The Long Island Campus of St. Joseph’s College offers eligible
students the opportunity to participate in a three-semester honors program as part of their bachelor’s degree. The program provides an enriched and rigorous academic experience, meeting
the special needs of those students who have demonstrated
extraordinary academic accomplishment and ability and who are committed
to achieving their full potential.
St. Joseph’s College recognizes that some students have additional needs due to their superior achievements and intense desire for knowledge. The honors program offers these gifted academic students a community within our larger community. While these students do share some common classes within the honors program, they also take courses outside the program based on their personal choices each semester. This offers them the perfect balance of academic challenge, community and flexibility to explore new areas and meet new people.
A learning community of scholars
Students
selected to participate in the honors program form a learning
community, taking several courses towards their core requirements
that will provide an interdisciplinary perspective. Faculty teaching
in the program collaborate as members of the learning community
and seek and implement ways to challenge students in their
intellectual development.
Honors program courses are taken in the
first year, followed by a capstone course (LA 201, 1 credit) in the
third semester, the fall of their sophomore year. In the spring of
their sophomore year, participants will travel with their honors
cohorts and some faculty as they broaden their understanding of the
world from academics to cultural adventuring.
The first honors group
visited Washington, D.C., visiting Congress, the White House and the
museums and historical buildings, including George
Washington’s home, Mount Vernon. Our second group of honors students went to Ireland in spring 2008 as their capstone travel
experience.
Successful completion of the program is noted on the student’s transcript, and becomes part of the student’s permanent academic record.
Engagement beyond the classroom
In addition to the travel component, honors students engage in other activities, guest lecturers and local visits which complement course content and provide students an enriched academic and social experience that foster personal and intellectual development.
Admissions requirements
To be considered for the program, a student must have:
gained acceptance for admission to St. Joseph’s College*
achieved a minimum 1200 SAT score (calculating the verbal and mathematics portion; the writing score will be noted as supplemental) or ACT score of 26
earned a 90 high school grade point average or higher
demonstrated above-average verbal and written communication skills
indicated an interest in the honors program
*Admission to this program is determined by committee review and in no way affects general admission status or financial aid.
Eligible
students who have a been admitted to the College are sent a letter from
the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, inviting them to apply. A one-page application is included and we urge interested students to
return the application and a brief statement of interest as soon as
they can.
Once admitted to the program, the students will receive notification from the dean and are invited to contact Honors Program Committee Chair Wendy Turgeon with questions and for further information.
Three-Semester Course Sequence
Freshmen join together as a community of learners for a three-semester sequence of courses designed especially for the honors program for a total of 16 credits. Sample courses include:
2. Invitation to Philosophy (philosophy)
3. Art and Communication (fine arts)
4. Rainbow of Voices (English)
5. State and Local Government (political science)
6. Interdisciplinary courses such as Globalization of Food and The Ancient World
7. Capstone Seminar is a 1-credit flexible course that is built around the anticipated travel destination
Travel Venues
During the spring semester of sophomore year, students travel to a destination as part of experiential learning. Recent destinations include Paris, Ireland, Prague and Krakow. The fall capstone course (LA 201) focuses on the history and culture of the city/country of the trip destination. See our student-produced slide show of the 2012 honors trip to Krakow and Prague in the right column of this page.
Current Committee Members and program faculty
Mark Hessler, Department of History
S. Loretta McGrann, provost and Department of English
Ralph Nofi, Department of Accounting and Business Administration
Judith Phagan, Department of English
Wendy Turgeon, Department of Philosophy
Marie Fitzgerald, Department of History
James Blakeley, Department of History
contact
Debra Walling
Associate Director of Admissions
155 West Roe Boulevard
Patchogue, NY 11772
631.687.4537
