Honors Program

School of Arts and Sciences

The Honors Program at the School of Arts and Sciences offers talented students the opportunity to work with faculty members on directed and independent research projects.

Honors program activities include:

  • The pursuit of discipline-specific interests and a deeper level of inquiry in any Arts and Sciences discipline: Life Sciences, Chemistry, Math, Physics, Humanities, Communication, Ethics, Behavioral Sciences, Public Health, or Social Sciences
  • Continued development of academic research skills
  • Close faculty mentorship on Honors Program projects
  • Additional academic preparation for postgraduate education and careers
  • Valuable interactions with fellow honors students and faculty advisers
  • Potential fieldtrips to engaging healthcare destinations such as Mass General Hospital’s Paul S. Russell Museum of Medical History and Innovation, Brandeis’ Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory, and more

Benefits

Honors students will engage in primary research and acquire valuable research skills in the process. This research experience can help students become stronger candidates in their academic and professional pursuits. It also fosters close working relationships with faculty that provide the potential for work that can be delivered at conferences or published. Honors students will receive a variety of disciplinary options for carrying out research, allowing them to demonstrate that they have received a well-rounded education to graduate and professional schools. To further emphasize the strength of that education and the students’ efforts, honors designations will appear on transcripts for classes in which students have undertaken honors projects.

The Honors Program Experience

Honors students will select to either complete two 1-year research projects (one for their 3rd year and one for their 4th year) or complete one 2-year research project. The topics of the project are of the students' choosing and the formats can consist of research papers, conference presentations, and experiments. The idea is to give Honors students substantial support to answer questions that fascinate them.

Application Process

An applicant to the Honors Program must be in his or her 2nd year with a major in a School of Arts and Sciences program, have a 3.5 GPA, and be based on the Boston campus for years 3 and 4 of the degree program. Students who spend their 4th year at MCPHS in a graduate program are not eligible.

If you meet these criteria, please complete our application to apply. Download the application [PDF] In addition to filling out the application, you must also obtain a recommendation letter from a faculty member. Download our reference form [PDF]. The application deadline is February 15 at midnight.