Honors Program

Program Description

The mission of the Springfield College Honors Program is to cultivate and nourish a diverse, inclusive community of highly-motivated academic leaders who ask difficult questions, respect different approaches and points of view, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge and understanding. Through experiences both in and out of the classroom, the Honors Program prepares graduates to approach life with curiosity and an openness to inquiry, and to inspire these qualities in others.

Incoming first-year students of outstanding academic achievement and promise will be invited to apply to the Honors Program after their acceptance to the college. Acceptance to the Honors Program is based on multiple criteria, including

the Common Application essay, letter(s) of recommendation, high school GPA, ACT or SAT (optional), and high school record of achievements in leadership, service, the arts, athletics and/or extra-curriculars;
a short answer response and original essay; and
potential contributions to the Honors Program community.

Students with outstanding records of achievement in their first semesters at Springfield College, and transfer students, may also apply. Admission is competitive.

Students in the Honors Program take 18 credits of honors-designated courses (i.e., courses with an HNRS prefix, or courses with an -H suffix). Many of the requirements overlap with the Core Curriculum requirements:

Honors-designated sections of General Education courses or Honors seminars (12 or 15 credits);
independent research-Honors Colloquia, Guided Individual Study, Advanced Honors Project prospectus or an Advanced Honors Project (3 or 6 credits).

Program Highlights

Degree: N/A

Required Credits: 18

School: School of Arts and Sciences

Department: Interdisciplinary

Modality: On-Ground

Locations: Main Campus (Springfield)

Additional Information: https://springfield.edu/honors-program

Program Standards

In addition to the curriculum requirements above, Honors Program students are expected to be active members in the community of Honors by participating in the program’s academic, cultural, professional, and social events. For more information, students should refer to the Honors Program Student Handbook.

To remain in good standing with the Honors Program, an Honors Program student will:

maintain a cumulative 3.2 GPA;

make appropriate progress toward Honors Program requirements (with consideration given to the requirements of the student’s major);
engage actively in the Honors community’s academic, cultural, professional, and social events;
model college standards for academic integrity and conduct.

The Honors Program Director reviews students’ academic progress and compliance with these standards each semester. Students failing to meet expectations are notified by letter and placed on Honors probation for one semester. Honors students in probationary status are required to meet with the Honors Director to discuss the circumstances of their probation and to create a remediation plan. If the remediation plan requires more than one semester to return the student to good standing, students must apply to the Honors Program Advisory Committee for a probation extension to avoid termination from the Honors Program.

Honors students should direct questions about the program to the Honors Program Director.

The following restrictions apply to honors-designated courses:

honors courses may not be audited or taken pass/fail;
an ‘A’ in an honors course earns the same qualitative points as an ‘A’ in any other course; students receive no extra credit or enhanced GPA points for taking an honors course;
all coursework attempted, including honors courses, will be listed on a student’s transcript, regardless of whether a student completes the entire Honors Program to graduation;
as space allows, non-Honors students may enroll in honors-designated General Education courses (-H courses), HNRS 282, and HNRS 283, with permission of the Honors Program director in consultation with the instructor. Non-Honors students may not take HNRS 141, HNRS 192, HNRS 498 or HNRS 499.

Students who successfully complete the Honors Program requirements will earn the distinction of All-College Honors Scholar on their transcripts and diplomas.

For more information, please visit the Honors Program website. Email questions to honors@springfield.edu

I. Program Requirements (18 credits)

A. Core Curriculum Selectives (12-15 credits)

Select 12-15 credits from the following list:

HNRS 282 - Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar Credits: 3
HNRS 283 - Seminar in a Discipline Credits: 3
HNRS 284 - Seminar in History Credits: 3
HNRS 285 - Seminar in Philosophy Credits: 3
HNRS 286 - Seminar in Religious Studies Credits: 3
SCSM 101 - Springfield College Seminar Credits: 3

B. Guided Study Selectives (3-6 credits)

Select 3-6 credits from the following list:

HNRS 141 - Honors Guided Individual Study Credits: 1-3
HNRS 192 - Honors Colloquium Credits: 1 credit
HNRS 498 - Advanced Honors Project Prospectus Credits: 1 credit
HNRS 499 - Advanced Honors Project Credits: 3

C. Additional Requirements

In addition to the curriculum requirements above, students will participate in co- and extracurricular learning experiences selected by the Honors Program, culminating in the submission of a required learning portfolio in the final undergraduate year that reflects on the entire Honors Program experience.

Academic Catalog