The Honors Scholars Program offers Calvin College students the opportunity for advanced study in both the liberal arts and their selected field of study in a community of engaged, bold, and curious learners.
Incoming students who are interested in exploring the intersections between the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences; desire to learn in a challenging and encouraging environment with engaged peers and faculty; and want to develop the skills of a scholar by working alongside a faculty mentor in their field of study are encouraged to apply to the Calvin Honors Scholars Program. Application materials can be found on Calvin’s Honors and Collegiate Scholars website.
Each year, a cohort of 44 students will be invited to participate in the Honors Scholars Program. Students in the cohort will fulfill 29-32 of their Calvin core curriculum requirements in alternative interdisciplinary, team-taught Honors Core courses:
Year 1
HNRS 101 - Community, Citizenship, and Identity
HNRS 102 - God, Belief, and Belonging
HNRS 150 - Learning in Place: Grand Rapids
Year 2
HNRS 201 - Seeing and Knowing
HNRS 202 - Scientific Inquiry and the Common Good
HNRS 250 - Learning in Place: Global
Students in the Honors Collaborative will also complete the following upper-level requirements during years 3 or 4:
HNRS 380 - Honors Colloquium (3)
Choice:
HNRS 380 - Honors Colloquium (3)
OR additional language coursework (6+)
OR interdisciplinary skill development (6+)
HNRS 399 - Honors Thesis (3)
To fulfill Honors Scholars Program requirements and to graduate “with Honors,” a student must complete the courses shown above, maintain an overall GPA of 3.65, and complete an approved Honors Thesis/Project under the supervision of a faculty mentor. To be eligible for graduation with Honors, a student must submit an Application to Graduate with Honors to the Honors and Collegiate Scholars Office at the beginning of their final year.
For further information, contact the director (A. Wilstermann) or associate director (C. Hanson) of the Honors and Collegiate Scholars Program.
Collegiate Scholars Program
The Collegiate Scholars program offers academically-talented students the opportunity to augment their major coursework with upper-level interdisciplinary courses and other advanced academic and community engagement activities. First-year students with ACT/SAT scores of 28/3010 are eligible to apply to the Collegiate Scholars program. Current and transfer students that meet program GPA requirements are also encouraged to apply. Application materials can be found on Calvin’s Honors and Collegiate Scholars website.
To fulfill Collegiate Scholars Program requirements and to graduate “with Distinction”, a student must maintain an overall GPA of 3.65 and complete four Advanced Academic or Community Engagement requirements. A single category may not be used more than two times.
- Completion of a second HNRS 380 course
- Completion of a minor or second major
- Completion of two courses, in a single discipline, beyond what is required by a student’s major
- Participation in a music ensemble or theater production, full season
- Participation in varsity athletics, full season
- Participation in undergraduate research or completion of an internship, summer or full academic year
- Participation in student governance as a student senator, full year
- Completion of a study abroad program, full semester
- Leadership position in a student organization, full year
- Participation in a service-learning activity, full year
- Participation in other activity approved by the Honors and Collegiate Scholars Program Director and Associate Director
Participants will meet with a Collegiate Scholars advisor annually to discuss academic opportunities and progress toward completion of Collegiate Scholars Program requirements. To be eligible for graduation with distinction, a student must submit an Application to Graduate with Distinction to the Honors and Collegiate Scholars Office at the beginning of their final year.