Purpose of the Program

The Barry University undergraduate Honors Program is designed to add both breadth and depth to the educational experience of students in the Honors program. The Honors Program curriculum offers the intellectually curious student an opportunity to analyze problems, synthesize theories and actions, evaluate issues facing our complex society, and develop leadership skills.

The Honors Program consists of a series of 7 intensive liberal arts and sciences courses.

Students in the Honors Program are required to create a portfolio of reflections on their Honors classes and to incorporate experiential learning (e.g., leadership, research in its various forms, community or global engagement) as an integral part of their course of studies. The Honors Program curriculum will provide a broader intellectual platform for supporting student work in their major(s) and will prepare them to move their education from academe into action in their various communities after college or in many cases after completion of their graduate and professional programs.

The Honors Program curriculum is designed so that students will be able to:

• Develop effective written and oral communication skills;
• Develop their ability to analyze and synthesize a broad range of material;
• Understand how scholars think about problems, formulate hypotheses, research those problems, and draw conclusions about them;
• Become more independent and critical thinkers, demonstrating the ability to use knowledge and logic when discussing an issue or an idea, while considering the consequences of their ideas, for themselves, for others, and for society; and foster
• Foster student-faculty interaction and community building.

Being an Honors Program (HP) student is translated into several academic rewards:

• HP classes have ten to fifteen students per class;
• Small class size means ample opportunity to engage in an in-depth classroom discussion;
• HP courses are reserved for HP students only;
• HP students have an opportunity to engage in an independent research (HON 479H: Senior Honors Thesis), preparing them for their future graduate studies;
• HP students are eligible for paper presentations at the yearly National Collegiate Honors Council, Southern Regional Honors Council, and National Conference on Undergraduate Research; and
• HP students have access to the HP computer lab.

Qualification

To participate in the program as a first-year student, you must:

• Attain a minimum combined SAT score of 1310 or ACT score of 28; and
• Attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.70 in high school.
• To participate as a transfer student, you must:
• Attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.7 from a regionally accredited university.
• To participate as a second-year Barry student, you must:
• Attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 in your first year at Barry;
• Obtain a letter of recommendation from a faculty member and/or an academic advisor; and
• Submit an admission essay.

Scholarship Opportunity

The Barry Honors Scholarship (BHS) is awarded for the duration of your bachelor’s degree program at Barry provided that you meet the program’s requirements. Core program requirements include:

• Meeting at least once a semester with the Honors Program Director to determine eligibility and report academic progress;
• Enrollment at Barry as a full-time undergraduate student (which requires completion of a minimum of 12 credits per semester);
• Registering for a minimum of one Honors Program class per semester;
• Maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5;
• Submitting the Honors Thesis Proposal three semesters prior to graduation; and
• Completion of 21 credit hours in Honors Program courses.