University Honors Program
Administration
Jennifer Paxton, Ph.D., Director
Faculty
| Andrew Abela, Ph.D. |
Marketing, University of Virginia |
| Patricia Andrasik, M.Arch., AIA, IIDA, LEED AP |
Architecture, University of Oklahoma |
| Michele Averchi, Ph.D. |
Philosophy, University of Milan |
| Gregory Baker, Ph.D. |
English, Brown University |
| William Barbieri, Ph.D. |
Religion, Yale University |
| Aaron Barkatt, Ph.D. |
Chemistry, Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Jonathan Buttaci, Ph.D. |
Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh |
| Aaron Butts, Ph.D. |
Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago |
| Joseph Capizzi, Ph.D. |
Theology, University of Notre Dame |
| Mark Clark, Ph.D. |
Medieval History, Columbia University |
| Thomas Clemmons, Ph.D. |
Theology, University of Notre Dame |
| Dennis Coyle, Ph.D. |
Political Science, University of California, Berkeley |
| Martha Cruz-Zuniga, Ph.D. |
Economics, Western Michigan University |
| Jennifer R. Davis, Ph.D. |
History, Harvard University |
| Gregory T. Doolan, Ph.D. |
Philosophy, The Catholic University of America |
| Sherif El-Helaly, Ph.D. |
Mathematics, McMaster University, Canada |
| David Elliott, Ph.D. |
Theology, University of Notre Dame |
| Sarah Ferrario, Ph.D. |
Classics, Princeton University |
| Richard Gallenstein, Ph.D. |
Economics, The Ohio State University |
| Daniel Garcia-Donoso, Ph.D. |
Spanish, Yale University |
| Daniel Gibbons, Ph.D. |
English, University of Wisconsin, Madison |
| Michael Gorman, Ph.D. |
Theology, Boston College; Philosophy, State University of New York, Buffalo |
| Bradley Gregory, Ph.D. |
Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism, University of Notre Dame |
| Tobias Gregory, Ph.D. |
English, University of Michigan |
| Nora Heimann, Ph.D. |
Art History, City University of New York |
| Joshua Himmelsbach, M.A. |
Mathematics, University of Maryland |
| Cristina Ionescu, Ph.D. |
Philosophy, University of Guelph, Ontario |
| Michael C. Kimmage, Ph.D. |
History, Harvard University |
| William Klingshirn, Ph.D. |
Classics, Stanford University |
| Lilla Kopár, Ph.D. |
English, University of Szeged, Hungary |
| Bradley Lewis, Ph.D. |
Philosophy, University of Notre Dame |
| Maryann Cusimano Love, Ph.D. |
Politics, Johns Hopkins University |
| Laura Mayhall, Ph.D. |
History, Stanford University |
| John McCarthy, Ph.D. |
Philosophy, The Catholic University of America |
| William J. McCarthy, Ph.D. |
Greek and Latin, The Catholic University of America |
| Jennifer Paxton, Ph.D. |
History, Harvard University |
| Catherine Pakaluk, Ph.D. |
Economics, Harvard University |
| Chad C. Pecknold, Ph.D. |
Theology, University of Cambridge |
| Fr. Ignacio De Ribera-Martín, Ph.D. |
Philosophy, The Catholic University of America |
| Michael Rohlf, Ph.D. |
Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania |
| Alexander T. Russo, Ph.D. |
Media and Communication Studies, Brown University |
| Marc Sebrechts, Ph.D. |
Psychology, Yale University |
| Caroline R. Sherman, Ph.D. |
History, Princeton University |
| David J. Walsh, Ph.D. |
Political Science, University of Virginia |
| Andrew Weaver, Ph.D. |
Music History, Yale University |
| Kevin White, Ph.D. |
Philosophy, University of Ottawa |
| Rev. Michael Witczak, S.L.D. |
Theology, Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome |
History
The University Honors Program was founded in 1985 under the directorship of Dr. Ingrid Merkel, who obtained a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to establish a program for the most academically outstanding undergraduate students that would transcend the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines. The genuinely interdisciplinary program that resulted is grounded firmly in the Catholic intellectual tradition and draws on key areas of inquiry such as Philosophy, Theology, the Humanities, the Social Sciences, and Environmental Studies.
Mission
The program hones skills in critical thinking and supplies a solid foundation in the classical liberal arts. The core of the program is interdisciplinary: it provides an integrated worldview based on the interrelation among the disciplines of knowledge, while stressing the traditional values of our Christian heritage.
Undergraduates in the program have access to the university's best scholar- teachers and to small seminar-style classes that allow intensive exchange among teachers and students.
Goals and Objectives
Special attention is paid to the development of writing and communication skills. Students also have access to research projects and enrichment programs outside the classroom.
Curriculum
The core curriculum consists of five integrated sequences of four courses each in the classical liberal arts tradition. University Scholars complete two or three of the five sequences, depending on the major, and, in addition, present a senior honors research project in the Senior Honors Capstone Seminar.
The core sequences of the University Honors Program cross disciplines and form an integrated liberal arts curriculum. Honors courses fulfill various requirements in the liberal arts curriculum of the university. Interconnections with requirements in each student's area of concentration are established in consultation with each school or department.
A Liberal Studies option, which combines courses from multiple sequences, is open to students in Architecture, Business, Engineering, Music, NCSSS, and Nursing, as well as to students in Arts and Sciences who are earning Bachelor of Science or Education degrees.
Admission to the Program
Applicants are selected for participation in the program after they have been accepted by the Office of Admissions. Selection is based on a holistic review of the entire application, with an emphasis on high school GPA and the strength of the high school curriculum. Transfer students are also automatically considered for admission to the Honors Program. and current students with a 3.5 GPA may also apply for admission to the program by passing a brief application process prior to the end of the sophomore year.
Honors
Students who complete sequences in the University Honors Program with grades of B- and above and graduate with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 receive special designations on their transcripts:
University Scholar - Successful completion of three of the University Honors Program four-course sequences, supplemented by a senior honors research project in the Senior Honors Capstone Seminar. Students in the professional schools and those majoring in the natural sciences or Education may also be designated University Scholars if they complete two of the University Honors Program sequences and either a) the Senior Honors Capstone Seminar or b) a Senior Honors Research Project in their profession reflecting a liberal arts perspective.
Honors in the Humanities - Successful completion of all four courses of The Christian Tradition.
Honors in Classical Philosophy - Successful completion of all four courses of An Aristotelian Studium.
Honors in Social Sciences - Successful completion of all four courses of Critical Approaches to Social Reality.
Honors in Environmental Studies - Successful completion of all four courses of The Environment, Energy, and Policy.
Honors in Theology and Religious Studies - Successful completion of all four courses of Tradition and Renewal in Contemporary Catholicism.
Honors in Liberal Studies - Successful completion of four approved courses in three different tracks. Only open to students in the professional schools and to students majoring in the natural sciences or Education. See restrictions below.
Courses of Instruction
A full listing of undergraduate courses offered by the Honors Program is found at https://honors.catholic.edu/curriculum.
Consult Cardinal Students for additional information about courses and to determine course offerings by semester.
The Honors Program offers five integrated four-course sequences (“tracks”), listed below, as well as a flexible option known as the Liberal Studies track.