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Honors Program

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Preparing Leaders in Profession and Community

Students in the Curry College Honors Program discuss topics in classHonors Program students represent all academic departments and participate in a wide range of clubs and athletics.  Building on the theme of "culture and identity" established by retired Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Dr. Peter Hainer, the Honors Program prepares students to be "leaders in the profession and in the community."  We aim to develop extraordinary citizens who can effectively negotiate the challenges and opportunities of today's diverse global and digital culture. 

Each year, the Honors Program admits only 68 students into a community of motivated, intellectually curious, and socially engaged students representing every major on campus.  Faculty members from many academic departments serve the program.

The Honors Program also believes that learning happens outside of the classroom.  Honors students have privileges other Curry College students do not receive.  We serve nearby communities, attend concerts, plays, and art exhibits, invite guest speakers, offer workshops, and celebrate our work at an off-campus weekend retreat.  In short, we are a community of active learners who want to make a difference!  To foster a living and learning environment, a limited number of First-Year Honors students are offered the unique opportunity to be housed with other Honors and First-Year Living Learning Community students. 

Honors Requirements and Information

Students are invited to join the Honors Program at two distinct points in their academic careers:

  1. Incoming students with a high-school GPA of 3.0, a combined SAT score of 1000, and a SAT critical reading score of 540 are invited to join the Honors Program at the point of admission to the College
  2. At the end of the first year, all students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher are invited to complete an application for entry into the Honors Program in the sophomore year

Students begin the Honors Program by registering for First-Year Honors (GE 1000) in the fall and Identity (HON 2850) in the spring. The Honors curriculum fulfills General Education requirements and provides opportunities to take courses at the Honors level in your major or minor.  The program concludes with an Honors project enabling students to work closely with a faculty member in the student's major or minor field of study.

-GE 1000: FYI: Honors

-HON 2850: Identity (meets one of the Diversity Requirements in GE)

-2-3 additional Honors elective courses that could take one of 2 forms:

  • Designated Honors sections from Breadth or Global or Diversity sections of GE
  • Students may contract with a faculty member to complete an Honors Signature Assignment in their major or minor
    • Contract must be completed by the add/drop date for the semester during which the assignment will be completed
    • Minimum grade of B would need to be earned for the course to count as an Honors elective
    • Honors contracted courses would be reviewed and approved by the Honors Director

-Research Methods course in the major or independent study for majors without a methods course.

-JYI Seminar (Honors track)

-Honors Project Proposal course working with a faculty member/mentor

-Honors Project working with a faculty member in major or minor

Note: Students need to maintain a 3.0 GPA to remain in the Honors Program.  Falling below a 3.0 results in a one semester probationary period during which the student would need to bring up their GPA or be dismissed from the program.

In consultation with participating Honors faculty, Honors students may propose a unique research or creative project in a course within their major or minor. Students and faculty complete the Honors Signature Assignment form, making an existing course "Honors-eligible." Completed Honors Signature Assignments will be uploaded to Digication to allow students to trace their intellectual development in the Honors Program. The archived projects will provide evidence for assessment in service to continued programmatic improvement.

Professors (Listed with Courses) mentoring Honors Signature Assignments (AY 17-18):

 
Dr. Grant Burrier (Politics and History) Courses: International Relations, World Politics, and Latin American Politics

Dr. Casey Burnett (Nursing) Course: Basic Concepts for Nursing Practice​​​

Dr. Anjana Mudambi (Communication) Course: Fundamentals of Communication

Dr. Joanne Seltzer (Education) Course: Fundamentals of Curriculum​​​

Professor Iris Kumar (Fine and Applied Arts) Course: Design Fundamentals​​​

Professor Jerry Gibbs (Communication) Course: Video Field Production

Dr. Sarah Augusto (Sociology and Criminal Justice) Courses: Sociological Theory and Sociology of Pop Culture

Dr. Bill Nancarrow (Politics & History) Course: American History

Dr. Kristen Cleary-Campbell (Nursing) Course: Evidence for Nursing Practice

Professor David Daggett (Science and Math) Course: Statistics

Professor David Robinson (Humanities) Course: The Myth of the Hero

Dr. Bruce Steinberg (Psychology) Course: Experimental Research Methods

Professor Donna Rousseau (Education & Academic Enrichment) Course: Classroom Assessment​

Dr. Jayson Baker (Communication) Courses: History of Film, Film Art & Form

The goals of the Honors Program are to enable students to:

  • Develop an informed perspective and a path of inquiry to inform your individual perspective on a number of topics
  • Engage in critical thinking and connections between learning in Honors Program and your major field of study
  • Develop your own voice in relation to what you have come to understand through inquiry, investigation, and research
  • Display evidence of scholarly thinking in an independent project related to a topic of interest within your major or minor fields of study
  • Demonstrate research and communication skills through an Honors project and public presentation of findings
  • Develop scholarly skills and materials that can be highlighted in a portfolio for graduate school or employment following graduation

Here are a few frequently asked questions about the Honors Program:

Does the Curry College Honors Program participate at the national level?

