Honors

What are the Honors Program Requirements?

• Maintain a GPA of 3.3 in order to stay in the program.
• Complete 40 hours of community service before graduation.
• Take the introductory course The Individual and Society (required for first-year students entering the program).
• Take at least 4 Honors seminars before graduation.
• Complete a Senior Thesis or Project and present it in a public forum.

 
What are the benefits of being in the Honors Program?

• Access to the Honors Center (24 Hours/7 Days a Week)
• Access to computers and photocopying
• Access to a private study area
• Option to live in Lenape Hall (A Living Learning Community)
• Ability to register for classes before other students
• Ability to attend Special Trips (Ex. Storm King Sculpture Park)
• Ability to make the most of your time at New Paltz

 
What are some of the perks of being in the Honors Seminars?

• A typical class size of 14 to 17 students in a classroom
• One-on-one interaction with the professors
• A more stimulating classroom environment
• Discussion-based classroom, as opposed to lecture-based        
• Accelerated approach to a subject
• A more interdisciplinary experience

 
Do the Honors Seminars fulfill a GE requirement?

• Most courses fulfill a GE requirement.

 
Does Honors English count as an Honors course?

• No, Honors English does not count as an Honors course.

 
Do I have to take an Honors Course every semester?

• No, you just have to take at least 4 Honors courses before graduation.

 
What if I want to Study Abroad? Will that count as an Honors Course?

• Study abroad, with the permission of the Honors Program Director, can count as an Honors course.

 
What else does the Honors Program have to offer?

• The Honors Program also offers special events such as a lecture series featuring speakers who present on various topics throughout the semester.

 
Is the Honors Program more work?

• "Honors" does not translate as "more work" or "harder"; rather, it is a different kind of work and learning experience. Honors work invites students to think critically and make connections between disciplines for deeper understandings. Ideally, this is the type of work that students can get excited about and feel engaged in.

What skills will I cultivate in the Honors Program?

• The ability to think critically and make connections out in the world
• Intellectual and practical skills in inquiry, written and oral communication, teamwork and problem solving
• The capacity to adapt knowledge and skills to new settings and questions
• A sense of civic responsibility
• Well-roundedness