Honors Program for Incoming First Year Students

The Caldwell University Honors Program is designed to provide high-achieving students with the opportunity to learn at an advanced level, conduct cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, and collaborate with faculty and fellow Honors Program students. The Honors Program typically represents the top 10% of the incoming class.

Through an advanced curriculum and enviable extracurricular opportunities, the Honors Program at Caldwell provides students with academic, personal, and professional advantages that will elevate their overall Caldwell experience.

Honors Program Benefits

In addition to the Honors Program curriculum, there are numerous mentoring,  extracurricular, social, and financial opportunities available to Honors students, including:

• One-on-one mentorship – attention and guidance from a faculty member within the student’s program of interest
• Cultural Experiences – recent examples include a walking tour of Harlem, a visit to the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, a day-long walking tour of historic Boston, and a tour of United Nations headquarters and Grand Central Station in NYC.
• Honors Student Mentorship Program – incoming Honors students are paired with student mentors already in the program
• Student leadership opportunities with the student e-board – (elected annually by students)
• Group lunches, dinners, and other social events
• Honors Scholarship $1,000 – awarded annually while a member of the program
• Priority registration for classes

Honors Program Curriculum

The Honors Program is a nationally recognized, 12-credit interdisciplinary program that requires participating students to complete:

• One section of Honors First Year Seminar  (1 credit; optional)
• One Honors-designated core class (3 credits)
• Two interdisciplinary Honors seminars (3 credits each)
• One Research Methods class (1 credit; optional)
• Plan, complete, and present an independent research or creative project (3 credits)
• Present their research to both faculty and the wider Caldwell University community (as part of the Caldwell Research and Creative Arts Day)

Each semester, we offer Honors seminars and Honors-designated sections of core curriculum classes. Honors seminars offer multiple perspectives on interdisciplinary topics that complement Caldwell’s liberal arts core curriculum. Working with our faculty members, students then have the opportunity to design and complete their own research-based or creative project. The intent of the Honors Program is to prepare students for future careers and for graduate school by fostering a vibrant community of faculty, scholars, and peers.

Upon successfully completing the 12-credit academic component, students are rewarded with the designation of “Caldwell Honors Program” graduate, which is recognized at Honors Convocation as well as at graduation, where students wear a yellow Honors Program stole and are awarded a distinctive diploma. This distinction is also recognized on the student’s transcript.

Next Steps

Students who have been accepted to Caldwell University that meet the Honors Program criteria will be invited to join the Honors Program. Students who have been accepted to Caldwell University that are not automatically eligible for the Honors program are welcome to apply after they have completed one semester as a Caldwell student.

Program Contacts

Dr. Tara Harney-Mahajan
Associate Professor of English
Co-Director, Honors Program
[email protected]

Dr. Lily Tsoi
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Co-Director, Honors Program
[email protected]