics requirement fulfilled by the major (as noted below).

¹

Except where noted by this footnote, Honors students must enroll in the specific HNRS courses listed rather than the regular University Core.

²

(or thesis/capstone project developed through a capstone course in the major). Note that a capstone course in the major will not satisfy the thesis requirement unless it culminates in a thesis or project. Students fulfilling the thesis requirement through a course in the major must obtain prior approval from the Honors Director or Associate Director.

Additional Notes

• The University Honors Program does not require flags or courses in Rhetorical Arts, Quantitative Reasoning, or Interdisciplinary Connections.
• The Program does not accept Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or Dual Enrollment credits in place of Honors courses. However, AP credits may be used fulfill Core Curriculum requirements for EHBV and ECRE through LMU core course equivalencies as determined by the Registrar.
• Students in the Education and Learning Science major need to meet with the Honors Director to determine the best coursework path. Decisions about courses will be made in consultation with the Center for Undergraduate Teacher Preparation.

Courses