Honors Program
The Honors Program is based on the close reading and vigorous discussion of a curriculum of “great books” comprising what is aptly described by Matthew Arnold as “the best that has been thought and said.”
Students of the Honors Program critically study many of the great works of the Western tradition including the works of such writers as Homer, Plato, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Bonaventure, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Jefferson, Kant, Marx, St. John Paul II, and others. Close reading and vigorous discussion in the seminar mode is the norm for honors classes so that the large and ultimate questions of life can be aired and given due attention.
The aim of these seminars is truth: Together, by critical discussion, students and professors seek the truth contained in the great authors, seek to uncover their errors, and generally delight in the goodness of their mutual pursuit.
Thus, guided always by the teaching authority of the Church, students and professors consider such questions as: man’s nature, his place and purpose before God, the universe, and the community of men. It is hoped that this mutual pursuit will develop a community of scholars formed in the love of learning within which students will discuss, debate, ponder, write, and thereby learn in the highest tradition of the liberal arts.
To graduate as an honors scholar from Franciscan University, a student must successfully complete 32 credit hours of honors work, or the equivalent of eight 4-credit hour honors seminars. For the beginning freshman, this requirement is met by taking one 4-credit-hour honors seminar each semester for eight semesters at the University. Thirty hours of honors seminar credits apply to the core curriculum, satisfying the American founding principles, economics, history, literature, math, philosophy, social science, and THE 110 core requirements.
For more information regarding eligibility requirements, visit the Honors Program page.
Admission Requirements
The student must complete an Honors Program Application and normally must present a cumulative average for high school course work of B+ or its equivalent and a score of 1220 on the SAT or 27 on the ACT. However, all admissions are subject to the judgment and discretion of the Honors Program Admissions Committee.
QPA Requirements
Students are required to maintain an overall cumulative quality point average of 3.0. Failure to do so will make those students subject to dismissal from the honors program upon an evaluation by the Honors Program Chair and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
An honors student whose cumulative QPA drops below a 2.0 will be subject to immediate dismissal from the program upon an evaluation by the Honors Program Chair and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Honors students are also required to maintain a 3.0 QPA in all Honors Program course work. Honors students who complete their honors course work with a QPA below 3.0 will receive all credit for each course but will not receive the honors scholar notation on their diplomas or permanent transcripts.
The honors student who consistently performs below 3.0 in honors courses will be subject to an evaluation by the Honors Program Chair and the Vice President for Academic Affairs to determine whether or not the student should continue in the Honors Program.
Transfer Students
Because of the growing number of transfer students to Franciscan University, the honors committee understands that all students who qualify for the Honors Program may not attend the university for a full eight semesters. The following provisions have been made to accommodate the needs of those students who desire to pursue the challenges of the honors program, but who will not complete eight semesters of course work at Franciscan University:
Sophomores — Franciscan University students and transfer students who will remain at the University for at least six semesters may enter the honors program as sophomores, on a space available basis, once the following conditions have been met:
- The student must complete the Honors Program Application.
- The student must show a general understanding of the course content of the previous two semesters.
- The student must have a cumulative QPA of 3.3 in previous college course work.
- The student must be approved for admission to the program by both the Honors Program Chair and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Juniors — Transfer students who will remain at Franciscan University for at least four semesters and who have participated in a comparable honors program at their previous colleges or universities may enter the Honors Program as juniors on a space available basis, once the following conditions have been met:
- The student must complete the Honors Program Application.
- The student must show a satisfactory understanding of the course content of the previous four semesters. The student may also transfer up to an equivalent of 8 semester credit hours of honors courses.
- The student must have a cumulative QPA of 3.3 in all previous college course work.
- The student must be approved for admission to the Honors Program by both the Honors Program Chair and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Honors Students Studying in Gaming, Austria
Honors students who decide to study for a semester in Gaming, Austria, shall register for Honors GA, e.g., HON 202 GA, etc. These students will be required to read the books assigned for the course independently and will write a final essay examination (two hours, pass/fail) during the time for final exams in Gaming. The examination question will be provided by the Honors Program Chair. The Gaming Program Director will administer the exam, and students will deliver the completed examination to the Honors Program Chair in Steubenville for evaluation, who will assign a pass or fail grade for the course based upon performance on the examination. This work will be counted as a 4-credit class for purposes of the minimum number of credits that students are required to take in Gaming. Students will not be required to pay any extra fees or tuition for this course.
Since, as a norm, students study in Gaming during either the sophomore or junior years, three copies of each book required for sophomore honors seminars, namely HON 201 and HON 202, and for the junior Honors seminars, namely HON 301 and HON 302, will be kept in the library in Gaming and will be available for student use.