Honors Program
The Honors Program offers academically talented day program students seeking bachelor’s degrees the opportunity to explore challenging and stimulating courses. Eligible applicants must have taken a college prep curriculum, maintained a grade point average of 3.50 or higher, and placed in the top 20 percent of their high school graduating class.
Honors students enroll in honors sections of several courses in the Arts & Sciences Core Experience, including smaller, student-centered honors seminars in their sophomore and junior years. All honors students complete a two-semester research course sequence, culminating in an honors thesis. Through these experiences, they have the opportunity to work closely with some of the university's most dedicated and accomplished faculty, join a community of academically motivated students, and pursue original and individually directed study.
Students who complete the Honors Program requirements will graduate with the University Honors Scholar designation.
To complete the Honors Program requirements, honors students must complete a total of eight honors courses and submit an accepted honors thesis to earn the University Honors Scholar designation. These courses include ENG1024 Honors Composition: Writing in the Academy; ENG1027 Honors Advanced Composition and Communications: Civic Discourse; four honors seminars; RSCH3020 Honors Research Seminar; and RSCH4020 Honors Directed Academic Experience, culminating in an honors thesis.
Once accepted into the program, Honors Program students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.40 or better to continue in the program. Students who fail to maintain this GPA will be placed on Honors Warning for one semester. Students who fail to attain the 3.40 GPA after that semester will be placed on Honors Probation. Students whose GPA remains below 3.40 for a third semester will be dropped from the Honors Program. Only one warning and one probationary semester are allowed in the entire undergraduate program.
Further information about curriculum, advising and policies of the Honors Program is available at the Honors Program website.
Transfer Students
Transfer students may enter the Honors Program if they can provide documentation of Honors Program enrollment at their former institution, provided their GPA is 3.50 or higher at the time of their acceptance to Johnson & Wales University.
During their freshman or sophomore year, non-honors students at Johnson & Wales may apply to the program, provided they carry a 3.50 GPA or higher and have completed at least a semester of study at JWU. Students must provide a faculty recommendation.
Contact the Honors Program director on your campus for application details.