The Honors Program curriculum is designed for a diverse body of motivated students who are especially well prepared for and impassioned by intense intellectual engagement.

Its primary goal is to offer students a transformative learning experience that provides more than a knowledge base and set of skills that can influence their interactions with the world; rather, the Honors Program curriculum is deliberately designed to foster a way of seeing, thinking, valuing and behaving that necessarily influences a student’s interactions because it has become an authentic and intrinsic element of his or her identity and humanity.

One-to-one Focus

During your first two years of college, we offer interdisciplinary seminars, independent study with faculty, and specialized introductory courses limited to Honors Program students to allow you to delve more deeply into the world of ideas. As you progress into your junior and senior years of college, we invite you to shape your own curriculum to meet your needs and majors.

During your junior year, you may choose to work side-by-side with faculty on research projects in your area of interest, for example, through one of our most recent initiatives, the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. All Honors Program seniors take part in a capstone experience designed to help you integrate and apply the knowledge you have acquired during your four years of college.

Post-Degree Guidance

The Honors Program also assists you in shaping life after college by providing guidance about applying to graduate schools and for national scholarships, fellowships, honors and awards. Our students have been admitted to the top graduate, law, medical and business schools in the nation due in no small part, we believe, to the preparation provided by the rigorous intellectual inquiry that characterizes the Honors Program.

A Holistic Approach

Since a complete education cannot be obtained simply through classrooms and textbooks, the Honors Program, in keeping with the Jesuit ideals of Marquette, also offers a variety of co-curricular activities to foster the growth of the whole person. During the first year, Honors Program floors in the residence halls, student/faculty dinners, cultural outings in the city, and late-night conversations with peers help to create a community within a community that provides a foundation for the remaining three years. By creating an environment that speaks both to your intellect and your broader "lived experience," the Honors Program provides you with the most comprehensive education possible.

More than Knowledge

Our mission is to provide an education rooted in a classical humanities curriculum, particularly as it is shaped by the Jesuit ideals of rigorous academic inquiry, a habit of reflection on knowledge and experience and, growing from these, a desire to bring about justice in the world.