Talented and motivated students have a unique educational experience in the Honors Program that integrates curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular learning in both interdisciplinary study and the student's major. Honors courses are stimulating and challenging, and feature close faculty-student interaction within small classes.
Sarah Scott, Ph.D.
Professor
Director of University Honors Program
301-447-7415
On behalf of the University Honors Program and her students, we invite you to celebrate the work of our Honors Seniors. These projects serve as the capstone of the Honors experience at the Mount. They are the result of many months of intense research and the enthusiastic support of faculty mentors, all of whom hold the highest degrees in their subject areas.
Learn More About the StudentsLearn more about the Honors Program, recent graduates and current student success through our newsletter.
The best lesson I learned from the Mount was being of service to others.
Students take a series of courses featuring close faculty-student interaction in small class settings. The honors sequence culminates in an intensive research project in the major during senior year. Students present the results of their work shortly before graduation at the annual SPARC (Scholarship, Performance, Art, Research and Creativity) Festival.
| First Year Fall | First Year Spring | Second Year Fall | Second Year Spring | Third Year Fall | Third Year Spring | Fourth Year Fall | Fourth Year Spring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honors First Year Symposium | Honors Foundations of Philosophy | Honors Philosophy in the Modern Age | Honors Foundations of Theology | Honors Encountering Christ | Senior Honors Project | Senior Honors Project | |
| Honors Skills Course | Honors Origins of the West | Honors Western Imagination (ending Summer 2023) / Honors Atlantic Encounters: 1450-1850 (starting Fall 2023) | Honors America in the World |
As an Honors student you'll have access to distinct opportunities designed to enhance the cohort learning model, and to help you become the best version of yourself.
Founder's Scholarship — This competitive full-ride scholarship is awarded to two incoming freshmen who perform superbly during an on-campus written exam in late January or early February, and a personal interview for finalists in early March.
The Honors Integrated Living Learning Community (ILLC) is a cohort of Honors Program students living and learning in the same residence hall together. Late night study sessions and travel excursion planning with your honors classmates is much more fun when you share a hall.
Every Honors student's experience culminates with a senior research/thesis project that takes roughly 18 to 20 months to formulate and thoroughly develop. Working closely with faculty this interdisciplinary research project has the opportunity to be presented at conferences and serves as a powerful transition to graduate school or to a profession.
Presented at the Mount's annual Academic Awards Convocation, these exclusive prizes celebrate outstanding scholarly research and contributions in academics, service and leadership by honor students. They also come with a $500-$1,000 prize.
Mount St. Mary's University Honors Program is a proud member of the National Collegiate Honors Council. Through this membership, Mount Honors students can compete for national honors awards, participate in study abroad within the United States or present their research at large national conferences.
One of the best ways to flesh out your résumé is to complete an internship. The Honors Office wants to help and has created a list of internship opportunities just for you.