Program Overview

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Introduction to the Fordham College at Rose Hill Honors Program

The mission of the Fordham College at Rose Hill Honors Program is to produce and promote a community of scholars for justice. This is achieved through a curriculum that focuses on the concerns of diversity and justice in each of its courses, regardless of discipline or subject matter. In addition to academics, Honors students engage in extracurricular events and activities that foster leadership and community engagement.

Curriculum

Honors students learn to:

• Analyze and critically assess materials from the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields
• Engage in scholarship through the Research Methods course, scholarship components in each upper-level course, and the senior thesisan original project in the major field
• Study and reflect on the concerns of diversity and justice across the curriculum
• Integrate the perspectives of multiple disciplines through the Interdisciplinary Seminar Series

Honors classes are:

• Small, seminar-style
• Designed exclusively for Honors students
• Reading- and writing-intensive
• Discussion-driven

The Honors curriculum is comprised of:

• 13 classes, taken in sequence
• Three one-credit, pass/fail classes
• A senior thesis in the chosen major

Note on Curriculum Effectiveness

This curriculum is in effect for students entering in fall 2019 and beyond. Students entering in fall 2018 or earlier follow a different curriculum.

Program Structure and Requirements

The Honors curriculum takes the place of the regular Fordham College at Rose Hill core curriculum, with the exception of the language requirement. AP and IB courses can earn students college credit toward graduation; they do not, however, replace any courses in the Honors Program. Most students enter the program at the beginning of their first year, though occasionally it is possible for a few students with strong academic records to join after the first or second semester.

Members of the program are expected to maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or above. Successful completion of the program entitles the student to the designation on their diploma and transcript.

Course Sequence

At Fordham College Rose Hill, students take five courses each semester in the first two years and four courses each semester in junior and senior year. With the Honors curriculum, our students take a sequence of foundational and focused study courses alongside their major courses, electives, and language requirement to complete a full schedule.

Required Honors Courses for Each Semester

First Year Experience

• Fall semester:
  • Interdisciplinary STEM I
  • Foundational Texts: Theology/Classics
  • Foundational Texts: Philosophy
  • 1-credit Bronx Exploration (either semester)
• Spring semester:
  • Interdisciplinary STEM II
  • Foundational Texts: Literature
  • Foundational Topics: History
  • Foundational Topics: Art History/Music History

Second Year Experience

• Fall semester:
  • Justice 1: The American Experience
  • Focused Study: History
  • 1-credit Research Methods/Oral Presentation (either semester)
• Spring semester:
  • Justice 2: Global Contexts
  • Focused Study: Philosophy

Junior Year Experience

• Fall semester:
  • Focused Study: Literature
  • 1-credit Ignatian Education Seminar (either semester, junior or senior year)
• Spring semester:
  • Focused Study: Theology

Senior Year Experience

• Fall semester:
  • Thesis Seminar: Portfolio Development
  • 1-credit Ignatian Education Seminar (either semester, junior or senior year)
• Spring semester:
  • Thesis Seminar: 3-Minute Thesis

Note on Senior Year Requirements

Students are required to attend meetings of the Senior Seminar for the full year but register for the course and write their thesis only during one semester.