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Aug 17, 2025
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2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog
Lumen Scholars Program
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 Return to: Majors, Minors & Distinctions A - Z
Distinction Programs
Program Coordinator: Chloe Irla, M.F.A.
The Lumen Scholars Program provides many benefits to student participants. Our goal is to offer rigorous academic challenges that engage beyond traditional coursework and extracurricular community-building opportunities. Mentorship and professional development sessions covering special opportunities for Lumen Scholars — including grants, research opportunities, study abroad options, and conferences — are hosted each semester by the director.
- First-year students engage in a cohort-building retreat as part of an expanded McDaniel Local experience. This retreat includes a design challenge with the director and introductions to campus and community VIPs. Exclusive, annual special events for Lumen Scholars include a welcome dinner, seasonal events in October and March, an end-of-year celebration of graduating seniors, and pop-up surprises in the program’s headquarters on campus, the Lumen Lounge.
- Students who participate in the Lumen Scholars Program have an option during their junior year for an exclusive January Term course located at McDaniel’s campus in Budapest, Hungary. In addition, Lumen Scholars are allowed to study abroad in Budapest in the spring semester of their first year, a full semester earlier than most other students.
- On campus, Lumen Scholars are leaders among leaders and are well-represented in every group, from team captains to the first-year council to the Student Government Association. Within the Lumen Scholars Program, students have an active voice and can run for positions on the student Honors Club executive board.
- With the support of faculty, many students complete undergraduate research and present their work at Honors conferences. Lumen Scholars are mentored in this process, further preparing them for the next steps in their educational or professional journeys. Conferences where students present include The Maryland Collegiate Honors Council and the Northeast Regional Honors Council.
- Upon completing the program, students are officially named Lumen Scholars and this honor is noted on their transcripts. Students are recognized at the spring awards ceremony and at Commencement, where they wear special cords.
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Admission:
Admission to the Lumen Scholars Program is highly selective and designed to identify students whose applications demonstrate intellectual curiosity, an intrinsic motivation to learn, and potential as leaders in the McDaniel community. Curriculum (16 Credits):
Lumen Scholars courses are core-focused and fulfill general education requirements. Students take one course per year with fellow Lumen Scholars in environments that engage in experiential learning, interdisciplinary approaches, and personal reflection. Courses emphasize how a student’s chosen field of study intersects with other fields both inside and outside of the classroom. The Lumen Scholars Program augments the “My Place” component of the McDaniel Commitment by incorporating a “place as text” approach, connecting local experiences to global contexts that promote broader, deeper critical thinking. |
Return to: Majors, Minors & Distinctions A - Z
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