Honors Program
The Honors Program at Fairfield University is an interdisciplinary course of study open to invited students from all of the University's undergraduate schools. The program consists of a curriculum of team-taught courses and small seminars. Honors students at Fairfield also are invited to attend intellectual and cultural events outside the classroom and faculty-led colloquia on a variety of topics.
Students who complete the Honors Program in good standing have their achievement noted on their final transcripts. Students who complete an honors thesis have the designation “Honors Program with Honors Thesis” on their final transcripts.
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Honors Orientation | ||
| ENGL 1001 | Introduction to Rhetoric and Composition (Honors-Only Sections) | 3 |
| HONR 1101 | Enduring Questions | 3 |
| Honors Exploration | ||
| Select three seminars: | 9 | |
| Honors Seminar | ||
| Honors Capstone | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 1-3 | |
Honors Mini-Seminar | ||
Honors Thesis | ||
| Total Credits | 16-18 | |
Honors and the Core Curriculum
HONR 1101 Enduring Questions courses satisfy Magis Core requirements based on the discipline of the course and also satisfy the Interdisciplinary signature element requirement of the Magis Core. Other Honors courses may fulfill signature elements of the core at the same time that they fulfill Magis Core and Honors Curriculum requirements, if the honors course has that signature element designation.
For team-taught classes (HONR 1101 and any team-taught sections of HONR 2202), if courses are approved for more than one disciplinary Magis core requirement, students can earn only one of the two possible disciplinary Magis core requirements.
Each section of HONR 2202 Honors Seminar satisfies a designated Magis Core requirement based on the discipline of the course. In the case of History, Mathematics, Philosophy, and Religious Studies, the seminar may satisfy a Magis Core requirement in either the Orientation Tier or the Exploration Tier.
Students may take additional sections of HONR 2202 beyond the three required, with the permission of the program directors.
Honors Capstone
Honors Mini-Seminar
Faculty-Designed: A seminar of no more than 10 students that meets five times during the semester. Single instructor or team-taught, 1 credit. Students register for HONR 4999.
Student-Designed: A self-selected group of 5-10 students will design, in conjunction with one or two faculty mentor(s) that the students themselves will recruit, a seminar that meets five times during the semester. Single instructor or team-taught, 1 credit. Students register for HONR 4998.
Transcript Designation: Honors Graduate
Honors Thesis
Students register for an Independent Study through the advisor’s department. Single instructor, 1-3 credits.
Transcript Designation: Honors Graduate with Honors Thesis
Magis Core Signature Elements
Honors Program courses may fulfill signature elements of the core at the same time that they fulfill disciplinary Magis Core requirements.
All team-taught HONR 1101 Honors Program courses fulfill the Interdisciplinary Signature Element requirement.
Progress in the Honors Program
Students entering must remain in good academic standing in order to remain in the Honors Program.