Honors Program

Holy Family University's Honors Program offers qualified students personalized and engaging coursework in a close-knit community of peers. As a student in the Honors Program, you will be offered Honors versions of select core courses.

Each year, you will be afforded the opportunity to participate in on-campus activities, cultural outings, and service activities designed to immerse you in all that the city of Philadelphia has to offer, and provide you with useful resume-building experiences. In your junior year at Holy Family, you will participate in a research symposium, during which you'll present work you've created under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Finally, as a senior you'll participate in an Honors Capstone course, which incorporates all of the skills and knowledge you've accumulated during your time in the Honors Program at Holy Family University.

In all, the Honors Program is designed to offer you the opportunity to:

• Be a part of a small community of motivated students who all want to deeply learn, explore, and question.
• Enroll in innovative Honors courses. These seminar-style classes are designed to foster independent thinking, and with a cap of twenty students, each offers ample opportunity for participation and discussion. Honors students are required to take eight Honors courses, all of which also fulfill General Education Core requirements.
• Become intellectually engaged through collaboration with faculty and students.
• Pursue independent research and scholarship and present your work at local and national Honors Conferences.
• Participate in service-learning activities with your fellow Honors Program students.
• Attend cultural events in Philadelphia.
• Get involved in campus academic and social events.
• Enjoy a priority registration period.
• Be recognized as an Honors Program graduate at commencement and on your transcript.
• Distinguish yourself as an Honors Program graduate, which sets you apart from other applicants for jobs, professional training, and graduate schools.

Honors Admissions Requirements

The Honors Council works closely with Admissions to develop guidelines for selecting a group of top students from every class admitted to the University. Generally, students have a GPA of a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, or a 5.1 on a 6.0 scale, or a B+, or 88/100, but all academically strong students are encouraged to apply. 

Applicants to the Honors Program must submit an essay following their admission to the University, with applications to the Honors Program due May 1. 

Students who did not submit a letter of recommendation when applying to Holy Family must ask a faculty member or counselor to submit one on their behalf to honorsprogram@917877.com by   
May 1.

Questions? Please email honorsprogram@917877.com.

Honors Council