Honors Program | Overview

Program Highlights

Honors Retreat

Honors Scholars fulfill the GNST-1000, The BC Experience, requirement through a week-long academic scholars retreat prior to the beginning of classes their freshman year. They will also receive an introduction to the academic rigor of the program, as well as to the faculty who will teach in it. Learn more. 

Honors Curriculum

Honors Scholars are educated from a distinct curriculum that builds upon Benedictine College’s general education requirements and draws from its liberal arts heritage. The curriculum is divided into an Honors core, special Honors-Approved classes, optional Honors tracks within each academic discipline, and an Honors capstone course. Learn more.

Experiential Component

Honors students are expected to become active participants in the life that should follow from a liberal arts education, enriching both the campus and broader community.  The experiential activity is developed by the student in collaboration with the Honors co-chairs and committee, as well as relevant department chairs or other professors.  Most projects will begin during the Honors student's sophomore or junior year, culminating in presentations to the BC community and beyond.

Program Benefits

The Benedictine College Honors Program draws upon the four pillars of Benedictine College to offer a unique education to exceptionally talented and motivated students. The Honors Program will provide an academically enriched experience through intensive seminar classes as part of its core experience. The main outcome of the Honors Program its Scholars should expect is personal development: greater knowledge, a greater love for learning, and a set of skills that will serve them well in graduate school and in further career development.

Students accepted into the Honors Program receive a challenging and rigorous education that academically distinguishes them from their peers. Honors Scholars are given specific recognition during the commencement ceremonies. Scholars who are accepted are eligible for a $2,000 grant for an approved project if they maintain a cumulative 3.5 GPA.

The Honors Program does not stop at the classroom. Throughout the year, Honors Officers arrange events to continue building community within the program, such as service projects, game nights, and trips to the symphony and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Additionally, Honors students come together on their own to study and spend time with one another, encouraged by their shared classes and backgrounds.