Interdisciplinary Honors Program
Academics
Interdisciplinary in design and international in scope, Loyola’s Honors Program offers a dynamic general education that enables our students to bring many perspectives to real world problem-solving, in the Jesuit tradition. Faculty craft intensive courses that refine analytical and communication skills. The formal curriculum is supplemented with many cultural excursions and service opportunities.
Requirements
- The program requires 27 credit hours (9 classes) of honors courses.
- All honors courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
- Students must have an overall GPA of 3.33 or better to graduate with honors.
- For more information on core requirements, visit Honors and the Core.
Honors courses differ in structure and content from non-honors courses, and these courses are offered in a sequence. Honors students must complete the following courses:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Course Requirements | ||
HONR 101 & HONR D101 | Western Traditions - Antiquity to the Middle Ages and Developments Western Thought I Discussion 1 | 6 |
HONR 102 & HONR D102 | Western Traditions-Renaissance to Modernity and Developments in Historical Western Thought II Discussion 2 | 6 |
U.S. Experience (Anytime after 1st year) 3 | 3 | |
The United States Experience | ||
or HONR 203B | The United States Experience | |
or HONR 203C | The United States Experience | |
Science and Society (Choose one of the following) 3 | 3 | |
Science and Society | ||
or HONR 204B | Science and Society | |
or HONR 204D | Science and Society | |
or HONR 204E | Science and Society | |
Area Studies (Two of the following courses anytime after 1st year) 3 | 6 | |
Encountering Latin America and the Caribbean | ||
or HONR 208B | Encountering Latin America and the Caribbean | |
or HONR 208C | Encountering Latin America and the Caribbean | |
Encountering Asia | ||
or HONR 209B | Encountering Asia | |
or HONR 209C | Encountering Asia | |
Encountering Africa | ||
or HONR 210B | Encountering Africa | |
or HONR 210C | Encountering Africa | |
Encountering the Middle East | ||
or HONR 212B | Encountering the Middle East | |
or HONR 212C | Encountering the Middle East | |
Encountering Contemporary Europe | ||
or HONR 216B | Encountering Contemporary Europe | |
or HONR 216C | Encountering Contemporary Europe | |
Capstone 4 | ||
HONR 301 | Honors Capstone: Moral Responsibility | 3 |
- 1
Course taken Fall Freshman Year.
- 2
Course taken Spring Freshman Year.
- 3
Course taken any time after 1st year. Students can take HONR 203, HONR 204, and the area studies in any order they desire.
- 4
Course taken 2nd semester of Junior year or during Senior year. Student must have 75 or more credit hours.
Program Description
Since 1936, the Honors Program has provided an enriched educational experience for the university’s most talented students. Only a small percentage of freshmen are invited into the program each year. Honors students are academically and professionally aspirational and ethical leaders in their communities.
The Curriculum
Interdisciplinary in design and international in scope, Loyola’s Honors Program offers a dynamic general education that enables our students to bring many perspectives to real world problem-solving, in the Jesuit tradition. Faculty craft intensive courses that refine analytic and communication skills. The formal curriculum is supplemented with many cultural excursions and service opportunities. You can read more about our award-winning teaching faculty on our website.
The Benefits
As an Honors student, you will come into contact with Loyola’s most effective teachers, our most exciting researchers, and, of course, our most talented students. You’ll benefit from priority registration each semester; individualized advising; small class sizes; and faculty mentorship. As the highest academic distinction awarded by the university, the Honors Degree commands special acknowledgement. Candidates are identified separately in the commencement program, and the official transcript identifies all Honors courses.
The Freshman Year Experience
Honors Freshmen are housed at Francis Hall and Regis Hall, modern facilities located on the southern end of campus, close to the lake and the city. In residence, you’ll have many opportunities to connect intellectually and socially with students majoring in fields from across the university and joining us from across the US and the globe. Together, you and your friends will make your way through the Honors Freshman Seminars, reading Darwin’s The Origin of Species and visiting the Art Institute of Chicago as a group. You can learn more about the freshman Honors residence experience here.
For more information on our dynamic community and program, look through the online issues of the Honors Magazine.
University Policies
Please see University Policies for academic policies that supersede those of academic units within the University