Campus Honors Program

To be admitted to the Honors Program, students must be accepted to the university with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.  They must complete the Honors Program application and be granted entrance by the Director, working with the Honors Program Executive Committee.  

Once admitted, students are required to take a total of eleven (11) three-credit courses with a grade of B or higher in order to complete the program.  All of the courses that a student needs to complete will be honors versions of courses already required in their academic program, whether in The Commons or as part of a major capstone project or experience.  Completing the Honors Program does not require a student to take any additional credits beyond those required by their academic program.  The following is a general outline of how the Honors curriculum unfolds: 

Year One:  
Honors students will be introduced to the program and to each other through two classes taken together as a cohort:  English 120 and Humanities 110B, the latter of which will address foundational questions of leadership and ethics.  

Year Two:  
Students will take English 200 as well as Philosophy 212 Introduction to Ethics together as a cohort. They will also take additional honors-designated courses in The Commons, the University's Core Curriculum.  Students will also begin to plan their thesis work. 

Year Three:  
Students will take History 249 The Common Good together as a cohort as well as other honors-designated courses in The Commons.  They will continue planning and development work toward their thesis.

Year Four:  Students will complete their honors thesis in conjunction with their major capstone project.  They will also complete any final honors-designated courses in The Commons, and they will present their thesis research at a national conference, or Undergraduate Research Day, or both.

Ethics Minor

Honors students have the ability, through careful planning, to complete the Ethics Minor as part of their course of studies.  Students are highly encouraged to do so. 

• Preferred status for course registration
• Early move-in opportunities in fall semester, with honors-specific programming
• Program that develops leadership skills and ethical mindsets across all disciplines
• Smaller classes designed exclusively for honors students that allow for engaging discussions
• Emphasis on undergraduate research with presentation options
• Guidance from a dedicated, full-time faculty member as thesis advisor
• Opportunities to attend honors social events, trips, and conferences

Year 1 – Discover

Year 1 allows students the opportunity to discover their passion. Students will participate in a variety of team sessions to help them better understand themselves and the world around them. All first-year honors students are required to take FYS-101 and ENG-120 as honors specific courses. Outside of class, students will continue class discussions through a series of discovery workshops. At the end of year 1, students will participate in Freshman Illumination, designed to provide students an opportunity to share their passion with others.

Year 2 – Develop

In Year 2, students will take their passion and begin developing a concept that connects to both their major, and the change they’d like to see in the world. Students will take an honors module, as well as HON-201 and HON-202, two interdisciplinary courses that connect classical literature to current issues. At the end of year two, students will have a working honor thesis concept.

Year 3 – Expand

Year 3 students will expand their honors thesis concept and begin focusing more intently on their research by continuing with their honors modules. Students will also identify and select the faculty mentor they’d like to work with. At the end of year 3, students will present their honors thesis proposal to members of the Honors Advisory Board for final approval. Once approved students can then register for HON-401.

Year 4 – Execute and Evaluate

During year 4, students will work on completing and presenting their honors thesis in HON-401. In addition, master classes will be offered as an opportunity for students to share their research with the community. Master classes include anything from small group discussions to formal presentations. Students that excel in their research may be nominated for the Distinguished Honors Scholar Award, presented each year at the Honors Banquet to the graduating student who excelled in their research and overall academics.

Required Program Courses 

• FYS-101 Honors First Year Seminar
• ENG-120 Honors English Composition I
• HON-201 Interdisciplinary Studies I
• HON-202 Interdisciplinary Studies II
• HON-401 Honors Independent Thesis

Additional Honors Courses

• ENG-200 Honors English Composition II
• HON-301 Honors Seminar (Variable Content)
• HON-314 Research Methods Workshop

Note: HON 301 can be repeated when the content changes.

Honors Modules

In collaboration with the honors director, each honors student will develop their own individualized honors modules. Modules should be courses from the student’s major that connect to their honors thesis. These allow the student to begin work and research toward their honors thesis or project. 

At this time, the Honors Program is not accepting applications for the Fall 2024 Semester. 

That depends on when your application is sent and when you complete the required interview. Decisions are mailed within two weeks of the interview taking place. 

Yes. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis leading up to the deadline, and will continue until classes are filled.

The short answer is no. High school honors level courses are comparable to advanced or college-prep level classes in discipline. Rather than just a group of harder-than-normal classes that some students take, we seek to create a different experience, not just different classes. 

Honors program students must maintain a 3.00 GPA every semester, as well as grades of “B” or better in all honors program courses and experiences. If a student falls below a 3.00 they are placed on probation for one semester and will be notified about their probationary status. After the probationary semester, if their GPA remains below a 3.00 they are removed from the honors program.

The honors program considers prior academic success, your extracurricular activities and interests and your responses during the interview. While there’s no single definition of an honors student, we seek students who are highly motivated to change the world.

To apply, complete your application and sign up for an interview time. If you have further questions, please email Honors Director Dr. Lowell C. Matthews, and include the word “honors” in the subject line of your message.

The honors program is for students who want to make the most out of the learning opportunities offered by a university environment. These students see college as a time of exploration of the whole person—the life of the mind as well as their social and personal lives. Our mission statement describes our goal: The Southern New Hampshire University Honors Program is a self-directed educational experience, fostering connection and collaboration among students. This challenging and stimulating program also provides the opportunity to develop your passion into a thesis, and execute your thesis to create positive change in the world.