Yes indeed. Curry is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council, and Curry Honors faculty have contributed as presenters at its conventions.

Check out: nchchonors.org , including the article, 'What is honors?'

What do Honors Alumni say about their experience in the program?

Our Honors alumni/ae are openly enthusiastic about their positive experiences. Many say that choosing to participate was one of the most significant choices they have made for themselves. The Honors Program is a superb preparation for graduate school, and we are proud to claim that 100% of our alumni who chose to attend graduate schools were accepted, and no wonder. Graduate admission committees have one core question: does this candidate present evidence that he or she is capable of graduate level study? An Honors Thesis and a strong GPA makes the answer easy!

Employers also regard achievement in the Honors Program very highly. Not only is it indication of a vigorous intellect, but it also indicates that a potential employee has the proven ability to undertake a large project and to persevere over four semester to its successful conclusion. This process is consistent with long-term achievement in the business world, and is a strong credential for students who choose to enter a career at graduation. And for graduates who choose both to be gainfully employed and to continue their educations on a continuing education basis, the Honors Program is a double advantage!

How does the Honors Program relate to General Education (GenEd) and my major?

Many of the courses that you will take in Honors can fulfill General Education or Major requirement courses.  For students entering Honors in their first year, GE 1000 is required for all students and the course you take will also fulfill the first requirement for Honors.  Additionally, the courses you take for Research Methods, Honors Electives, and your Honors Proposal and Project can also double count with your major or General Education requirements allowing you lots of flexibility in the choices you make for courses each semester.

Honors Program Events

Curry College Honors students and faculty clean up the Fenway and prepare composting piles at Dorchester Community Gardens

Fenway Clean-up

Each fall, Honors students and faculty clean up the Fenway and prepare composting piles at Dorchester Community Gardens.  Our work examines green spaces and food deserts in Boston.  

Dr. Consolata Mutua

Dr. Consolata Mutua

Last fall, guest speaker, Dr. Consolata Mutua, an African refugee expert, delivered a talk on United Nations designated status differences across immigrant and refugee groups.  Focusing on African displacement in Albuquerque, NM, and Mankato, MN, Dr. Mutua lead a discussion on complexities of assimilation from the perspectives of populations of the African diaspora.

Habib Koite & Bamada

Habib Koite & Bamada Concert

Last fall, 51 Honors students attended a Habib Koite & Bamada concert as part of a co-curricular activity on the theme of  "the influence of culture."  

Curry College Honors students and faculty volunteer to prepare and serve meals at Rosie's Place, a Boston shelter for homeless women

Volunteering at Rosie's Place

Every spring, Honors students and faculty volunteer to prepare and serve meals at Rosie's Place, a Boston shelter for homeless women.

Michael Willhoite

Michael Willhoite - Author, Illustrator, Advocate

This past spring, Michael Willhoite, author, illustrator and advocate, delivered a talk on his children's books and current artistic projects.

Jessie Little Doe Baird

Jessie Little Doe Baird

Jessie Little Doe Baird, a Native American linguist, visited Curry in 2018 and presented her work interpreting and preserving the Wampanoag language.

The White Card Play Poster

Performance: The White Card

In 2018, 50 Honors Program students and faculty attended the play, The White Card, at Harvard's American Repertory Theatre.

Curry College Honors students at their table set up on Accepted Student Day

Honors Reception

Every year on Accepted Student Day in April, we host an Honors Reception for students interested in the program.

Jacob's Pillow

Weekend Retreat

The Honors Program hosts an annual weekend retreat every spring.  The 2018 getaway at at Jacob's Pillow featured the theme, "The Power of Performance / Performing Power."

Class of 2017 Honors Program grads pose for a photo at Commencement

Shaping Leaders

"At first you hear the word 'Honors' and you think you'll be constantly stressed about papers and tests, but it's not really like that. It's a lot of discussion-based learning where you are able to hear opinions and ideas from students from all the different majors.  It creates a classroom style that is unlike anything you get in high school. I definitely encourage first-year students to try it." -  Jared Berman '17.

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