Students in Saint Anselm College Honors Program enhance their academic and campus life experiences, challenging themselves with the support of dedicated faculty. Graduating as an Honors student distinguishes students among their peers, demonstrating their work ethic, commitment to learning, and high-level of achievements.
Through the Honors Program, students can meaningfully engage with academic life both in and out of the classroom. With dedicated Honors courses, dynamic interdisciplinary lectures, and unique research opportunities, students learn in an environment focused on facilitating success and designed for growth.
As an Honors Student, I appreciate that we are provided with additional learning opportunities including honors seminars and courses where we are encouraged to go above and beyond, and become the best versions of ourselves. I also enjoy living in the honors housing, a hallway dedicated to honors students. This way we live amongst like-minded individuals and feel accepted and understood.
By the Numbers
250.00250+
Anselmians in the Honors Program
25.0025+
Faculty dedicated to teaching in the Honors Program every semester
100.00100%
of Honors Students conduct research
Distinguish yourself.
With enhanced courses, challenging material, and distinct research projects, students set themselves apart, proving they have the skills to succeed in challenging environments.
Honors Program Perks
Being a member of Saint Anselm College Honors Program provides you with benefits that enhance your college experience and distinguish you among your peers upon graduation.
A selection of honors-only and honors-option courses are offered each semester across disciplines with smaller class sizes designed for meaningful discussion.
With fascinating lectures, diverse activities, and unique events, students are never at a loss for ways to get involved and tap into not only their intellectual interests but engage deeper with our community.
Faculty supporting the Honors Program are dedicated to providing academic support and helping students find their path. Small, specialty courses filled with other students equally interested in learning create environments which enable students to form relationships that will last longer than their 4 years on the Hilltop.
The Honors Program offers several opportunities for students to participate in a leadership capacity. Through the Honors Student Advisory Council, students get involved in program events and act as the student voice.
Throughout their time in the program, Honors students conduct research through a variety of courses and across disciplines and majors. The Honors Summer Research Fellowship gives exceptional students the opportunity to do paid research. These Fellowships support living on campus for the summer and becoming part of an intellectual learning community made of other dedicated students and faculty across disciplines working on research over the summer.
Members of the Honors Program register ahead of their class for each semester’s courses, giving them first choice of classes for their schedule.
HONORS PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR BACHELOR OF ARTS / BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
- Conversatio I & Conversatio II
- 3 Honors Courses – core, major, or elective
- Foreign Language – 300-level course
- Honors Junior/Senior Colloquium
- Honors Thesis
- Cumulative GPA 3.4 or better at graduation
HONORS PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING
- Conversatio I & Conversatio II
- 2 Honors Courses – core, major, or elective
- Honors Junior/Senior Colloquium
- Honors Thesis
- Cumulative GPA 3.4 or better at graduation
Featured Course
HU 303 - Honors Colloquium: Food in Art, Culture, and Science
An Honors Colloquium is a seminar-style capstone course that returns students to the core concepts of Conversatio. Each colloquium looks through a different lens, opening the door for every student to engage with what interests them. This particular course is taught against the backdrop of food, exploring what culinary representations reveal about the world around us.
Honors Curriculum Requirements
Honors students must fulfill certain requirements in order to not only participate in and graduate from the program, but to gain the most from their Saint Anselm education.
Honors students are enrolled in special Conversatio sections with other highly-motivated students during their freshman year as they explore concepts at the core of a Saint Anselm education.
In addition to Conversatio I and II and the Honors Colloquium, students must take at least three (3) other honors courses of their choosing. (Students enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Nursing Honors must take at least two (2) other honors courses of their choosing.) These courses may be in a student's major, the Core, or electives.
The academic core at Saint Anselm College provides students with the framework to obtain a comprehensive liberal arts education that prepares them to succeed in future careers and pursue lifelong learning.
Students enrolled in the Honors program must take one semester of a foreign language/literature at the 300-level. If students do not initially place into the 300-level, they must take the appropriate 100, 150, or 200-level course(s) and continue with the language through the completion of the 300-level. (Students enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Nursing Honors are exempt from this requirement.)
Students must take the Honors Colloquium in either their junior or senior year, depending on their schedule. The colloquium revisits and extends upon ideas first raised in Conversatio through a variety of academic lenses.
The honors thesis may be undertaken in the junior or senior year, and it can be interdisciplinary. For students whose majors require a senior thesis, the honors thesis can be an augmented version of the departmental requirement, the guidelines for which are determined by each department.
Students in departments that do not require a thesis must still submit a thesis for the Honors Program. The thesis is to be written under the guidance of a faculty advisor from a department appropriate to the area of the thesis topic.
Advance with Early Research
Students in the Honors Program at Saint Anselm College delve into hands-on research with the support of experienced faculty. Accomplishing undergraduate research differentiates students as they apply to graduate programs, secure internships, and pursue post-graduate careers.
Summer 2024 Honors Student Research
Find your interest
From technical scientific opportunities, imaginative artistic projects, to thoughtful historic inquiries, students of all disciplines pursue research in the Saint Anselm Honors Program.
Diego Benites ’25
American Studies and History Double Major, Gender Studies Minor, Honors Program
After an internship at the Boot Cotton Mills Museum, Diego Benites was inspired to explore the contemporary impact of the Lowell National Historical Park in Massachusetts on the interpretation of history for his Honors Thesis.
History Prof. Andrew Moore collaborated with Benites on his research, investigating the ways that the park aids residents in contextualizing the city’s current landscape.
Josephine Rizzo ’25
Politics Major, Honors Program
An Honors Politics student with a fascination for legislation, Josephine Rizzo’s research analyzes trends within bills introduced following tragic school violence.
Working alongside Politics Prof. Jennifer Lucas, Josephine looked into policy in Texas and Florida to track the forms of safety procedures that were proposed and implemented.
Peter McTague ’25
Environmental Studies Major, Philosophy Minor, Honors Program
Peter McTague has been studying peregrine falcons alongside Honors Program Chair and Biology Prof. Theresa Dabruzzi. Peter’s interest focuses on the difference between the birds’ productivity in both urban and natural environments, working with experienced professionals like raptor expert Chris Martin of New Hampshire Audubon.
I know a lot of other colleges don’t really have an opportunity like this, especially within the Humanities. Many of the research grants are mostly based in the sciences. So to be able to do research within the Humanities as an undergraduate student, I think it is really incredible, and it’s something that I can put on my resume. So when I apply to graduate school, I think that will make me a pretty competitive applicant.
Criteria for Admission
Admission into the Honors Program is primarily by invitation, but current students demonstrating high academic achievement may also apply.
Invitation
Invitations to join the program are sent to students who have officially applied for the program in their admission application. Invitations will be sent by late January for those applying Early Action or Early Decision. Invitations for those applying Regular Decision will be sent by mid-March.
Application
Interested students whose records demonstrate strong academic ability and showcase an enthusiasm to pursue their critical thinking skills and engage in intensive research projects are encouraged to apply. The application for the Honors Program can be found on the Common Application or Saint Anselm Application. Both applications ask students to share why they are interested in the program and what they will contribute to the Honors Program. Applications will be reviewed by the director of the Honors Program and members of the Honors Program Board.
Interested in the Honors Program?
Contact:Theresa Dabruzzi, Ph.D.
Honors Program Director and Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
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