The Honors Program
The Honors Program provides Honors students with a unique, fully-integrated educational experience involving both curricular and co-curricular elements. Students will be actively engaged in college life, take Honors General Studies courses together, and finish with an enriched capstone experience, usually in their major.
On the curricular side, Honors students enroll in special General Studies courses that satisfy about half of Stockton’s General Studies requirement. These courses have a smaller class size, and involve more reading, writing and speaking, and less faculty lecturing than in traditional courses. Honors students also complete a research project, a creative project or an internship (usually in their major) in their junior or senior year, culminating in a presentation of their work.
On the co-curricular side, Honors students are required to fulfill a service requirement, which can be completed by a wide array of activities as described below, as long as the students are not paid for the work.
Honors students may volunteer to participate in special research projects that provide opportunities to travel and to give presentations at regional and national meetings.
Benefits of participation in the Honors Program include recognition of academic achievement, the support of a group of students and faculty committed to academic excellence, the opportunity to develop leadership skills in a supportive environment, and access to the Honors Center as a place to study and interact with peers. Honors students also have opportunities to participate in special trips and other activities organized by and for Honors students.
Admission to the Honors Program
The highest-ranked portion of Stockton’s entering freshman class, based on test scores and class rank, is invited to apply to the Honors Program. From those applicants, the new class is selected, with preference given to those students who demonstrate clear intellectual curiosity and a strong desire to take an active role in their education and the College community.
To remain in the program, students need to continue to make adequate academic progress, fulfill their service requirement and maintain a 3.3 GPA.
Graduation Requirements
General Studies (32 credits)
Required Honors Courses (20 credits)
GEN 1033: Honors Freshman Seminar: The Life of the Mind
GAH 2309: Preserving a Sense of the Past
GNM 1144: Ways of Knowing
GSS 2368: The Global Community
GIS 4635: Ethics and Contemporary Life
Traditional General Studies (12 credits)
One additional course in each of GAH, GNM, and GSS
Liberal Studies (12 credits):
One upper level course in each of the traditional liberal arts schools (ARHU, SOBL, NAMS) or as approved by the student’s preceptor
Honors Project Seminars I, II, & III (4 credits in General Studies)
Additional At-Some-Distance courses to meet College-wide graduation requirements (0-16 credits)
The Major. Courses required for the student’s major including an Honors Research, Creative Project or Internship (normally 4 credits in the student’s major).
Presentations. Presentation of the work involved in the research, creative project or internship to the College community and, possibly, at Honors conferences.
Service. Honors students are required to contribute two hours per week (30 hours) of service each semester. Such service can be to the Honors Program, College-related activities or service to an organization in the larger community.
Categories of Honors
First Year Excellence—Students complete two Honors courses during their first year at Stockton, provide 60 hours of service during the year and maintain a GPA of 3.3.
General Studies Honors—Students complete the five required Honors Courses, meet the service requirement for four semesters and maintain a GPA of 3.3.
College Honors—Students complete the five required Honors Courses, meet the liberal studies requirement, complete the research/creative or internship component, present their work to the College community at the Day of Scholarship or other approved venue, meet the service requirement for all four years and maintain a GPA of 3.3.
