HONORS PROGRAMS

Students who earn a bachelor’s degree from Ricketts Great Books College will have studied the greatest thinkers and their most significant works of the last 2,500 years. The foundational texts form a rigorous basis for developing critical and analytical thinking and have been the backbone of higher education since universities first emerged in the 12th Century. During their studies, students explore four historical periods, Ancient & Medieval, Renaissance, Enlightenment, and Modern, across key disciplines including Literature, General Philosophy, History, Religion, Politics & Economics, and Science & Mathematics.

This comprehensive educational journey is guided by internationally acclaimed scholars from leading Western universities and led by our team of expert faculty. Central to the program at Ricketts Great Books College are Socratic seminars, where students actively discuss, analyze, and debate ideas and arguments. These seminars help students repeatedly practice and master critical thinking and communication skills.

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Dripping water hollows out a stone, not through force, but through persistence.

OVID, 1st CENTURY ROMAN POET

Honors Programs at Ricketts Great Books College

Ricketts Great Books College recognizes that each student utilizes their intellectual faculties uniquely. Some students rapidly master new ideas and enjoy developing their talents across various fields as they explore new concepts. Others like to focus their efforts on a specific set of subjects, preferring depth over breadth. Others are
characterized more by their strong determination and persistence than by a specific area of skill, and prefer to face each challenge as it arises and to invest the effort needed to achieve mastery every day. To acknowledge and support diverse academic strengths and interests, the college offers three distinctive honors pathways: Honors by Examination, Honors by Project, and Honors by Course.

Honors by Project

Similar to practices at many leading American universities, students can pursue honors by completing an independent honors project. This recognizes students who undertake significant academic work beyond standard degree requirements, culminating in a substantial research paper, thesis, or equivalent scholarly endeavor. Students propose a significant research topic or creative scholarly work at the start of their final year. Upon approval, a faculty mentor supervises the project through completion. Students who successfully execute a project of high scholarly quality receive honors, showcasing their ability to conduct focused, sustained academic inquiry.

Honors by Examination

Following the tradition of distinguished universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, students may choose to take comprehensive exams at the culmination of their degree program. Over two weeks, students undertake five written exams and one oral exam, each
lasting three hours. Students demonstrating the highest level of performance on these exams, which are comprehensive across all the works read and ideas studied, are awarded honors.

Honors by Subject

Unique to Ricketts Great Books College, students can earn their degree with honors by successfully achieving honors-level work in a majority of their courses within each subject area throughout their degree. This pathway recognizes sustained academic excellence across the entirety of the degree program. Students undertake additional honors assignments such as extended papers, presentations, or deeper analytical projects in most of their courses. By achieving honors-level work consistently, students earn honors
in individual courses. Students who receive honors in the majority of their courses in each subject area are awarded overall degree honors upon graduation.