McDaniel Honors Program

Director of Honors Program: Associate Professor S. Raley

At a college recognized for changing lives, the McDaniel Honors Program challenges students to develop their intellectual potential as leaders for change in their local and global communities. The program opens doors to challenging courses in many disciplines, often taught in innovative ways. Recent honors electives include: Once Upon a Time: Fairytales; Growing Up in America; Madness, Genius, and Creativity; and The Zombie Apocalypse. In addition to enriching electives, McDaniel honors students enjoy priority registration, extended library loans, a special study lounge, connections with accomplished alumni, support to present research at conferences for honors students, and a unique opportunity to study abroad at Glasgow University in Scotland. Current academic, social, and service events as well as accomplishments of McDaniel Honors students and alumni are chronicled on its Facebook Page. McDaniel also hosts several chapters of honors societies.

Our mission: At a college recognized for changing lives, the McDaniel Honors Program challenges students to develop their intellectual potential as leaders for change in their local and global communities.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Appreciation for Challenges of Change

Understand historical patterns of change
Appreciate contemporary challenges to change at the local and global levels
Approach problems from multiple disciplines and perspectives
Participate in experiences that promote engagement at the local and/or global levels

Leadership

Exhibit a well-grounded understanding of aspects and applications of leadership
Practice leadership through service activities
Provide mentoring to students
Develop one’s own identity as a leader

Integrity

Practice civic engagement through service activities or service-learning opportunities
Exercise appropriate standards related to respect for intellectual property
Demonstrate appropriate professional standards of behavior

Project Development

Conceive, plan, and lead a high quality academic (e.g. research) activity
Conceive, plan, and lead a meaningful social or service activity
Apply discipline-based and/or cross-discipline-based knowledge to design a problem-solving strategy

Requirements to be named a “College Scholar” upon graduation:

Overall GPA of 3.5 or better
Demonstrate intellectual and moral character befitting a member of the McDaniel Honors Program
HON 1101 Leading Change (2 credits; fall of 1st year)
HON 2201 Great Works (4 credits: fall or spring of 1st year)
HON 4491 Honors Senior Colloquium (2 credits: spring of senior year)
Completion of a College Scholars Project (4 credits; senior year, met by pursuing departmental honors or proposing a distinct project)
Four Honors Modules, selecting from among the following:

Honors-enriched experiences (maximum of 1 allowed; may range from 0-4 cr)

Honors electives (4 credit courses that also fulfill general education requirements; may sometimes fulfill a major or minor requirement as well; must meet one or more of the four student learning outcomes)

Study abroad (each semester abroad counts as one honors module)

Programs