Honors Program
- Are you naturally curious or contemplative?
- Do you enjoy challenging yourself?
- Are you intrigued by the world around you and how you can use your education to make a difference?
If you said yes to these questions, then the Mount's Honors Program might be for you.
Honors at the Mount
The Honors Program at Mount Saint Mary College fosters students’ demonstration of superior scholarship in multiple disciplines, while preparing them to assume leadership through service to the college community and beyond.
Students in the Honors Program at Mount Saint Mary College are given many opportunities to pursue their academic interests and career paths, and to develop new perspectives in the arts, the sciences, history, culture and society, and technology.
Through dedicated housing wings, excursions and service projects, and Honors-specific coursework, Honors students connect with their peers and discover similar motivations, priorities, and interests to enhance the academic community.
Our Mission
The Honors Program at Mount Saint Mary College fosters students’ demonstration of superior scholarship in multiple disciplines, while preparing them to assume leadership through service to the college community and beyond.
To achieve these objectives, our students
- Pursue their academic goals in the spirit of intellectual rigor, seeking excellence in their own discipline and establishing connections in a cross-disciplinary context.
- Express creativity by self-directed learning and aesthetic appreciation.
- Engage in service initiatives through Honors Program- and college-led projects.
- Model leadership by creating opportunities that show others how to pursue rigor, express creativity and engage in service initiatives.
Diana Pernicano, Nursing"I have had many opportunities to enhance my education. For my Honors-by-Contract class, I got to teach the class about the psychological impact of having a family member with cancer, using Erikson's developmental stages."
Diana Pernicano, Nursing
Why Join the Honors Program?
The question really is, why not? In addition to dedicated classes with liked-minded students and an Honors citation on one’s transcript, Mount Honors students also enjoy benefits like:
No getting locked out of classes! Honors Program students are given the opportunity to register for classes a day earlier than traditional students so they can choose the courses they need and want to take without fear of the class being over-registered.
Enjoy a select section of housing specifically for Honors students, available as both first-year and upperclassman students. Honors housing allows similarly-motivated students to live and learn together in an atmosphere that is committed to high academic performance and intellectual development.
This is where you'll build the best memories with your fellow Honors students! Take a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art or an outing to a local apple orchard just for fun and participate in service opportunities at local organizations to use your knowledge to help others in need.
In addition to gaining leadership experience valued by employers, members of the Student Honors Council organize Honors programming and help mold the Honors Program into an academic community for both students and faculty alike.
The Honors research seminar puts you in charge of your education. Pick a topic you're passionate about and spend one or two semesters working one-on-one with a faculty member to learn more.
How to join the Honors Program
First-Year Students
Entry into the Honors Program as a first-year student is by invitation. Students are invited into the program based on the following criteria: 87+ GPA. If you fall just short of this criteria and would like to be considered for the Honors Program, please contact us at honors@msmc.edu for a review of your academic record.
If you are an accepted student to the Mount and you meet the academic criteria, look out for your invitation to the program in your email! Once you submit your deposit to the Mount, you will receive an email about a week later with a form to officially accept your invitation to the program.
Transfer Students
Students who are transferring into the Mount from another two- or four-year institution will be invited into the Honors Program provided they have a 3.4+ GPA from their current institution.
Current Mount students who wish to join the Honors Program will be considered for admission provided they have a 3.4 GPA, have taken at least 15 credits at the Mount, and receive recommendation for admittance by an MSMC faculty member.
Program Requirements
As part of the Mount's Honors Program students are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.4 and take 18 credits of Honors coursework throughout their time at the Mount.
GPA:
If a student's cumulative average falls below 3.4 at the end of a given semester but is higher than 3.1, he/she may continue as part of the Honors Program on probation for up to two semesters with the director's approval. Probation ranges vary depending on number of credits completed:
| Credits | Good Standing | Probation | Dismissal |
| 0-30 | GPA >= 3.4 | GPA 3.0-3.4 | GPA < 3.0 |
| 31-60 | GPA >= 3.4 | GPA 3.1-3.4 | GPA < 3.1 |
| 61+ | GPA >= 3.4 | GPA 3.2-3.4 | GPA < 3.2 |
Honors Coursework:
Honors students will complete 18 credits (6 courses) of Honors coursework, including
- Introductory-level Honors courses
- Optional Honors-by-Contract, with supplement traditional courses with additional Honors work
- Honors interdisciplinary seminar
- Honors Research seminar
The following is a map of how many Honors credits students must take each year at the college:
| Credits Earned | Honors Credits |
| 30 | 6 |
| 60 | 9 |
| 90 | 12 |
| 120 | 18 |
Learn more about Honors
The Honors Program
Michael McGuire
