Honors Program

The Concord University Honors Program provides students with records of high academic achievement the opportunity to enrich their educational experience through independent artistic development, professional research, and/or community service, in order to better prepare for graduate school and professional careers in an increasingly competitive, global economy. Students may earn Honors credit by enrolling in Honors courses, by undertaking independent projects under the guidance of CU faculty, or both. Each semester, Honors students participate in academic, cultural, social and service-oriented enrichment activities. The Honors Program provides high-achieving students with a community of like-minded students and faculty.

Benefits of participation in the Honors Program include:

  • Access to the Honors Study Lounge
  • Early course registration
  • Travel opportunities
  • Honors Course substitution in the General Education Program
  • Become part of a community of student scholars

If you meet the Honors Program Entrance Requirements and are interested in joining, please submit the Interest Form.

For incoming Freshmen:

  • Minimum GPA of 3.50 (4.0 scale)
  • Minimum ACT score or 26
  • Minimum SAT Math & Critical Reading composite score 1240

For transfer students and students currently enrolled at Concord University:

  • Minimum GPA of 3.50 (4.0 scale)

Note: Students who have earned more than 78 credit hours toward graduation from Concord University are NOT eligible for the Honors Program

To maintain good standing with the Honors Program, students will:

  • Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3 (on a 4.0 scale), for all coursework at Concord Make progress toward completing the program by enrolling in Honors courses or completing honors projects
  • Participate in three enrichment activities each semester
  • Attend at least one Honors Colloquium per semester

Completion of the Honors Program requires students to earn at least 16 hours of Honors course credit. See “Honors Curriculum” for more information.

To maintain good standing in the Honors Program, students will:

  • Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3 (on a 4.0 scale), for all course work at Concord University
  • Make progress toward completing the program by enrolling in Honors courses or completing Honors Projects
  • Participate in at least three enrichment activities each semester
  • Attend at least one Honors Colloquium per semester

Successful completion of the Honors Program requires earning a minimum of 16 hours of honors credit as follows:

  • Honors Orientation (1 credit hour)
    • Students beginning the Honors Program as first-semester freshmen will enroll in HONR 101, Freshman Honors Orientation. This course is offered every Fall semester. Students enrolled in HONR 101 do NOT need to enroll in UNIV 100.
    • Students beginning the Honors Program after their first semester will enroll in HONR 201, Honors Orientation. This course is offered every Spring semester.
  • HONR 301, Honors Seminar (3 credit hours)
    • Unique multidisciplinary seminars on varying topics taught by Concord’s most talented faculty members. Students must take at least one Honors Seminar and may take multiple Seminars to earn up to 9 credit hours. Examples of recent Honors Seminars include:
      • Problems in Higher Education, Dr. Thomas McKenna (History & Philosophy)
      • Trauma and Crisis Intervention, Dr. Manjanuth Burdekar (Psychology)
      • Quackery: A History of Bad Medicine, Dr. Michelle Gompf (Language & Literature) and Dr. Darla Wise (Biology)
      • History and Culture of New York City, Dr. Tracy Luff (Sociology)
      • Brain Disorders, Dr. Adriana Falco (Psychology)
  • Honors sections of General Education courses (up to 9 hours)
    • Special sections of courses that fulfill requirements of the General Education curriculum open only to honors students.
  • Honors Enhanced Courses: are courses in any academic discipline enhanced with an honors project, i.e., an artistic, research or service project, in addition to the regularly assigned coursework. See “Recent Honors Projects” for examples.

Honors students can earn honors credit in courses in any academic discipline by completing an honors project in addition to regularly assigned coursework.

Students design and implement the Honors project in consultation with the course instructor. Honors projects can be artistic, research, or service-oriented.

Recent honors projects:

  • Rumination and Room Invasion: Characteristics of an OCD Sufferer’s Mental and Social Health Habits, Dustin Anderson, supervised by Dr. Adriana Falco
  • Effects of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells, Catherine Cavender, supervised by Dr. Kim Chambers
  • Extended Requirements in Health Careers, Catherine Cavender, supervised by Dr. Kim Chambers
  • Case View and Brief, Tyler Gordon, supervised by Mr. Joshua Lawson
  • Chemistry Class Advantage Lessons, Cole Hollifield, supervised by Dr. Hong Yin
  • Perceptual Anomalies in Individuals with Schizophrenia, Hannah Johnson, supervised by Dr. Adriana Falco
  • Social Psychology Research Paper, Erin McGrady, supervised by Ms. Lori Pace
  • Gender and the Media, Hannah Seckman, supervised by Dr. Tracy Luff
  • Photography Presentation, Keirston Sutherland, supervised by Mr. Sterling Snyder
  • Graphic Design Elements and their Perception by Concord University Students, Anastasiia Vorobeva, supervised by Mr. Kevin Bennington
  • Culture and National Identity in Art of the 20th Century, Anastasiia Vorobeva, supervised by Mr. Jack Sheffler
  • Evaluation of the Concordian Readership’s Preferences and Habits, Anastasiia Vorobeva, supervised by Ms. Heather Williams
  • Writing About Art — General Principles and Rules, Anastasiia Vorobeva, supervised by Ms. Heather Williams
  • Myth and American Gods, Jeremy Wood, supervised by Dr. Michelle Gompf
  • “The Crib”, Jeremy Wood, supervised by Dr. Michelle Gompf
  • Edmonia Lewis Presentation, Jeremy Wood, supervised by Dr. Amberyl Malkovich