College of Arts and Sciences Honors Scholarship
Honors Program
The liberal arts and sciences are an exploration of the natural world and the world of human kind. It is this study that fosters inquiry while creating empathy – and a caring – for the world around us. And it is this pursuit of knowledge and caring for the world that is at the center of the mission of the College of Arts and Sciences.
The College is committed to the enhancement of the quality of life and to the preparation of students – through an education based on the liberal arts and sciences in an atmosphere rich in scholarship and service – for meaningful and rewarding careers.
The goal of the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program is to further enhance the undergraduate curriculum by providing select students with challenging classroom experiences and engaging them in the craft of research. Honors students participate in intensive, disciplinary-based seminars and enroll in demanding, interdisciplinary sections of general liberal arts courses. They work closely with faculty on high quality research projects within their major field of study, and are required to present their results to the University community and to write an honors thesis.
Being an Honors student involves doing advanced work, meeting difficult challenges, welcoming the unfamiliar, taking intellectual risks, participating in lively and thoughtful discussion, and thinking, writing, and communicating clearly. But it also means being part of a nurturing community of student-scholars and faculty who value the inquiry process and are committed to high quality advanced academic work.
Honors Research
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences Honors program will have an opportunity to participate in selected faculty research programs when available. The availability of these research projects varies from year to year depending on faculty needs and resources. For students in the Department of Biological Sciences, formal research programs have been developed for Junior and Senior level undergraduate students. For additional information on university research projects, click here.
How to Apply
First-time freshman applicants who are accepted to a major in the College of Arts & Sciences with exemplary academic credentials may apply to the Honors Program. Applications will be reviewed by the College of Arts and Sciences Standing Honors Committee. The Committee will select the best candidates for admission to the Honors Program from the applications received. Invitations to apply are typically sent out before February 15th. Application Deadline for the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program is March 15th. Decisions will be made by April 4th. To be eligible for consideration, you must be either in the upper 10 percent of your high school class or have a 3.5 or better grade point average on a 4.0 scale and an ACT composite score of 24 or higher, or a total of 1650 or higher on the SAT (combination of your highest Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing sections of the Reasoning Test).
Scholarship Awards
Candidates selected to participate in the Honors Program will receive an Honors Scholarship that will guarantee 75% funding of the annual (fall and spring term) cost of undergraduate tuition. These scholarships replace any other UNE-funded scholarships and grants previously made to the student. A limited number of new Honors Program students majoring in Department of Biological Sciences programs will be considered for Project SynER-G. Through special funding supported by the National Science Foundation, students accepted to Project SynER-G will receive a SynER-G Scholarship that will guarantee an additional 25% funding of the remaining annual (fall and spring term) cost of undergraduate tuition. This will bring the total UNE-funded scholarships for Honors SynER-G students to the cost of full tuition.
Honors Program Supplemental Academic Course Offerings
Year 1
Fall Semester
Honors Biology I (4 cr)
Honors Exploration Course (3 cr)
Spring Semester
Honors Exploration Course (3 cr)
Honors Convocation
Year 2
Fall Semester
Honors Human Traditions I (3 cr)
Honors Sociocultural Experience or Social Global
Experience (3 cr)
Spring Semester
Honors Human Traditions II (3 cr)
Honors Sociocultural Experience or Social Global
Experience (3 cr)
Honors Convocation
Year 3 and Year 4
Precise requirements vary by department and major.
Department of Biological Sciences Additional Supplemental Academic Course Offerings
Year 1
Spring Semester
Honors Biology II (3 cr)
Year 3
Fall Semester
Introduction to Honors Research (1-9 cr)
SynER-G Honors seminar (1cr)
Spring Semester
Honors Convocation
SynER-G Honors seminar (1cr)
Submit Thesis Proposal
Year 4
Fall Semester
Biological Honors Research (1-9 cr)
SynER-G Honors seminar (1cr)
Spring Semester
Biological Honors Research (1-9 cr)
SynER-G Honors seminar (1cr)
Submit Thesis; Oral Presentation
To qualify for consideration for the Honors Scholarship, students must meet the following eligibility criteria:
1) Apply and be accepted for admission to an undergraduate program of study in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of New England.
2) Submit two letters of recommendations (if not included with your application for admission or other UNE merit scholarship applications).
3) Submit a personal resume or a list of academic honors, awards, organizational activities and leadership activities (if not included with your application for admission or other UNE merit scholarship applications).
4) Submit responses to the following on a separate sheet of paper (responses should be typed and limited to 500-1000 words – be sure to include your name, address, and telephone number on each page):
a) What idea, theory, formula, or work of literature, music or art has most inspired you? Why?
b) What area of academic research do you have an interest in pursuing? Describe any prior experience(s) you have had conducting research, and most importantly how you felt about the experience(s).
5) Submit the Honors Scholarship Application.
* Due to NCAA Division III regulations, DO NOT include any athletic experience or any positions related to athletic experience in your scholarship application.
Scholarships will be renewable for a maximum of four years (8 semesters) of full-time undergraduate study or until the completion of the first undergraduate degree from UNE. Scholarships are not available for graduate level study, even if the student has not yet received their first undergraduate degree. Recipients must maintain good academic standing as established by the university. Scholarships are not applicable to courses taken off-campus and will follow the general guidelines for student financial aid.
Print this webpage application and return along with the required materials no later than March 15, 2008 to:
University of New England
Admissions Office
11 Hills Beach Road
Biddeford, ME 04005-9599
207-602-2297
Application deadline: March 15, 2008