Brooklyn Honors Program

As the recipient of a Top Tier Scholarship you are eligible to be considered for the Honors Program. If you were awarded a Deans, Esse Non Videri or Presidential scholarship and wish to be considered for the Honors Program, you must submit an original manuscript (thesis, research or term paper) for review by the program director. 

Freshman Year:

In the fall, freshmen honors students take a specially designed Honors Freshman Seminar, called “New York City Out of the Box” where they explore – with various St. Joseph's University faculty – the diverse culture and history of New York City. Through this course students engage in experiences, such as mindful photography in Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, the creation of 3D objects and collecting samples while canoeing on Newtown Creek.

In the spring, freshmen honors students take an honors seminar where they research the history and culture of a neighboring city and design an itinerary to travel there. Previous classes have included trips to Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

Beyond the Freshman Year: 

Students are required to take four honors seminars; these are eight week classes where honors students work in a close setting with faculty over engaging and interesting topics. Previous classes have included:

• “Urban Planning in the Era of Global Warming”
• “Chaos Theory”
• “Existentialism in Film and Literature”
• “Millennials as Change Agents”  

• Travel and study in Europe! Honors students can take a class on the art and architecture of Western Europe and participate in a partially subsidized trip to Europe at the end of the semester.
• Explore the art of Italy! In past years students have studied several periods of Italian art, from Gothic/Medieval, proto Renaissance through the High Renaissance; during the semester, students also take guided tours of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The course culminates with a ten day trip to various cities in Italy (Rome, Venice, Florence, etc.) where students come face to face with the artworks they have studied during the semester.
• Impressionism through Expressionism! In alternate years student take a course on French art encompassing Impressionism through Expressionism, which culminates in a trip to cities in France such as Paris and Nice.  

Cultural Outings:

Honors students participate in various academic and cultural events in New York City. Past events include:

• Lectures on near death experiences in NY Academy of Sciences
• Seeing La Boheme at the Metropolitan Opera
• Taking a Circle Line Guided Tour around the island of Manhattan
• Trips to various museums, such as the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Civic Engagement and Community Service:

Honors students also participate in civic engagement and community service; previous events have included fundraising and participating in the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Walk in New York City.

Professional and Academic Development:

Honors students also attend professional and academic workshops that are focused on the development of skills essential to academic success. These workshops give students what they need to preparing for a career after college.