Honors Academy
Academy Mission
The mission of the Honors Academy at Park University is to empower qualified students to apply critical thought in an exploration of academic excellence, service, and leadership, with a goal of employing those three essential elements as tools to help shape their local and global communities.
Program Description
The Honors Academy is a special program for which formal application is required. The Academy is open to undergraduate students from all disciplines. Incoming freshmen, current students, and transfer students with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 can apply for admission. The Honors Academy seeks students who desire to learn not only for self-satisfaction, but also as a means through which they may contribute to their campus, city, national, and global communities in support of the University and Academy mission statements. The program is designed to challenge academically well-prepared students while introducing and reinforcing the experiential learning outcomes Park University’s Literacies.
The three foci of the Academy, Service, Leadership, and Scholarship are explored through the curriculum:
- Freshmen Year: Class Service Project
- Sophomore Year: HN250, HN299
- Junior Year: HN303, HN304
- Senior Year: HN410
Academy students enjoy enriched scholastic experiences, growth through service, and becoming leaders in their discipline.
A special notation is made on the transcript and diploma upon graduation and completion of the Honors Academy to inform graduate schools and employers of the student’s superior performance.
Program Goals
The Honors curriculum is designed to challenge academically well-prepared students while introducing and reinforcing the experiential learning outcomes of the Honors Academy, which are:
- Evidence of Academic Excellence
- Demonstration of in-depth exploration in a chosen field
- Public presentation experience
- Leadership experience and exploration of leadership styles
- Service to the University and/or community
Benefits of Honors Academy
- A marked improvement in analytical, writing, and critical thinking skills
- Courses stress interdisciplinary approaches and study
- Vibrant community of students with a wide variety of academic interests
- Special residential opportunities – Honors housing
- Honors diploma designations
- Preparation for admission to professional and graduate schools
- More opportunities for one-on-one interaction with Honors faculty and peers.
- An intellectual and social support system to reach a student’s full potential – professionally and
personally.
For more information contact:
