Mercyhurst Honors Program

The University Honors Program provides enriched college experiences to the promising and talented baccalaureate student. The Program seeks to enrich the educational experience of participating students by offering a curriculum of unusually challenging courses in which discussion is emphasized and in which a deeper understanding of the course material is the aim. In addition, Honors scholars participate in a variety of intellectual, leadership, and professional development activities each year through program-sponsored workshops and events. True to the mission of the Sisters of Mercy, Honors scholars participate in several service events each year. Community-building honors events organized by the student-run Honors Council create a unique community of like-minded students on campus

Academically excellent first-year students may be invited by the Admissions Office and the Honors Program Director to participate in the Honors Program. Current students and transfer students are encouraged to apply to the program. To be considered for admittance, students with 12 to 29 credits must-have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 and students with 30 to 59 credits must have a cumulative GPA of 3.40. Students with 60 to 75 credits who wish to participate must meet with the Director for admittance.

Honors courses are seminar-style courses that are the catalog equivalent of courses required for the REACH curriculum, original and unique courses offered by the Honors Program, or elective courses offered through various academic departments. Honors students must take no less than six (6) honors courses, usually taken between the students’ first and junior years. Of these six courses, two (2) maybe honors contract courses. Exceptions to the number of courses and/or the amount of contract courses may be allowed with the approval of the Honors Director. The capstone experience for the Honors scholar is the Honors Project. Honors scholars, working with a full-time faculty member, create a research thesis, an exploratory inquiry project, or a service or creative project as the student’s honors capstone experience. Scholars whose major requirements include a significant research project may adopt the project as their Honors Project. The results or product of the project must be presented by the scholar publicly, usually at the annual symposium of student research in late April of each year.

To graduate as a “University Honors Scholar,” Honors students must have completed the required number of Honors courses, achieved a GPA of at least 3.5, completed the co-curricular requirements as detailed in Honors Program literature, and publicly presented the results or product of their Honors Capstone Project. Honors courses are clearly marked on Honors scholars’ transcripts and diplomas are specially printed, indicating graduation with this distinction. Any exceptions to program requirements must be documented and approved by the Honors Program Director and submitted to the Registrar’s Office prior to the start of the student’s final semester.

Please visit the Honors Program’s HUB page for more information.