Designed for highly motivated and passionate students, the CUC Honors Program aims to increase a student’s knowledge throughout their undergraduate career based on national standards for educating the best and brightest students at the university level.
The Honors Program
- Pushes students to employ critical thinking skills in their personal and professional lives
- Encourages collaboration in and outside of the classroom
- Promotes student community involvement
- Exposes students to interdisciplinary analysis
Study Format
- On Campus
This 18-hour program includes:
- CHP-2960 Introduction to Honors: Critical Thinking (3 hours),
- CHP-4960 Honors Project (3 hours), and
- 12 subsequent hours chosen from the seminars in the disciplines (CHP-3960), additional CHP-4960 credit hours, or the semester away experience (CHP-4560: Semester Away Presentation*).
Additionally, honors students contribute 30 service hours to the church, community, or university.
* Please note that a student opting to take CHP-4560 as one of their honors program requirements will have their total required credit hours reduced from 18 to 16.
The Honors Program is designed to enhance a student's overall Concordia career. Students successfully completing the above requirements and attaining a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better (measured one semester before graduation) are recognized at commencement as Concordia Scholars.
Finally, during the freshmen year, students will be enrolled in Honors Only sections of the two required first-year courses, HUM 1975: Noetic Experience Through Humanities and SBS 1975: Noetic Experience Through Social/Behavioral Sciences.
For application information, contact Concordia-Chicago's Undergraduate Admission office.
Honors Program Courses
CHP-2960: Introduction to Honors: Critical Thinking - 3 hours
An introduction to intentional critical thinking through a content-focused study. Topics may vary; current offerings are humanities-based, integrating history and literature through extensive reading and writing. Open to honors students only.
CHP-3960: Honors Seminar - 3 hours
A topic and readings course using critical thinking to focus on an issue of current significance within one of four discipline areas (science and math, humanities and the arts, social and behavioral sciences, theology and philosophy). May be repeated under a different topic. Open to honors students only. Prerequisite: CHP-2960.
CHP-4560: Semester Away Presentation* – 1 hour
Presentation of Semester Away Experience.
CHP-4960: Honors Project - 0-6 hours
A student-designed independent study for senior honors students, under the direction of a faculty mentor and in consultation with the Honors Director. The project may be in a student's major, minor or in another area of interest. A creative presentation of findings to the University community is expected at the conclusion of the project. Prerequisite: CHP-2960.
Any student who transfers to Concordia University Chicago with a 3.50 or higher cumulative GPA on all college level course work will be invited to apply to the Honors Program, based on the following guidelines:
Students transferring 30 credit hours or less:
This 18-hour program includes:
- CHP-2960 Introduction to Honors: Critical Thinking (3 hours),
- CHP 4960: Senior Honors Project (3 hours), and
- 12 subsequent hours chosen from the seminars in the disciplines (CHP-3960), additional CHP 4960 credit hours, or the semester away experience (CHP 4560: Semester Away Presentation*).
Additionally, honors students contribute 30 service hours to the church, community, or university.
The Honors Program is designed to enhance a student's overall Concordia career. Students successfully completing the above requirements and attaining a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better (measured one semester before graduation) are recognized at commencement as Concordia Scholars.
*Please note that a student opting to take CHP 4560 as one of their honors program requirements will have their total required credit hours reduced from 18 to 16.
Students transferring 31 to 45 credit hours:
This 15-hour program includes:
- CHP 4960: Senior Honors Project (3 hours), and
- 12 subsequent hours chosen from the seminars in the disciplines (CHP-3960), additional CHP 4960 credit hours, or the semester away experience (CHP 4560: Semester Away Presentation*).
Additionally, honors students contribute 20 service hours to the church, community, or university.
The Honors Program is designed to enhance a student's overall Concordia career. Students successfully completing the above requirements and attaining a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better (measured one semester before graduation) are recognized at commencement as Concordia Scholars.
*Please note that a student opting to take CHP 4560 as one of their honors program requirements will have their total required credit hours reduced from 15 to 13.
Students transferring 46 credit hours or more:
This 12-hour program includes:
- CHP 4960: Senior Honors Project (3 hours), and
- 9 subsequent hours chosen from the seminars in the disciplines (CHP-3960), additional CHP 4960 credit hours, or the semester away experience (CHP 4560: Semester Away Presentation*).
Additionally, honors students contribute 15 service hours to the church, community, or university.
The Honors Program is designed to enhance a student's overall Concordia career. Students successfully completing the above requirements and attaining a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better (measured one semester before graduation) are recognized at commencement as Concordia Scholars.
*Please note that a student opting to take CHP 4560 as one of their honors program requirements will have their total required credit hours reduced from 12 to 10.
Honors Program Courses
CHP-2960: Introduction to Honors: Critical Thinking - 3 hours
An introduction to intentional critical thinking through a content-focused study. Topics may vary; current offerings are humanities-based, integrating history and literature through extensive reading and writing. Open to honors students only.
CHP-3960: Honors Seminar - 3 hours
A topic and readings course using critical thinking to focus on an issue of current significance within one of four discipline areas (science and math, humanities and the arts, social and behavioral sciences, theology and philosophy). May be repeated under a different topic. Open to honors students only. Prerequisite: CHP-2960.
CHP-4560: Semester Away Presentation* – 1 hour
Presentation of Semester Away Experience.
CHP-4960: Honors Project - 0-6 hours
A student-designed independent study for senior honors students, under the direction of a faculty mentor and in consultation with the Honors Director. The project may be in a student's major, minor or in another area of interest. A creative presentation of findings to the University community is expected at the conclusion of the project. Prerequisite: CHP-2960.
Mission Statement
The Concordia University Chicago Honors Program offers a rigorous academic atmosphere inside and outside the classroom that fosters intellectual curiosity and a sense of vocation in students, both in their careers and in contributing to the church and world. It instills a spirit of service and equips students with the skills to become experts in their fields, visionary future leaders and compassionate citizens.
- Students sit on the Honors Council, the governing body that oversees academic requirements and course selection
- Students lead the Honors Club
- Students drive the classroom experience by bringing their own ideas to the table, leading discussions, and deciding much of the direction of what takes place
- Students attend evenings with prominent university leaders to discuss the mission statement’s application to their lives
- An introductory writing course that focuses on critical thinking and taking students with exceptional writing skills and enhancing them even more
- Exclusive Honors sections of the freshmen required courses, Noetics
- Topical courses taught by a professor based on their research area of expertise. Past courses include topics in genocide, creativity, New Testament studies, and a person’s impact on the environment
- A one on one research project with a professor of the student’s choosing
- Your Honors Program experience won't start and stop in the classroom.
- In addition to evenings to discuss the mission statement and a student’s role in the world, the student led Honors Club hosts academic events, as well as service learning events.
- This includes watching a movie followed by discussion, food drives, and museum visits to downtown Chicago.